Regarded as civic & social organization professional, Karen has more than twenty five years of experience in the non-profit sector and specializes in the areas of social change, community development, cultural and civic leadership. She is recognized on a national scale as an advocate who boldly speaks out on behalf of others on social issues ranging from poverty to racism. Karen is well known by the locals, respected as a trusted community leader and deemed as friend to individuals in crisis. A Washington State certified crisis & crime victim advocate she has provided more than 18 years of advocacy, information and referral services to scores of individuals experiencing problems, a crisis, or a life altering situation. As the Spokane Sexual Assault Center's prevention coordinator Karen developed a program "Breaking the Silence on Violence in Marginalized & Under-served Communities" for the purpose of increasing culturally appropriate victim services which resulted to the creation of seven mental health projects inside community based organizations, the hiring of racially diverse staff at the Sexual Assault Center, and changes in Washington state policies & laws regarding service provision. Two of the local projects were awarded state funding. One became a core program and is in its 10th year of operation. In 2015, Karen authored "The Turning Point Spokane County, Crisis Referral Resource Guide,” “Transitioning into Your Future “a self-help manual and “An Authentic Encounter In Pursuit of His Presence” a visual devotional journal. In 2017, the City of Spokane was granted three month use of her initiative “I Am Spokane” as a theme for the State of the City Address and for the Spokane Gives Campaign. Concepts were utilized for marketing, advertising, and promotional materials; directly sourced for videos, commercials, blogs and other social media purposes. The City Spokane cites the results of the total volunteer economic impact to be over 2.5 million dollars.
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