Community-Minded Enterprises shares details about the Helping Hand Award and the independent panel that will select Spokane’s first Community Connector of the Year.
SPOKANE, WA. – Community-Minded Enterprises invites the Spokane community to submit nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year, a new recognition honoring one Spokane resident for significant service to the community over the last year. An independent Community Review Panel made up of six local leaders will select the first recipient, who will be presented with the award September 12th during the main program at Hands Across Spokane in Riverfront Park.
The Helping Hand Award was created to recognize a resident whose actions have strengthened connection, support, and community care in Spokane. Nominees may include volunteers, advocates, mentors, caregivers, organizers, service providers, or any individual whose work has made a meaningful difference in the lives of people across the community. Nominees do not need a title or an organization behind them. The award is open to anyone whose work, formal or informal, has made an impact on our community over the last year.
As a community-driven recognition, the award depends on Spokane residents to put forward the names they believe should be considered. Nominations are open through July 31st at https://handsacrossspokane.org/helping-hand-award
Following the nomination period, submissions will be reviewed by the independent Community Review Panel: six leaders named by Community-Minded Enterprises whose work spans health care, public safety, philanthropy, media, and community service across the Spokane region.
The 2026 Community Review Panel includes:
- Samantha Clark, Vice President and Chief of Business Operations, MultiCare Behavioral Health Network
- Chief Kevin Hall, Spokane Police Department
- Kitara Johnson, CEO, Gabriel’s Challenge Community Coalition
- Sheriff John Nowels, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
- Shelly O’Quinn, CEO, Innovia Foundation
- Tim Pham, Morning Anchor and Executive Producer, KREM 2
The panel, not Community-Minded Enterprises, will select the first recipient.
During the main program of Hands Across Spokane, the recipient will be called to the stage and named Spokane’s first Community Connector of the Year, with the award presented in front of the community their work has served.
Hands Across Spokane is a community event and resource fair taking place Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Riverfront Park’s Central Plaza. It was created as a public reminder that support, connection, and community care already exist across the region, and that those networks become stronger when people can see them and reach for them. The event brings together local nonprofits, service providers, community organizations, and residents for an afternoon of resources, activities, food trucks, live music, and a shared moment of connection in the heart of downtown Spokane.
For more information about the Helping Hand Award, Hands Across Spokane, event sponsorship opportunities, or tabling registration, visit www.handsacrossspokane.org
Media Contact:
Madi Allen
Communications Manager
Community-Minded Enterprises
Direct: (509) 666-4183
MadiA@community-minded.org
About Community-Minded Enterprises
Community-Minded Enterprises is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering families and individuals through a range of programs in early learning, recovery support, and family services. CME works to improve the quality of life in Central and Eastern Washington and surrounding areas by providing essential resources and services.