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February 2026 Newsbriefs

Persist Together: Inspire Miracles is theme for 2026 Spring Benefit

The 2026 Spring Benefit speakers will frame their comments around how The Fig Tree story and resource sharing reflect the theme, "Persist Together: Inspire Miracles."

The Fig Tree is recruiting people to host tables of eight guests for the Benefit Lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 14, in the Hemmingson Ballroom at Gonzaga University. The program will be from noon to 1 p.m.

Speakers for the annual fundraiser are David Gortner, pastor at St. Luke's Lutheran in Coeur d'Alene and a Fig Tree Board member; LaRae Wiley, founder and elder at the Spokane Salish School; Luc Jasmin III, Eastern Washington representative of the Governor's office, and Laurel Fish, organizer with the Spokane Alliance, sharing how their efforts intersect with The Fig Tree.

Hamilton Studio is preparing a promotional video featuring eight community leaders and Fig Tree supporters: Jeff Ferguson, Jennifer Compau, Rusty Nelson, Betsy Wilkerson, Jillian Joseph, Andre Dove, Rob McCann, Pat Castaneda and Katie Thompson. Hamilton Studio will include video clips from the Eastern Washington Legislative Conference in the background.

The livestream from the Benefit Lunch and the promotional video will be shared for the Breakfast-time Benefit from 7:30  to 9 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, on Zoom.

The events are the major fundraisers for supporting The Fig Tree's monthly newspaper and the annual Resource Directory.

"We have 45 tables to fill and already have 25 hosts. Last year the compelling presentations shared all year helped us raise more than previous years from sponsors, with more than $73,500 in the spring, fall and year end," said Mary Stamp, editor. "It's crucial to raise $78,000 this year."

To attend, call 535-1813 or visit thefigtree.org/donate.html

Advent Lutheran funds Fig Tree, 20 others

The Fig Tree is one of 21 recipients of 2026 Advent Lutheran Church Endowment Fund grants announced on Jan. 23.

This is the 13th year The Fig Tree has received a grant, ranging from $450 to $1,130, with this year's grant being $750.

The fund was created in the mid-1990s to give the church a way to expand its support of "deserving, but underfunded ministries in our own community, nationally or internationally."

The Endowment Fund supports education and initiatives that promote outreach, growth and services to marginalized people through various ministries.

Programs receiving grants foster spiritual growth, social justice, leadership development and creative ministries, not budgeted, operational expenses. Grants range from $300 to $5,000.

Applications are due by Dec. 31. Funds are distributed in January. Recipients are asked to report on their use of the funds.

For information, call 928-7733 or email alcspokane@comcast.net

Student Contest on 'Art of Courage and Resistance'

Friday, March 13, is the deadline for middle and high school students to submit their statements on the prompt "The Art of Courage and Resistance" to the Spokane Community Observance of the Holocaust's 11th Annual Jessica Stein Memorial Student Art Contest. They are to deliver the art pieces by Sunday, March 15.

Held in partnership with the Seattle Holocaust Center for Humanity, the art contest challenges students to explore the history and personal stories of the Holocaust and to consider how these stories connect to the lives of people today.

For local educators, this is an opportunity to teach the history of the Holocaust, inspire students to confront bigotry and indifference, promote human dignity and take action.

The Spokane art contest is open to students in grades six to 12 from Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. They may also submit their art to the Seattle contest.

The annual art contest is offered in memory of Jessica Stein who joined the committee in 2010 as a high school student and continued to share her insights and passion for art and education about the Holocaust until her passing in 2022.

Winners of the Spokane contest will be honored at the Spokane Community Observance of the Holocaust, which will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, at Temple Beth Shalom.

For information, email SpokaneYHArtContest@gmail.com

Salish School presents storytelling event

Čaptíkʷɬ are the literature, law and scripture of Southern Interior Salish culture, and winter is an important time to share čaptíkʷɬ. Traditionally in the wintertime, people were gathered together in their permanent homes after a long season of managing, harvesting and storing their root, fish, berry and game resources throughout their territory.

The short days and long nights of winter provided opportunity for families to teach and entertain with čaptíkʷɬ, traditional stories.

Salish School of Spokane presents an evening of Southern Interior Salish storytelling at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, 4340 W. Whistalks Way.

It will include sharing čaptíkʷɬ, traditional creation and Coyote stories, through both traditional and modern means.

Stories will be shared in n̓səl̓xčin̓ (Colville Salish) with interpretation to English. There is no charge, but donations are welcome.

For information, visit salishschoolofspokane/captklm

Spokane Helpers food pantry in warehouse

After several years of running its food pantry in a private home, Spokane Helpers has moved to its new location in a warehouse with Women Helping Women Fund.

Founded in 2020 as a grassroots nonprofit in response to COVID-related hunger, it has grown over five years as food and housing costs continue to rise. In 2024, the organization's 165 volunteers delivered more than 15,000 free meals to food-insecure households across Spokane County.

With no immediate decline in local hunger expected, Spokane Helpers Network recently expanded operations from the private residence to a 1,500-square-foot warehouse in North Spokane.

"The larger facility allows the organization to store food and prepare deliveries more efficiently, increasing our ability to serve households that cannot afford groceries and face barriers to accessing traditional food sources such as food banks," said Susan Osborn, executive director.

She also envisions the new space as a hub where student clubs and community groups can gather to take action against hunger in Spokane.

For information, call 979-0933, email info@SpokaneHelpersNetwork.org or visit spokanehelpersnetwork.org

Seminary hosts weekend for discernment

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) Discernment Weekend will host "Signs Along the Way," from Friday to Sunday, March 13 to 15, in Berkeley, Calif., for anyone discerning a call to seminary and interested in online education.

This is an opportunity to connect with others in discernment, connect with PLTS faculty and explore online studies in the master of divinity, master of arts in spirituality and social change, or Lutheran Year programs.

For information, visit plts.edu/signs

River Forum H2O Breakfast is March 31

Spokane River Forum H2O Breakfast will be held 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Mar. 31, at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley.

The keynote speaker for this annual event is Lisa Seales of the Deschutes River Conservancy.

For information, email happy.avery@spokaneriver.net

Whitman United Way funds senior meals

United Way of Whitman County raised more than $7,500 on Giving Tuesday, matched by Vision and Values Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, for a total of $15,000 so Pullman Parks and Recreation can continue senior congregate meals at the Pullman Senior Center, Tuesdays and Fridays for three months.

Pullman Parks and Recreation, Aging and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington (ALTCEW) and other community service providers and partners seek an organization to continue to provide weekly meals at the Pullman Senior Center, including costs for cooks, food, a licensed dietician and administration to work with ALTCEW to fund meals.

"Providing meals at the senior center is a priority," said recreation manager Megan Vining. "We hope to continue working with local groups to provide this service."

"We were excited to mobilize funding, especially with the partnership with Vision and Values, and celebrating the power of collective giving and community-based philanthropy," said Meg Pannkuk, United Way of Whitman County board member.

For information, call 339-4962 or email director@whitmanunited.org

United Methodist missionary itinerates in area

Deaconess Joy Prim, a United Methodist Church (UMC) missionary in Hong Kong, will itinerate in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for three weeks in July. Working with the General Board of Global Ministries UMC, she serves as a case worker with the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW), a faith-based nonprofit that helps foreign domestic workers facing difficulties and provides resources to empower migrant workers.

Joy will speak July 10 to 12 at the annual United Methodist Mission U at Yakima Wesley UMC. She is available to speak in Eastern Washington districts, with small or large church groups from July 14 to 20.

Several PNWUMC folks have visited to see Joy's work in Hong Kong. Other PNW mission team members have presented workshops to resource the Mission for Migrant Workers.

For information, email rdcordill@gmail.com or marilynsreid21@gmail.com.

Feed My Starving Children seeks volunteers

For Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a hunger relief organization that has provided life-saving meals since 1987 through partners in other countries, volunteers are being recruited to meet April 24 and 25 at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3606 Schafer Rd., to pack 139,968 MannaPack meals and collect food for Spokane Valley Partners' food bank.

There is a need for 120 volunteers working in five packing shifts. Volunteer registration opens March 2.

In 2024-2025, more than 375 million meals were provided to 75 partners in 60 countries. MannaPack meals consist of rice, soy, nutrients and flavoring. Since 2015, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church has hosted FMSC Inland Northwest MobilePack events at Redeemer Lutheran. Volunteers from more than 30 churches, organizations and businesses have helped. They have packed 5,066 meals to send to 1,307,372 meal destinations in Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, the Caribbean and the Philippines, said Charles Brondow, MobilePack coordinator.

For information, call 994-3016 or email chuckbari41@gmail.com

Faith Action Network gathers advocates

The Faith Action Network (FAN) of Washington's Interfaith Advocacy Day (IFAD) gathers people of faith and conscience from around the state on Thursday, Feb. 12, in Olympia to learn about state legislation and meet with legislators.

The 2026 session brings budget pressures, the need to protect Washington's social safety net and opportunities to advance justice in housing, immigrant rights, climate, democracy and progressive revenue.

"FAN partners seek to build a Washington rooted in justice and compassion for all," said Joyce del Rosario, executive director.

FAN's legislative agenda includes calling for thoughtful, progressive revenue to make the Washington state tax code more stable, sustainable and equitable, stepping away from balancing the budget on the backs of the poor, she said.

FAN works to protect food security, housing and the safety net and asks the state to step in where the federal government is failing neighbors.

"We urge health equity for immigrant neighbors and outlawing of masking by law enforcement, and seek more worker, data and privacy protections.

In 2026, FAN is proposing one bill to enable religious communities to provide low-income housing, and another bill to bar localities from forbidding shelters and transitional housing within their borders.

Joyce urges faith communities to press legislators to preserve full funding for climate commitments and wildfire resilience and support Indigenous representation in decision-making bodies on natural resources.

FAN's full legislative agenda is available online at fanwa.org.

On Interfaith Advocacy Day, participants will be able to join plenaries and briefings that will explore issues on FAN's 2026 legislative agenda, meet with advocates from their legislative districts to prepare for their legislative visits and meet with their legislators or their legislative assistants.

To register for IFAD, visit: https://fanwa.org/interfaith-advocacy-day.

GU re-launches the Climate Law Clinic

The Gonzaga University School of Law with the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water and the Environment re-launched the Environmental & Climate Law Clinic in fall 2025 under co-directors Vanessa Waldref, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Dan Fruchter, former Department of Justice Environmental Crimes coordinator, senior legal fellows at the Climate Institute and law partners at Singleton Schreiber's Spokane office.

"I'm honored to guide the next generation of legal advocates to fight for public health and stronger communities," said Vanessa. "The clinic is an opportunity to blend our passion for public service with hands-on legal education, empowering students to ensure our region remains a place where everyone can live, work and thrive in a safe, healthy environment."

"The clinic is about legal training and instilling a commitment to justice, service, stewardship and community," said Dan. "Students will learn how to use the law to protect and strengthen communities in the Inland Northwest."

It comes at a time of increased need for legal interventions and empowering students to impact communities through public interest litigation, policy development and community advocacy.

"The climate crisis is the most pressing issue facing our planet. Using tools of law and policy, the clinic will advance structural changes needed for communities, water and lands to flourish in the face of a rapidly changing climate," said Brian Henning, founding director of the Institute for Climate, Water and the Environment.

"Gonzaga's School of Law will complement the environmental studies program for undergraduates who may wish to pursue a career in environmental law. The clinic will open opportunities for students and future environmental lawyers," said Lisa Manning, Gonzaga alumna, who has found financial support for the clinic.

Students and faculty will work to defend public health, protect public lands, promote clean air and water and advocate to enforce environmental regulations.

They will do research to help legislators draft environmental legislation and regulations.

The clinic will also provide free or low-cost legal representation to individuals, nonprofits and community groups facing environmental challenges related to pollution, land use and resource management.

It will partner with local and national environmental non-governmental agencies to address climate change, wildlife conservation and land preservation through advocacy, education and research.

For information, email guzmans@gonzaga.edu or visit gonzaga.edu/school-of-law/clinic-centers/law-clinic/environmental-clinic?&

GU hosts Columbia River film online

A new 35-minute Columbia River film, sharing citizen-led efforts to reform river governance for the international Columbia River watershed is online. The film is from the 2024 Columbia River Transboundary Water and Ethics Symposium.

"Emerging Issues and Public Engagement in the Transboundary Columbia River Basin" held in November 2024 was hosted by the Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment at Gonzaga University, co-sponsored by the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance, One River Ethics Matter Project, North American Youth Parliament for Water and Gonzaga's Climate Institute.

Residents of the international Columbia River Basin gathered to engage in public education and dialogue on transboundary issues and public involvement in river governance. This meeting built on a 2019 gathering in Kimberley, B.C., and a 2023 virtual Re-engagement Symposium.

More than 160 people gathered to discuss the Agreement in Principle, to reaffirm long term friendships and relationships and to create new synergies and collaborations. Discussions continue with the community of scholars, practitioners, activists and community members.

Organizers invite citizens of the watershed to view the film to learn about water pollution, returning salmon and resident fisheries, invasive species, the impact of the climate crisis and the need for ethics-based watershed governance tools.

The film is online at gonzaga.edu/climate-institute/events/columbia-river-symposium

For information, email columbiariver@oregonstate.edu.

Innovia Summit builds trust, community

Innovia Foundation is holding its annual Community Leadership Summit for the community members, nonprofits and change makers on March 16 and 17 at the Spokane Convention Center on the theme "Building Trust, Building Community."

The organizers seek to spark conversation on how trust is the cornerstone for collective action and lasting community impact.

Participants from 20 counties will hear national and local speakers, join interactive learning sessions and strengthen new and existing relationships based on community wellbeing.

The keynote speakers are Maryam Banikarim and John Noltner. Maryam is the host of The Messy Parts Podcast, co-founder of The Longest Table and chair of the Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute's Chief Marketing Officers Council. She will share on The Longest Table, a national movement that began as a small outdoor gathering of eight neighbors during COVID.

John is founder and executive director of A Peace of My Mind, a multimedia arts project, using portraits and personal stories to bridge divides and build community across the U.S. He will host an interactive exhibit for summit attendees to contribute their stories to his project.

"Innovia brings community members together to make more possible throughout 2026," says Shelly O'Quinn, CEO of Innovia Foundation. "The summit is an opportunity to share stories, create connections, strengthen relationships and build trust locally."

Innovia is the community foundation for Eastern Washington and North Idaho, partnering to develop opportunities to help people in need and invite generosity so communities thrive.

For information, visit innovia.org/summit

Spokane Alliance plans a training for its members

"Wrestling With the Truth of Colonization," sponsored by Spokane Alliance and Common Good Missoula, is a 10-hour training to educate non-Indigenous members on the history, legacy and impacts of colonization to prepare them for respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples.

It will be held 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31 in person in Spokane.

Built on the process of truth and reconciliation, participants learn about colonization and ongoing complicity in its legacy.

Follow-up sessions are led by local Indigenous leaders, focusing on opportunities for relationship building and issue areas for collective action.

The sessions with local Indigenous leaders will explore local histories and identify opportunities for action. Participants must attend all five sessions.

"This training series centers the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples, the ongoing work in our communities and the emotional labor that accompanies this learning. Participants should be prepared to engage in reflection, dialogue and "heart work," including small group conversations," said Edie Rice-Sauer, president of the Spokane Alliance board of directors. 

"This is more than a standalone training. It is a community organizing initiative. The goal is to carry the learning and reflection from these sessions into long-term organizing efforts that uphold Native sovereignty and build real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, so we can work together on shared concerns in meaningful and accountable ways," said Mary Rupert, chair of the Spokane Alliance truth and transformation team.

The alliance hopes participants will engage with others on the history and ongoing impacts of colonization on the Indigenous people. Attendees will not only learn facts but will also bring their own experiences and ancestry into the process. Breakout groups will offer attendees time to process what they are learning. Organizers hope his training will move participants from head to heart and leave them in a new place to move forward in hope.

There are only 30 seats for this in-person training for members of the Spokane Alliance.

For information, visit spokanealliance.org

YWCA announces its 2026 awardees

YWCA Spokane announces its nine 2026 Women of Achievement Award honorees, who will be celebrated from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, March 6, at the Davenport Grand Hotel.

These women who have made contributions to the community are being recognized as part of YWCA Spokane's 44-year history, in which it has honored 300 women for their leadership, vision and dedication that shape Spokane for the better.

Awards merit professional success, deep commitment to giving back and creating lasting impact in the community.

Honorees are selected through a community-driven process, reviewed by a diverse committee of YWCA Spokane board members, volunteers and staff using an impartial scoring system.

Each woman stands out for her transformative influence and alignment with YWCA Spokane's mission: eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

This year's honorees continue that legacy by giving generously of themselves to ensure Spokane is a stronger, more inclusive place for everyone.

The winners of the 2026 Women of Achievement Awards are:

Anesu Whacha, arts and culture; Becky Rempe, business and industry; Patricia Castaneda, Carl Maxey Racial and Social Justice; Jaime Stacy, community enhancement; Lori Hunt, education; Lisa Gardner, government and public service; Shadan Kapri, science, technology and environment; Autumn Kern, Young Woman of Achievement, and Gloria Aston-Baynes, Lifetime Achievement.

For information, visit ywcaspokane.org/2026-women-of-achievement-honorees and register at ywcaspokane.org/woa

 

 

 

 

Copyright@ The Fig Tree, January 2026
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