Featuring...
October 2007

Women Making a Difference Announce Speaker for Annual Luncheon

Mary Ann Murphy will be the keynote speaker for the eighth annual Women Making a Difference Luncheon scheduled for October 12, 2007. For over thirty years Mary Ann has worked with centers that collaborate with law enforcement, Child Protective Services, the courts, the schools, and other social and health treatment providers to strengthen the fabric of support for families in our community. She is currently the Executive Director of Partners with Families and Children. Sponsored by both Sacred Heart and Deaconess Medical Centers, Partners is a program designed for children who are abused, neglected, endangered by drugs or exposed to violence. This program has been mending the hearts and broken spirits of abused children for nearly twenty years.

Mary Ann Murphy earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Washington in 1964. She then went on to earn her master's degree in developmental psychology from Eastern Washington University in 1975. In 2005, Mary Ann was appointed Chair of the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect by Governor Christine Gregoire. As Nancy Foll, director of the Family Support Center said, "Mary Ann is a point person, a spark plug in making a difference. She is highly respected throughout the State. From governors to people in the trenches, from Senators to CPS workers, people turn to Mary Ann because they know she knows about kids. She has written a number of guest editorials for the Spokane paper. She was the impetus behind the 30-day series that just finished in The Spokesman Review about child abuse. She is involved in and knowledgeable about almost any high level decisions regarding abused kids in this state. She's a mom ... for Gabriela, Jessica and Nickäand now a grandmother to Nora, Glen and Adam. She is funny. She is kind."

The title of Mary Ann's talk at the luncheon is "Our Kids: Our Business -- Thinking Differently About Keeping Kids Safe." As she said, "The 'thinking differently' part is about changing our symbol from the blue ribbon, which mourned the lost and broken children, to the pinwheel, a symbol of childhood joy and innocence. We want courageous adults to step forward and act to keep kids safe BEFORE they ever would suffer an injury. After eighteen years of directing a center where we treat the injured children, it's refreshing to be able to work on prevention of the many tragedies we have seen."

This year KeyBank is joined by Mount Carmel Hospital as co-signature sponsors for the Women Making a Difference luncheon, which will be held on Friday, October 12, at the Community Colleges of Spokane -- Colville Center, located on Elm Street. All money raised will go to the Family Support Center and Kids First Children's Advocacy Center, which provide services for victims of domestic violence, rape and child abuse. Women Making a Difference is a project of Rural Resources Community Action. All proceeds from the luncheon will stay in Stevens County.

For more information about the luncheon or for those who wish to attend, call Laurie Cole at 685-6088.

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