Women Helping Women
Women Helping Women is the Center’s annual luncheon to provide counseling, education, trainings and other services for women, children and families who are underinsured or from low-income households.
Since 1999, Women Helping Women has raised more than $2 million to support those struggling with the challenges of life.
SAVE THE DATE!
26th Annual Women Helping Women
May 17, 2024
See highlights of Women Helping Women from the last few years >
Thank you to all who supported our 25th Annual Women Helping Women event on May 19, 2023!
$300,000
is how much you helped raise for women, children and families who need access to mental health services — a record-breaking total!
We gathered 600 people for an inspiring luncheon at Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines on May 19, 2023! A celebration of 25 years of honoring women who inspire with kindness and lead with purpose, we enjoyed a dynamic program from our 2023 honoree, Connie Isaacson, and our keynote speaker Jann Freed, PhD, who inspired us to ponder “What if the rest of your life is the best of your life?”
The energy in the room was palpable as we honored all of the women who have helped make the event a success for the last quarter-century! This year’s event surpassed last year’s record-breaking fundraising total, raising $300,000 to provide services for women, children, and families who otherwise couldn’t access the mental health care they deserve.
Be inspired by Connie and Jann’s influential messages and gain a renewed sense of purpose and worth.
Watch the video of the entire program! Save the date to attend next year’s event on May 17, 2024 for more inspiration and an opportunity to support mental health services in Iowa.
“Leave Your Mark”
“Leave Your Mark,” was a special project by the talented Laura Palmer. Every attendee was invited to add a dot on the canvas to represent the community that makes up Mind & Spirit Counseling Center. Each colored dot represents a different group: clients (including adults and children), telehealth services, and donors/volunteers/staff.
This artwork is in celebration of 25 years of Women Helping Women and will be displayed at the Center.
More highlights of the 25th Annual Women Helping Women
Thank you to our generous sponsors and donors who helped the 25th Annual Women Helping Women event raise a record-breaking $300,000!
Presenting Sponsors – $10,000+
Anonymous
Barbara and Michael Gartner
Susan and Carl Voss
Leadership Sponsors – $5,000
Patty and Jim Cownie
Kate Garst
Charlotte Hubbell
Rusty Hubbell
The Isaacson Families, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Tom and Linda Koehn
Karen Shaff and Steve Jayne
Toni Urban
Sally Wallace
Supporting Sponsor – $2,500
Pamela Bass-Bookey
Trudy Holman Hurd
Nancy Main
La Donna and Rich Matthes
Shirley Poertner
Rachel Stauffer and Jim Lawson
Marti Wade
Sally Wood
Kathi Zimpleman
Contributing Sponsor – $1,500
Dr. Barbara Beatty
Carol Bodensteiner
Jann Freed and John Fisher
Deb and George Milligan
D.J. Newlin
Jill Oman
Rita Perea
Mary M. Riche
Janis Ruan
Rebecca D. Shaw, M.D.
Kathy and Ted Stuart
Kim and Rich Willis
Connie Wimer
Special Friends – $1,000
Mollie and Britt Baker
J.R. and Meredith Boesen Family Fund
Tom and Michele Brown
Suzie Glazer Burt
Roxanne Barton Conlin
Nora and Dave Everett
Tom and Cindy Fischer
Shayla From
Sharon Goldford, in honor of Jann Freed
Mary Gottschalk
Leslie Heimbach
Starr and Harry Hinrichs
Ann and Tom Holme
Debbie Hubbell
Andrea James
Martha James
Kate Juelfs
Cathy Lacy
Virginia Laurisden
Joyce and Terry Lillis
Robbie G. Malm
Claudette and P.J. McDonald
Brenda Mouw
Pauline and William Niebur
Barb and Andy Nish
Cynthia O’Brien
Jennifer Lock Oman
Lynsey Oster
Kay Riley
Jackie Saunders
Nan Stubbs, in memory of Iola Tollakson
Lisa Veach
Dr. Teri Wahlig
Michele Whitty
Alan Zuckert and Joyce Dainty
Leader Plus – $500
Anonymous (1)
Stephanie Asklof
Sandra Axness
Connie Beasley, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Janet Betts
Karin Beschen
Amy Bingaman
Beth and Dave Bishop
Annie Sloterdyk Brandt
Suzan Kelsey Brooks
Beth Coonan
Cynde Cronin
Sondra Eddings
Jessica Feeney
Jane Fogg
Rosalie Gallagher
Rachel Hardin
Renee Hardman
Sarah Hayes, M.D.
Jill Hittner
Connie Isaacson
Karen Quance Jeske
Anne M. Kelly
Cyril Mandelbaum
Lorraine May
Jeanne O’Halloran
Liza Ovrom
Donna L. Paulsen and Thomas E. Press
Stephanie Pearl
Jackie Romp
Patrice M. Sayre
Brenda Sedlacek
Barb Sherman
Diana Sickles
Kendra Simmons
Marti Sivi, in honor of Jann Freed
Laurie Betts Sloterdyk, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Terri Mork Speirs
Barbara Stennes, in memory of Helen Bryant
Sarah and Zac Voss
Char Vukovich
Linda Weidmaier
Deb Wiley and John Schmidt
Judy Winkelpleck
Kathy Zumbach
Leaders – $250
Anonymous (2)
Emily Abbas
Susan Ackelson
Cindy Ambroson
Becky Anthony
Beverly Apel
Jannice E. Bannister
Aura Baquero
Pat Barry
Mary K Bartine
Mary Ann Beard
Kristen Benge
Carrie Bening
Thomas Benzoni and Noreen O’Shea
Jan Berlin
Sarah Sullivan Bigelow
Meghan Blum
Don and Margo Blumenthal
Connie Boesen
Margaret Platt Borgen
Nicole Boyington
Phyllis Cacciatore
Teree Caldwell-Johnson
Mary Carlsen
Marilyn Carroll
Nancy Cheeseman
Polly L. Clark
Alicia Claypool
Julie Ann Connolly
Chris Conyers and Tom Baldwin
Holly Craiger
Christine Dietz, in honor of Isabel Dietz
Victoria Eckstat
Kelly Edmister
Karen Engman
Ardene Downing
Marsha and Ellery Duke
Denise Essman
Fran Fleck
Allison and Jim Fleming
Julie Fleming
Ann Flood
Carrie Galles
Kathy Giles
Shawna Gisi
Diane Glass and Jeff Means
Linda Goeldner
Mary Gordon
Mary Helen Grace and David Grace
Kimberly Graham
Courtney Greene
Dennis Groenenboom
Mary Gross
Jami Haberl
Cheryl Hamilton
Ginny Hancock
Jan Hardin
Lynn Heggen
Barbara L. Hein
Jane Hemminger
Susan Hemminger
Christine Hensley
Victoria L. Herring
Jim and Judy Heseman
Martha Hill
Jennifer Hilmes
Dixie Hoekman, in memory of Lois Kriebs and Jill Schreiber
Michelle Hogan
Linda Jennings
Dr. Darren Jirsa, D.D.S. in honor of Susan Voss
Joanne Johnson
Sandy Benson Johnson/Benson Family Foundation
Beth Stelle Jones
Maureen Keehnle
Mary Kelly, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Lola Kenworthy
Pamela Kenyon
Paula Kerman
Connie Klug
Jenna Knox
Mary Kramer
Diane and Keith Krell
Mary F. Kunkel
Jennie LeGates
Christine Lewis
Sheila Starkovich Lingwall
Marian Lyddon
Deb Madison-Levi
Sharon and Sue Malheiro
Kathryn Mandsager
Sandy McClelland
Andy McGuire
Cathy McMullen
Susan Vujnovich McRoberts
Kate Mead
Reo Menning
Ann Michelson
Joan Middleton
Lucrezia Moore
Tracy Mullen
Anna Nalean
Kurt and Melissa Ness
Liz Neumann
Charlotte Noble
Mary O’Brien
Jo Oldson
Leigh O’Tool
Katie Gibson Overby
Nina Socarras Pack
Marilyn Parsons
Katie Patton
Diann M. Peyton
Gail J. Pearl
Nancy Neufeld Price
Judy Quick
Artis Reis, in honor of Mary Riche
Rasmussen Group
Wilma Richards
Dawn Roberts, in honor of Susan Voss
Susy Robinette
Helen Robinson
Katie Roth
Dr. David Sagula
Laura Sands and Dave Busiek
Priscilla D. Sayeed
Susan Scharnberg
Pam Schoffner
Kim Shadur
Chris Sidwell
Jacqueline Stoken, D.O.
Ellen Strachota
Matt and Erin Strawn
Mary Stuart
Gail Stubbs
Sarah Susanin
Karen Novak Swalwell
Cheryl Sypal
Joyce and Harold Templeman
Marsha Ternus
Karen Unrau
Teresa VanVleet-Danos
Terri Vaughan
Sheri and Dick Vohs
Marilyn Warling
Teresa Weidmaier
Dee Willemsen
Jean Williams
Emily Williams-Bouska
Janie Wine
Barb Yankey
Roberta Yoder
Eleanor Zeff
Young Leaders- $125
Anonymous (1)
Julianne Hilmes Bartlett
Rachel Bruns
Paige Franzluebbers
Christine Hilbert
Sara Hopkins
Emily Kessinger
Ali Makris
Kathleen McGuire
Dani Musselman
Katie Patterson
Anne Roth
Erica Shannon
Ann-Charlotte Wade
Emily Webb
Dania Wilson
Meg Whitty
Friends of the Center Support – $500+
Eden
ITA Group Foundation
The Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines
Kemin
Table Hosts
Nancy Bone and Tracy Wheeler
L.U.N.A. hosted by Sharon Goldford
Oakridge Neighborhood hosted by Sharon Goldford
Mary Gottschalk
Katie Patton
Stephanie Pearl
Knapp Properties
WesleyLife Foundation
Donations
Anonymous (4)
Peg Armstrong-Gustafson
Ann Balentine
Mary Brooks
Diane Child
Eva Christiansen
Angela Connolly
Joanne Cutler, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Judy Deutch, in honor of Connie Isaacson and Sharon Goldford
Marge Doyle
Michael Egel
Jennifer Ellis, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Priscilla Gilbert
Sharon Goldford, donated chocolates in honor of Connie Isaacson
Diane Hedden
Karen Henderson
Dale Howe
Michelle Hutson
Rick and Kelly Isaacson, in honor of Connie Isaacson
Laura Jacobsen
Myrna Johnson
Dianne and Roger Jones
Dr. Jim and Mary Ellen Kimball
Kaye Lozier
Colleen MacRae
Kate Massop
Robyn Mills
Lisa Minear
Rev. Rachel Thorsen Mithelman
Greg Nichols
Kris Ohle, in honor of Susan Pogge
Joanne R. Page
Sally Pederson
Allison Peet
Judith Perkins
Susan Pogge
Annette and Randy Roth
Joann Sargent
Kathy Shives
Sheila Jane Spellman
Jan Stump
Jill and Derek Trobaugh
Nancy Vernon
Ann Victor
Rebecca Westberg
In-Kind Support
Chocolate Storybook
Connie Wilson Design
Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown
Integrity Printing
Laura Palmer
Media Sponsor
2023 Planning Committee
Stephanie Asklof
Annie Brandt
Melissa Cano-Zelaya
Kathy Giles
Sharon Goldford
Rachel Hardin
Renee Hardman
Kelly Isaacson
Kate Juelfs
Anne Kelly, co-chair
Paula Kerman
Leigh O’Tool
Laura Palmer
Stephanie Pearl
Shirley Poertner
Kelly Sparks
Susan Voss, co-chair
Billie Wade
Ann-Charlotte Wade
Connie Wilson
2023 Underwriting Cabinet
Stephanie Asklof
Pam Bass-Bookey
Carol Bodensteiner
Annie Brandt
Beth Coonan
Ann Flood
Jann Freed
Sharon Goldford
Sarah Hayes
Starr Hinrichs
Andrea James
Kate Juelfs
Anne Kelly
Emily Kessinger
Claudette McDonald
Lynsey Oster
Katie Patton
Stephanie Pearl
Shirley Poertner
Mary M. Riche
Anne Roth
Katie Roth
Kathy Stuart
Marti Wade
Sally Wallace
SAVE THE DATE
26th Annual Women Helping Women
May 17, 2024
The Center is planning another inspiring annual luncheon to address Iowa’s mental health crisis by assisting women, children and families who are uninsured or underinsured. We look forward to your support!
For more information, contact Laurie Betts Sloterdyk, Director of Development
Office: 515-564-5122 | Cell: 515-778-5436 | Email: lsloterdyk@mindspiritcenter.org