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December 2025 Newsbriefs

Fig Tree seeks to reach goal of $16,000

As of press time, The Fig Tree had raised $9,700 toward its Fall Fund Drive and year-end giving goal of $16,000, with hopes of surpassing that goal to fill in for gaps in other income sources.

Of that amount, $4,325 was in matching funds donated by the board of directors.

"From donors who gave in 2024 but have not yet given in 2025, we have a potential of raising $15,000 more," said Mary Stamp, editor. "That would cover what we need and start us strong for 2026."

The Fig Tree has mailed letters, sent emails, made calls, sent texts and posted on Facebook to encourage readers to donate again.

"We use the public broadcasting model of being available free and inviting support, but we do not have the platform of radio or TV to reach a captive audience with  our messages," she said.

Whitworth intern Frances Fakasiieiki has been publishing bits of stories on Facebook and Instagram to invite people to read the full articles in each issue. She has also been posting clips from the benefit video and quotes from speakers to invite giving, which has received 500 views.

"We shared several posts on articles reminding people that articles are not just interesting information to read but jump off the pages, for example, to invite donations that are creating libraries in Ethiopia, to invite participation in advocacy and rallies to support democracy, to engage people in fair trade, and to put food on the tables of neighbors," said Mary.

For information, visit thefigtree.org/donate.html

Mission Outreach gathers gifts for kids

Mission Community Outreach Center needs donations and volunteers for its Children's Christmas Joy event.

"Each year, we come together as a community to make sure local kids experience the joy, warmth and excitement of Christmas," said Ali Norris, executive director of the center.

Mission Community Outreach Center will provide clothing, books and holiday gifts to more than 1,000 children.

They request new children's clothing—sizes toddler 3T to Kids 16—such as jeans, leggings, joggers, long-sleeved shirts, underwear and winter hats. They also seek books for boys and girls.

Donors may either shop for items or make monetary donations.

Parents come from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, to Stevens Elementary School, 1717 E Sinto Ave. to shop for their infants through sixth graders.

Volunteers are needed on Friday, Dec. 5 to set up and on Saturday to help shoppers and clean up.

For information, call 536-1084 or email mcoc.spokane@gmail.com

PJALS trains in nonviolent direct action

The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane is planning "Nonviolent Direct Action Training: What Activists & Organizers Need to Know Now" from 9 a.m.to 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6. The location will be shared at registration.

This hands-on training prepares leaders and individuals to engage in mass mobilization and direct action in the community.

Participants will learn tactics and best practices for building the movements for immigrant rights, multi-racial democracy, and racial and economic justice. They will learn about mass mobilization, and strategies and tactics for nonviolent direct action, de-escalation and noncompliance.

They will gain a sense of choices and consequences of these tactics and how to implement them in a way that meets the goals of the movement.

Liz Moore, executive director of PJALS, said that after the training participants will understand the many roles, risks, legal aspects and best practices for civil resistance and nonviolent direct action, be able to differentiate between terms such as civil disobedience, civil resistance, non-violent direct action and non-cooperation, and learn to apply techniques for staying focused on the objectives of the action and not to be easily provoked. They will also learn about the questions and reflections to use to decide what role to take in an action.

The training is co-presented by Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR) and PJALS.

There is no cost to attend. Optional donation will go towards workshop costs; any remaining proceeds will be split between SCAR and PJALS. 

For information, email pjals@action.pjals.org or visit pjals.org

Women's Hearth sets two volunteer days

Transitions is offering two days of volunteer service from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6 and 13, at the Women's Hearth, 920 W. 2nd Ave., helping with cleaning, organizing, repairs and preparing hygiene and makeup kits.

Women's Hearth is the successor to the Women's Drop-In Center of the 1990s, founded by Holy Names Sister Cathy Beckley, who died on Nov. 21 at Mary's Woods, Maryhurst, Oregon.

She had a passion for justice and was delighted to see how Women's Hearth had developed in service to women in the downtown Spokane area.

For information, call 455-4249, email afitzgerald@help4women.org

ALTCEW connects volunteers with seniors

Adopt a Neighbor is a community initiative of Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington (ALTCEW) to recruit groups and businesses to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities with raking leaves and shoveling snow.

It fosters a sense of community among neighbors with nearby seniors and people with disabilities.

ALTCEW invites clubs, organizations, businesses, churches, community centers and schools to adopt one or more seniors or individuals with disabilities.

Each group decides how many to adopt. ALTCEW matches them with individuals and shares their contact information so they make arrangements from there.

For information, call 960-7281 or email action@altcew.org

Tree of Sharing will serve 6,000 people in 2025

Since 1982, the Tree of Sharing has served the Spokane area to ensure that 6,000 people who might otherwise be forgotten will receive a holiday gift.

The Tree of Sharing opened Friday, Nov. 28, and is open through Sunday, Dec. 14 at Riverpark Square, Northtown and Spokane Valley malls.

The Tree of Sharing is collaborating with 44 local social service and nonprofit agencies who submit gift requests that are picked up by shoppers at the Tree of Sharing tables at the malls. The shoppers bring the items back to the tables.

Those items are taken to a warehouse where they are sorted for delivery to the agencies.

For information, visit treeofsharing.org

Habitat Spokane dedicates new home

Habitat for Humanity Spokane is planning Home for the Holidays, a home dedication for a family who will move into an affordable home they have helped build.

The dedication will be from noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Airway Heights. The address will be provided for those who sign up. On an ongoing basis, Habitat for Humanity Spokane seeks people to volunteer in the store, warehouse and construction.

For information, call 534-2552 or email rsvp@habitat-spokane.org

Liberty Park Library hosts Black Liturgies

Liberty Park Library is hosting Black Liturgies for Staying Human at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 18, at 402 S. Pittsburg.

The December theme is "A Community Practice: Joy and Wonder," which invites nonviolent, intersectional and interfaith meditation and reflection practice.

For information, email social@spokanelibrary.org or visit spokanelibrary.org

Homeless Connect recruits sponsors and vendors

The 14th Annual Spokane Homeless Connect registration for sponsors and vendors is now open. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Spokane Convention Center, 202 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

With the community experiencing food disparity, rent hikes, inflation and barriers to basic needs, this event brings direct service providers together in one space for one day, so those needing assistance have the ability to access what they need without barriers.

Last year's event saw nearly 2,000 people. Organizers anticipate more this year, said Kari Stevens, organizer.

For information, call 458-2509 x 338, email kari.stevens@dshs.wa.gov or register at spokaneconnect.org

Conference theme is 'We Shall Overcome'

The 2006 Eastern Washington Legislative Conference will focus on the theme, "We Shall Overcome: Building the Beloved Community Today," when participants gather from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 31, at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond.

The opening will include reflections on the impact of music and songs that have influenced movements for justice.

The keynote plenary panel on  "Spiritual Ramifications of Persistence" will include Episcopal Bishop Gretchen Rehberg, Lutheran Synod director of evangelical mission, Liv Larson Andrews, Max Oliva SJ of Gonzaga University, Karen Stromgren of Muslims for Community Action and Service and Gary Jewell a leader in the Mennonite Church and Fig Tree Board moderator.

Briefings on 2026 legislation will be presented by Kristin Ang of the Faith Action Network and Jean Welch Hill of the Washington State Catholic Conference. Luc Jasmin III, the governor's representative in Eastern Washngton will also share.

Afternoon sessions include workshops on people power and creative resistance by Liz Moore of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane; faithful education with Emily Clark of Gonzaga University, Steve Somers of the community college and Paul Schneider of Spokane Valley High School; art expressing advocacy with Shantell Jackson of PJALS; media literacy with Mary Stamp of The Fig Tree; faithful advocacy with Gen Heywood of Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience, and community organizing with Laurel Fish of the SpokaneAlliance.

Next are workshops on issues—racial justice, food security, affordable housing, environmental policy, refugees and immigration, and indigenous issues.

There will also be resource tables with partner organizations sharing about their nonprofits and their work on issues.

Among the event sponsors are Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium, Dorothy Day Labor Forum, Washington State Budget and Policy Center, The Fig Tree, Faith Action Network and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Planning is still underway with invitations for workshop speakers, display tables, sponsors and other presentations.

For information, call 535-4112, email event@thefigtree.org or visit secure.givelively.org/donate/the-fig-tree/2026-legislative-conference

'Take Action Against Hate' awards given

The Gonzaga Center for the Study of Hate announced the 2025 Eva Lassman "Take Action Against Hate" award recipients at the Human Rights Spokane Banquet on Nov. 6.

They are Florida State University's Hate Crime Research and Policy Institute and Pardeep Kaleka, a Milwaukee-based anti-hate activist.

The awards are for an organization and an individual that challenge hate and make positive strides in the footsteps of Eva Lassman, a Holocaust survivor and anti-hate advocate.

"The committee is attentive to efforts that demonstrate impact," said Gonzaga's Aaron Danowski, who chaired the awards committee.

The Hate Crime Research and Policy Institute, founded in 2019 by Brendan Lantz, examines how hate, bigotry and extremism victimize people based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and other characteristics.

The institute compiled the Tracking Transgender Homicide in America database and manages the Longitudinal Hate Crime Victimization Survey, the largest ongoing panel study of exposure to bias and health outcomes in the country. It also collaborates with Florida hate-crimes task forces to bolster education and awareness of the inadequate reporting of hate crimes by law enforcement across the country.

Pardeep, a leader in the anti-hate movement, is committed to communal healing and combating hate from the 2012 murder of his father and six Sikh parishioners by a white supremacist at the Oak Creek, Wis., Sikh Temple.

He co-founded Serve2Unite to help young people of different religious and cultural backgrounds build inclusive, non-violent communities. He is the co-author of The Gifts of Our Wounds, a memoir and call to action co-written with Arno Michaelis, a former white supremacist Pardeep met after his father's murder. Together, they have travelled across the U.S. sharing their story of reconciliation and healing.

Pardeep is a strategic advisor to Not in Our Town (NIOT), a national movement using storytelling and film to confront hate and promote local solutions. It produced a documentary on the Oak Creek tragedy and healing.

He is also an interventionist with Parents4Peace, helping people disengage from extremist ideologies.

For information, call 313-5368 or email nailen@gonzaga.edu

World Communion of Reformed Churches Council held in Thailand

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, the World Communion of Reformed Churches 27th General Council opened with worship that featured Thai drumming and dancing, and closed with a message "Hope Beyond the Tears," sharing the respectful, prayerful tone of the deliberation.

It was hosted by the Church of Christ in Thailand.

Outgoing WCRC General Secretary Setri Nyomi said, "The last 10 days have been a celebration of our being in communion together. I thank God for how we gelled as a communion, even around areas where we still have differences—but that is God's family."

"The welcome enabled us from different cultures around the world to be able to function and to feel free to deliberate together on difficult issues," he said.

"The cultural diversity of Chiang Mai has given us many lessons," said outgoing WCRC President Najla Kassab. "We were inspired by the role the church has in the society, a church that wants to share the love on the streets," said Najla, who, coming from Lebanon in the Middle East, appreciated the inter-religious diversity and respect she experienced.

Incoming WCRC General Secretary Philip Vinod Peacock said, "Every delegate who came to this meeting will take a little bit of Thailand away with them as they go back to their home countries."

Duangsuda Sribuaai, academic dean of the McGilvary College of Divinity and representative of the Church of Christ in Thailand, was grateful to see the unity and cooperation among churches around the world. 

"We learned a new awareness of the issues you have been talking about," she said. "Talking with you gave us a picture of the issues not only in Chiang Mai and Thailand but around the world."

The press noted the women in leadership, both within the WCRC and its 230 churches in 109 countries across the globe.

Najla was the first woman elected as a WCRC president. Her successor is another woman, Karen Georgia Thompson, general minister and president (CEO) of the United Church of Christ in the U.S.

Philip acknowledged there is still work to do to empower women in leadership among Reformed churches. "On the one hand, 83 percent of our churches ordain women," he said, "but in all our churches, only 23 percent of our leadership are women."

WCRC leaders held a service commemorating 150 years of WCRC history.

"The service meaningfully captured 150 years of our life together and brought that into our present tense, joined by the ecumenical community," Setri said. "It was symbolized for me in the 150-member choir, more than half of whom were from Buddhist communities. We can sing together and make a difference together." 

For information, visit wcrc.eu

GU establishes Woodley Institute

At Gonzaga University the Woodley Institute for Civil Engagement and Humanistic Dialogue was established through a gift from 1969 alum Tom Woodley and his wife, Nancy.

Rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic and humanistic tradition, the institute will prepare students to lead with wisdom, humility and integrity in a divided time. It will elevate civil discourse, interdisciplinary dialogue and literacies of conflict and digital engagement.

In addition, a Woodley Scholars political science program will guide students to be principled public servants. 

As a political science graduate who went on to Georgetown Law, federal service and 45 years representing firefighters and public-safety workers, Tom knows how rhetoric can harm or heal.

"Our country has many deep divisions and hostile rhetoric that's not constructive," he said, hoping the institute addresses that.

"Tom and Nancy's investment allows us to form leaders who build trust across difference," said Gonzaga President Katia Passerini. "Through Woodley Institute and Woodley Scholars, students will connect scholarship with civic practice and develop the habits of learning, reasoning and service that democracy urgently needs."

The institute will offer lectures, workshops and partnerships to help students, faculty and neighbors practice evidence-based reasoning, navigate the media landscape and engage across worldviews.

"We need qualified people to serve the public interest and the common good," Tom said, urging graduates to consider government service and hoping to nurture leaders whose words, actions and decisions bring light—not division—to public life.

For information, call 313-5368 or email nailen@gonzaga.edu

Giving Machine set up at Valley Mall

The 2025 Light the World Giving Machine Initiative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will have one of its 126 locations in 21 countries in Spokane Valley.

An opening ceremony will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 12, in the Spokane Valley Mall food court. It will be open through Jan. 1.

Giving Machines—like vending machines—offer donors options to select nutritious meals, warm clothing, hygiene kits or livestock for people in need.

Globally, about 500 nonprofits are offering more than 4,000 opportunities for people to donate.

In Spokane, donations go to Vanessa Behan for emergency childcare, Teen and Kid Closet for clothes for low-income youth, Second Harvest Inland Northwest for food, Spokane Neighborhood Action Network (SNAP) for housing, energy and financial assistance, Project Beauty Share for hygiene and beauty products, CARE for livestock and refugee meals, and Water for Good for clean water and hygiene training. The full donation goes to the charities.

"Spokane for the first time joins this global effort to share light and kindness in the Christmas season," said Dave and Noreen Skogen, Spokane Valley Giving Machine city leaders. "We invite people to visit the machines and experience the joy of giving."

"Giving Machines are a reminder that small acts of kindness can make a big difference. We invite people of all faiths and backgrounds to see how their donations can directly bless lives here in Spokane and around the world," said Elder Hal Hunsaker of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Giving Machines were introduced in 2017 and since then more than $44 million has been contributed to charities.

For information, call 993-5544, email daskogen@centurylink.com or visit LightTheWorld.org

INUUC finds new home in Friends Church

Since early 2024, the Inland Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church (INUUC) Relocation Team has explored locations where the church might put down roots.

They have visited sites, held listening sessions and gathered feedback from the members.

In September, the Relocation Team unanimously recommended that INUUC establish a long-term space-sharing partnership with the Spokane Friends Meeting at 1612 W. Dalke.

More than 90 percent of the INUUC support this move based on shared values, the aesthetics of the space, the sense of welcoming across spiritual and secular perspectives, the visibility of the location with sandwich boards on nearby corners and the flexibility for growth.

The INUUC will hold Soul Weaving services at 11:30 a.m. on second and fourth Sundays and then first and third Sundays on Zoom.

The INUUC Governing Circle unanimously approved the relocation. The Spokane Friends Meeting discussed the proposal and approved it in September.

"Our move is an opportunity to deepen community, live into our values of flexibility and cooperation, and position INUUC for sustainable growth." said Erin Popelka, secretary of INUUC governing circle.

"I hope the arrangement will strengthen ties between our two traditions, which are rooted in peace, justice and openness to diverse perspectives," she said.

For information visit inuuc.org

Goodwill opens new location

Goodwill opened a new store and Workforce and Family Services office on Nov. 21 at 557 S. Main, in Colville.

This is the third location in Colville since 1954. Goodwill sought a new location to expand its services there to meet the needs of staff, shoppers, donors.

"We are excited about the opportunities this larger facility provides our community, team members and programs," said Clark Brekke, president & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest

The location has 18,000 square feet of space for the store, donation center and social services such as support for veterans, payee services, community supports and career certificates.

For information, call 684-6162 x 3 or visit discovergoodwill.org

 

 

Copyright@ The Fig Tree, December 2025
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