King-TV Anchor Will Speak At Ywca Benefit
Because we live in a technical world, it’s vital for those who can to reach out and lend a hand to those in need.
The YWCA is in a unique position to do this, with programs that touch the lives of people in crisis, says award-winning news anchor Jean Enersen.
On March 24, Enersen will be the keynote speaker at the YWCA’s Benefit Breakfast, discussing “High-Touch Services in a High-Tech World.”
Enersen is a news anchor for Seattle’s KING-TV and president-elect of the Seattle, King County and South Snohomish YWCA.
An estimated 1,000 people will attend the spring fund-raising event, which begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Ag Trade Center. Proceeds will support the programs and services of Spokane’s YWCA.
“What I see is an increasing disparity between those who are earning high salaries and those at the bottom of the ladder who find it more difficult than ever to live,” Enersen said in a recent telephone interview. “In our very successful economy, these people are being left behind, and we need to bring them along.”
Despite our increasingly technological society, the YWCA maintains its humanitarian care for people in areas such as domestic violence prevention, after-school child-care programs and homeless services.
“I’m a big believer in the YWCA” organizations, said Enersen. “What makes them unique is that they meet the community’s most critical needs - helping people with child care, helping victims of domestic violence and people who are in transition,” she said.
Enersen has developed news specials on homelessness, domestic violence and sexually transmitted diseases. Each year since 1987 she has topped Seattle Weekly’s “Most Trusted News Anchor” list.
She has received the Northwest AIDS Foundation’s Community Leadership Award, Matrix Table Award for Women of Achievement, and the DuPont Columbia Award for Journalism.
When asked about her personal accomplishments, Enersen quickly diverts attention back to the pressing needs of Spokane’s YWCA: its Necessities Bank, Transitional School for Homeless Children, Alternatives to Domestic Violence. … These programs need funding, Enersen said, and they are a smart investment.
“They are run effectively and efficiently,” she said. “The maximum amount of money goes to the client; the minimum amount goes to administration.”
Tickets to the YWCA Benefit Breakfast are $100. For reservations, call 326-1190, ext. 127.
Support group for the grieving
People who have experienced the loss of a spouse, family member or friend are invited to a Saturday workshop to gain support and help.
“Kicking Off the New Year” is a one-day seminar at the Corbin Senior Activity Center, 827 W. Cleveland, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.. It will be sponsored by Solo Strategies for Widowed Persons and Community Colleges of Spokane’s Institute for Extended Learning.
Specialists in the areas of mental health, grief and relationships will help participants learn how to release the pain of loss, discover new ways to express what lies within and how to share their stories with others who have experienced similar grief.
Tuition is $20 for Solo Strategies members; $30 for non-members. Lunch and refreshments are included.
To register, or for more information, call 484-8636, or (800) 344-SOLO.
Non-profit note
The Women Helping Women Fund has three new board members: Noni Comerford, chaplain at Deaconess Medical Center; Karen Kelly, director of college advancement at the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education; and Christie Hinnen, a docent at Cheney Cowles Museum.
Women Helping Women is dedicated to empowering women and children to create healthy families and vibrant communities.
For more information, call 747-0802.
Benefit production planned
A performance of Spokane Civic Theatre’s production of “On Golden Pond” will benefit the YWCA’s Domestic Violence Shelter.
Wednesday’s event begins at 6:30 p.m. with wine and hors d’oeuvres followed by the show at 7:30.
Proceeds from the $15 tickets will help the YWCA’s program that offers free counseling, 24-hour crisis intervention, legal advocacy and domestic violence support services.
For tickets, call Sabrina Jones at 535-8400, or Barbara Little at 326-1190, ext. 133.
Kudos
Two weeks ago, this column reported on the successful Toys for Tots fund-raiser. A noteworthy addendum to that story is the donation of more than 1,500 wooden trucks hand made by members of Spokane’s Hoo-Hoo Club.
This is the third year the club has participated in the toy drive, which gives Christmas gifts to the area’s needy children.
Dellen Wood Products donated blocks of wood for the trucks, which were assembled by Hoo-Hoo members Jack and Helen Eskeberg, Brad and Mary McKnight, and Kris and Julie Wales.
Founded in 1892, the international Hoo-Hoo Club is a fraternal organization of people who work in the forest products industry. The club is involved with community philanthropy while seeking to foster and promote wood and forest products.
, DataTimes