Shades of Motherhood Network founder will receive the inaugural Helping Hand Award at Hands Across Spokane on September 12th
SPOKANE, Wash. – Community-Minded Enterprises announced today that Stephaine Courtney, founder and executive director of the Shades of Motherhood Network, will receive the inaugural Helping Hand Award and will be recognized as Spokane’s first Community Connector of the Year.
Introduced this year as part of Hands Across Spokane, the Helping Hand Award recognizes a Spokane resident whose work has left a lasting mark on the people or networks around them.
An independent six-member Community Review Panel reviewed 19 qualifying nominations submitted by community members. The panel included Samantha Clark of MultiCare; Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall; Kitara Johnson of Gabriel’s Challenge; Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels; Shelly O’Quinn of Innovia Foundation; and KREM 2 anchor Tim Pham. Panelists considered the depth of each nominee’s impact and the strength of the connections their work created. Courtney earned the highest overall score.
Courtney founded the Shades of Motherhood Network after her own fertility journey showed her how isolating it could be to search for culturally relevant support. Under her leadership, the organization has built a network around Black mothers and families through some of the most vulnerable and consequential experiences surrounding pregnancy, birth, and motherhood: when being heard and supported can change the course of an experience. Its work connects families with culturally responsive doula care and maternal health education while building stronger collaboration between community-based support and traditional health care systems.
“Being recognized for work that is so deeply rooted in community, connection, and care means more to me than I can express.” Says Courtney. “I’m especially honored knowing that I was nominated by someone in the community.”
City Council President Betsy Wilkerson will present Courtney with the award live at Hands Across Spokane on Saturday, September 12th, at Riverfront Park’s Central Plaza. The presentation is part of the main program beginning at noon, which concludes in an event-wide moment in which all attendees will stand side by side, stretching across the plaza, joining hands to give shape to something that is usually only viewed in concept: the network of care and human connection that holds Spokane together.
It is a reminder that community is not something any one organization, institution, or person can provide on their own. It is something we create for one another, every day.
Hands Across Spokane
Hands Across Spokane is a community-wide event led by Community-Minded Enterprises. It brings local organizations and residents into one shared space to make support easier to find. At its center is a simple idea: people are stronger when they can see and feel the community around them.
The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and pairs a community resource fair with entertainment and activities. Food trucks will be on site. The main program begins at noon with community speakers and the Helping Hand Award presentation. The program concludes with everyone in attendance joining hands across the park.
Event information: HandsAcrossSpokane.org
Media Contact
Madi Allen
Communications Manager
Community-Minded Enterprises
Cell: (509) 666-4183
Desk: (509) 321-7234
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.