Empowering Heart 2014 Program by Phillis Stacy-Brooks

Single Mothers Outreach presents

The 5th Annual

GAL A AND ART EXHIBIT

Celebrating Women, Art, and Community

November 1, 2014

welcome!

table of contents

Welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2

Single Mothers Outreach is about empowering single parents, supporting children and advancing our community. Empowering Hearts is the intersection of Art and Passion -- Inspiration and Commitment. We are honored to have these women and artists represent the embodiment of what we are about, to serve as role models for our children and as an inspiration to the single parents we serve. On behalf of the Single Mothers Outreach Board of Directors and staff, Jeffrey Shapiro, HD PhD Chair

College of the Canyons salutes DEBORAH RIO, along with her fellow distinguished honorees, for changing lives & helping shape our communities in

Tippi Hedren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

2014 Honoree - Adele Macpherson. . . . . . . . . page 14

Dan Fagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6

2014 Artist - Jennifer Calderon. . . . . . . . . . . . page 15

Single Mothers Outreach Board of Directors. . . page 7

2014 Honoree - Debbie Rio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16

About Single Mothers Outreach. . . . . . . . . . . . . page 8

2014 Artist - Josh Premako. . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 17

Past Empowering Heart’s Honorees . . . . . . . . . page 9

2014 Honoree - Kacey Surratt . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18

2014 Honoree - Kiki Hacker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 10

2014 Artist - Jen Parker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 19

2014 Artist - Kelly Mehr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 11

2014 Honoree - Racquel Turner . . . . . . . . . . . page 20

2014 Honoree - Linda Hafizi . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12

2014 Artist - Alexis Surratt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 21

2014 Artist - Brooke Ritter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 13

Empowering Hearts Committee . . . . . . . . . . . page 22 Purpose of Empowering Hearts. . . . . . . . . . . . page 25

Congratulations! SMO!

P RIN CESS CRUISES IS P ROUD TO RECOGN IZE THE EM P OW ERIN G HEARTS HON OREES.

Honorees! Artists!

such an extraordinary way.

www.canyons.edu

Evening’s Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4

Contact your travel agent | 1-800-Princess | Princess.com

Tanii Carr, Author

www.10weeks2love.com

Single Mothers Ad.indd 1

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

10/21/14 3:14 PM

Single Mothers Outreach

Tippi Hedren

GA L A P RO G RA M Reception and Art Exhibit People’s Choice Voting Opportunity Princess Cruises Opportunity Raffle Welcome - Jeffrey Shapiro, Single Mothers Outreach Board Chair Artists and Honoree Introductions – DaAnne Smith and John Vance Video Presentation and Mission Moment – Victor Lizano & DaAnne Smith, Gala Co-Chairs 2014 Dottie Award, Presenter – Tippi Hedren 2014 People’s Choice Award, Presenter – The Accounting Firm of Trevor Rice, Stern, Kory, Sreden & Morgan Princess Cruises Opportunity Drawing

Thank you for joining us this evening!

for “Food for the Hungry”. She has traveled worldwide to set up relief programs following earthquakes,

BEING NEIGHBORS IS MORE THAN JUST GEOGRAPHY. Congratulations to the Inspiring Women of Empowering Hearts. At Bank of the West we’re committed to being active members of the communities we call home. We’re as dedicated to lending a helping hand around the neighborhood as we are to providing the personal banking, business banking and wealth management services that may be just right for you. Please visit us at a local branch or at bankofthewest.com for more information. Please Visit our Santa Clarita Location at: 27011 McBean Parkway, #101, Valencia, CA 91355 | (661) 288-2006 Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

Tippi Hedren, film and television

hurricanes, famine and war, and has received numerous

actress, was discovered by legendary director Alfred

awards for her efforts, including the “Humanitarian

Hitchcock, who signed her to a personal contract and

Award” presented to her by the Baha’i Faith. As for

cast her in The Birds (1963). Her performance in the

animal causes, she is founder and President of “The

film earned her a Golden Globe for Most Promising

Roar Foundation”. Onscreen, she continues to work

Newcomer. Her second film was Hitchcock’s Marnie

frequently in films, theater and TV. She appeared in

(1964), opposite Sean Connery. That year she mar-

I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) and I Heart

ried her then-agent, Noel Marshall. Tippi and her hus-

Huckabees (2004). Tippi’s contributions to world cin-

band Noel collected big cats and other wildlife for the

ema have been honored with Life Achievement awards

film Roar (1981), which they starred in and produced.

in France, in Spain, and at the Riverside International

The film was a turning point in her life; she became

Film Festival in 2007. In 1999, Tippi was honored as

actively involved in animal rights, as well as a wide va-

“Woman of Vision” by Women in Film and Video in

riety of humanitarian and environmental causes. Tippi

Washington, D.C.

has devoted much time and effort to charitable causes: she is a volunteer International Relief Coordinator

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Single Mothers Outreach

Dan Fagan 2014 Empowering HeArts Emcee

A New Jersey native and ninth in a family of 12

children, Dan Fagan relocated to Southern California to open Salt Creek Grille Valencia. (He also opened Rumson, New Jersey). After operating Salt Creek for three years, in addition to his 22 years as owner and operator of many restaurants and bars in New Jersey, Dan changed careers and is now a Commercial Real Estate and Business Broker specializing in Restaurant, Bar and Retail leasing, and sales of both properties and businesses for owner/operators, developers and landlords.

The Board of Directors of Single Mothers Outreach congratulates this year’s honorees. A resident of Santa Monica for the past 12 years, Dan currently lives in Venice on the historic Venice Canals. Away from the office, he time trains, runs 5K, 10K and

Jeffrey Shapiro JeremyShapiro Shapiro Jeffrey Jeremy Shapiro

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2014

half-marathons, often running for Team Fox to raise funds for Parkinson’s Research. A certified volunteer for California

OFFIC ERS

Hospice Association, Dan enjoys traveling, singing Karaoki, visiting with East Coast family, drinking wine, bicycling and hiking. Dan also had a recurring role on the television soap opera Passions.

Thank you to Deborah Rio and all you of this year’s Rio Thank to Deborah honorees for your and all of this year’s inspiration and magic honorees for your inspiration and magic

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.” —Helen Keller

Chair Jeffrey Shapiro, HD, PhD Executive Director, Albert Einstein Academy of Letters, Art and Sciences Vice Chair Martin Rodriguez Senior Loan Consultant, Wintrust Mortgage

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS Specializing in Strategic Planning e value Unlocking th by enabling s ie n a p m o c of and focus y it r la c , n visio

Secretary/Treasurer Trevor Rice, CPA, CVA Partner, Stern, Kory, Sreden & Morgan

DIREC TORS Steve Corn President, Newhall Escrow Marc Emmer President, Optimize, Inc.

Margo Hudson Manager, Closet on Main Jason Lane Director of Sales, North America, Clear Structure Financial Technology Gary Saenger President, Saenger Associates Lindsay Schlick President, SchlickArt Connie Wade Sparks President, The Wade Institute Brett Walter Senior Field Representative, Congressman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon Dora Zavala Procurement and Marketing, Vallarta Supermarket

MARC EMMER phone 661.296.2568 website www.optimizeinc.net blog www.optimizeinc.net/icblog

Single Mothers Outreach

Past Empowering HeArts Honorees

2013 Michele Buttelman Leslie Carr Anna Frutos-Sanchez

Single Mothers Outreach is a grassroots organization that scaffolds families facing sudden housing instability, income loss, emotional trauma, and social deterioration as the result of divorce or widowhood. With a mission to “empower single parents and their children by providing hope, support, and resources so families can become self-sustaining,” Single Mothers Outreach (SMO) directly helps women find jobs, get educated, secure housing, stabilize their children’s emotional states, manage their finances, and help one another. In May 2013, Single Mothers Outreach relocated to its new offices in the Savia Community Partners building in Newhall. SMO currently shares space with the Domestic Violence Center, Focus Building Solutions, A Light of Hope, and Real Life Church. SMO has helped more than 2500 mother-led households.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Margo Hudson Jenny Ketchepaw Stacie Locke Marsha McLean

Cheri Fleming

Pamela Braly

Emily Iland

Dianne Curtis

Kathy Sturkey

Sarah Duruh

Dianne Van Hook

Julissa Garcia

2011

Patricia Gracia

Tamara Gurney

Michele Jenkins

Gail Ishimoto

Gloria Mercado Fortine

Marlee Lauffer

Rachel Rodriguez

Debora LeBlanc

Heather Stewart

Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch

2012

Mitzi Like Gloria Locke

Patsy Ayala

Barbara Ralsten

Diana Lynn Barnes

Maria Rodriguez

Lois Bauccio

Julie Visner Jayme

Julie Benson

Wisdom

Crystal Bustos Judi Davidson

2010

Alice Davis

Diane Ayres

Lisa DeLong

Jane Bettencourt-Soto

Jorja Harris Carrie Kish Harriette Knight Sharon Langenbeck Tami Lindahl Alice MacWhirter Jill Mellady Hydee Meza Linda Mugara Marjanne Priest Colleen Shaffer DaAnne Smith Dorothy Smith Diane Stewart Single Mothers

Outreach

Single Mothers Outreach

2014 Empowering HeArts Honoree

Kiki Hacker Kiki Hacker has been a resident of

Santa Clarita for over thirty years. Since moving to the Valley, she has partnered, supported, donated and volunteered for many charities, including the College of the Canyons Foundation, Child and Family Center, The Michael Hoefflin Foundation, Boys and Girls Club, Domestic Violence Center, FRIENDZ, Henry Mayo Foundation, Carousel Ranch and the Painted Turtle. She has made it a priority to help lift children and their families out of poverty, protect them from abuse and neglect, and ensure their access to education and healthcare. It is her honor to help enable struggling families become self-reliant. Upon moving to Santa Clarita, Kiki became one of the founding members of Temple Beth Ami, a local synagogue. “Having been raised Jewish, you are taught to give back and lift those who need lifting. It’s not something you think about; it’s just something you do.” She freely donates her chef services as an auction item for local charities. She enjoys wine pairing meals and designing cocktails and cocktail parties, which help organizations raise the funds that they need.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Raised by a single mother, she feels that she understands the plight of single mothers. Her mother who had not been educated became a secretary to support her three children, and Kiki learned how to be self-sufficient at a young age. Kiki made it a priority to always be home when her children, Alysha and Mitch, came home from school. In raising her children, she wanted them to not only benefit from the community but to also give back to it equally. This was her biggest goal. She strived for her children to become strong, self-supporting, and develop a strong sense of self. You will never hear Kiki complain. Whether she’s designing a table for Festival of the Trees or putting on a fantastic fundraising dinner for the Child and Family Center, she always has an upbeat attitude. Her tireless work ethic and generous support of local charities have inspired many other local residents to do the same. It has been her pleasure to take on the role of ambassador for an organization and always put them in the best possible light. Her attributes of perseverance and dedication have made her successful in all of her endeavors.

honoree

While working and raising her children, Kiki donated her time and served on many boards, including FREINDZ, which is comprised of a small number of women who have

lived and worked in the Santa Clarita Valley and have been a part of the community for many years. Most recently, they funded a scholarship at College of the Canyons for single mothers returning to school.

Kiki Hacker is proudly sponsored by the Hacker Family and Hacker Law Group

Kelly Mehr studied at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She worked and designed clothing tags as well as the advertisement photos for a vintage children’s clothing line called Kisskissay. She created the advertisement photos for a boutique called La Chatue. Her work has been displayed at children’s boutiques in New York, Hawaii and California. For the last five years Kelly has taught

artist

art at SCVI in Castaic. She also creates art with children on the Autism Spectrum.

Single Mothers Outreach

Linda Hafizi 2014 Empowering HeArts Honoree

Who knew that a quick vacation stop

from England to the United States with her husband Moe would lead to a lifelong career dedicated to helping improve the lives of others? Well it has, and Santa Clarita is a better place because of it. In 1984, Linda and Moe decided to make their home in the Santa Clarita Valley, and over the past 24 years, Linda has been involved with many non-profit organizations on a business and personal level. Co-publisher of The Magazine of Santa Clarita and élite Magazine, Linda has not only supported the community she resides in, but works side by side with non-profit organizations, helping to promote their events and their worthy cause, spending hours upon hours of volunteer time to better improve the lives of others. Her unparalleled level of devotion is admirable. “Being involved in the community is a part of who we are,” states Linda. “Through our community involvement, we have developed quality relationships that have not only helped us but also others.” Personally, Linda and Moe have financially supported Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, The Child & Family Center, College of the Canyons, the SCV Senior Center and the SCV Youth Project, to name a few. They have also donated auction items for various events. Through their publications, Linda has also been able to support non-profit organizations including the American Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Club, Single

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Mothers Outreach, Domestic Violence Center, Assistance League, Circle of Hope, Zonta, Soroptimist of Greater SCV, Michael Hoefflin Foundation, Canyon Theatre Guild, The Wish Foundation and many other non-profit organizations. In addition to spearheading two successful publications, Linda spends numerous hours serving on boards for various affiliations. She is currently a Board Member at the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation and Child & Family Center and has spent the last two decades serving at various times as a board member for the SCV Senior Center, Friends of Soroptimist Greater SCV, Betty Ferguson Foundation, and Michael Hoefflin Foundation. In April, 2009, Linda co-created and developed the Dancing With Our Stars event, which, in its inaugural year, raised over $75,000 for 12 local non-profit organizations. After countless hours of planning, the event has become bigger and even more successful, and now in its 5th year, the Dancing With Our Stars event has raised well over $850,000 to benefit local non-profits. From hosting women’s conferences, to fashion shows, galas and more, Linda Hafizi has not only made a difference in the lives of others, but has served as an inspiration to many who know her. Her professionalism and zest for helping others has made her career successful and her giving spirit, admirable. Linda’s significant contributions to the community make her worthy of this honor.

honoree

Linda Hafizi is proudly sponsored by Optimize Inc.

Brooke Ritter grew up as an only child, raised primarily by her grandmother and mother in Southern California. As a child her creative outlets included drawing, cooking and music. Brooke’s love of photography began in 2005 when she was a manager for The Picture People in Thousand Oaks. Thanks to the love and support of many, Brooke was able to venture out on her own, and in March 2013 she opened Brooke Ritter Photography. In the past seven years she has photographed countless families, and she takes pride in her ability to capture genuine expressions of her

artist

subjects while telling their stories.

Single Mothers Outreach

2014 Empowering HeArts Honoree

Adele Macpherson Adele Macpherson is passionate about

people. She has the gift and the ability to remain calm in the heart of a storm, and to help people in crises find the best and make the best choices possible. A consistent voice of reason, and expert mediator, Adele prides herself in helping those in need help themselves over whatever obstacles may be blocking their path. Born and raised in England, Adele has lived in Israel, Canada, Washington State, and since 1986, California. After early stints as manager for the Red Cross and as a National Disaster Worker, she became Emergency Manager of the City of Santa Clarita in 1991. Four years later she became Community Services Superintendent, addressing youth issues including drugs, gangs, and graffiti, and supervising various task forces. Adele participated in many community groups and facilitated the involvement of many people in community service. She served in that post, the perfect job for her, for 19 years. Adele has been a member of Zonta since 1989; she is also a member of the Daughters of the British Empire, and a founding members of the Assistance League.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Adele believes that the non-profits of Santa Clarita are doing amazing community work and she is proud of her and her colleagues work on behalf of the city. Currently, Adele is a lead volunteer for the Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Program (DVCAP) for which she prepares clients and documents for court appearances pertaining to requests for restraining orders. The organization is funded in part by Zonta. In this work, Adele provides women with an understanding of the legal system and the tools they need for self protection. Her greatest hope is that these clients can successfully move forward in their lives. For fun Adele enjoys golf, socializing with her friends and spending time with her grandchildren. She is also proficient at Zumba Gold. A woman of The People, Adele embodies both the compassion and reason required in the motivation of others to do their best regardless of their particular circumstances.

honoree

Adele has been happily married to her husband Iain for 45 years. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Her youngest daughter was married in June, 2014 in a wedding attended by family from England, Scotland, Spain and Canada, including Adeleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beloved 92-year-old mother.

Adele Macpherson is proudly sponsored by Stern, Kory, Sreden & Morgan, AAC

Jennifer Calderon won the Second place prize (First in Photography) in Empowering Heartsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2010 competition, for her showcasing of the women of Zonta of Santa Clarita. She specializes in emotive and technically sound imagery utilizing a combination of natural and strobe lighting, intuition and the ability to connect authentically with her clients. She does not prefer one genre of photography over another, equally enjoying the journey of shooting people, travels and fine art. Jenniferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s company snapART photography focuses mainly on shooting an-

artist

nual reports and arts-related promotional campaigns.

Single Mothers Outreach

Debbie Rio 2014 Empowering HeArts Honoree

Despite overcoming tremendous

obstacles, Debbie Rio undoubtedly brings a smile to the face and a spark of inspiration to the heart of every individual she encounters. Debbie married her high school sweetheart and believed that she would live “happily ever after.” Her initial career was as a wife and mother to her three children. Over time she and her husband began to grow in different directions. As they changed, the relationship became abusive, and Debbie needed to leave. Having come from a broken home herself and feeling that she should try to make it work for the sake of her children, she stayed. As her children grew, Debbie decided to go back to school to get her B.A. initially, her husband was supportive but became unsupportive in the second year. The more independent she became, the less he could control her and the more abusive he became. So she took her kids and left. She got a job at the college as a Line Pointer, directing students in the right direction as they registered for school. This was her first job and it enabled her to pay for her books. Eventually, she was given a job in Admissions and Records for the college. For the next four or five years, the Director of Admissions and Records became her mentor. Debbie climbed the ladder quickly and eventually became her mentor’s assistant as she finished her Bachelor’s Degree. She then moved into the Management Information Systems Department where she gained a great deal of technical knowledge. This aided her when she became the Dean of Enrollment Services after receiving her masters in public administration. She has been in her current role for seven years.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Debbie was encouraged to create a program for adults reentering school. She created an adult reentry program for the College of the Canyons. In that role, she met DaAnne Smith and gave a number of presentations for Single Mothers Outreach. She then became a member of the Board of Directors for Single Mothers Outreach. At the end of the summer of 2013, Debbie noticed a lump in her breast. The doctor found four lumps and sent her for a needle biopsy. Devastatingly, she was told that she had breast cancer. Kaiser immediately assigned a team to her case, and she began chemotherapy. By the first week of October she was off of work and handling chemotherapy. She eventually had surgery removing her lymph nodes followed by radiation. She returns to Kaiser every three weeks for an infusion to keep the cancer at bay. She is officially cancer free. Debbie believes that no matter what happens to you, the people around you help you find your way. The cancer gave her the opportunity to reevaluate how she wants to move forward in her work and relationships. Debbie believes that we are truly here to give back and that the people around her have supported her in all of her achievements. She takes every opportunity to give back and help others. After twelve years of being single, she met a wonderful man and remarried. She now has four beautiful grandsons. “The only thing I will like to add if possible is my gratitude and love for all the support I received from my family, friends and co-workers during my illness. A special shout out to my husband, Carl who took care of me by himself for the seven months of chemo. I truly believe I am here today and cancer free because of this unconditional love and the many prayers said on my behalf.” Debbie Rio

honoree

Debbie Rio is proudly sponsored by Jeffrey Shapiro, HD, PhD

Josh Premako returns as an artist after creating art last year for Honoree Marsha McLean. Josh lives in Stevenson Ranch with his wife, Aimee. He was a wearer of many editorial hats at The Signal Newspaper, and currently works for Mellady Direct Marketing. His grandfather was a longtime portrait photographer in New Jersey, and Josh likes to think he inherited some photographic genes.

artist

He leans toward a style of photography that is relaxed, warm and has a sense of story.

Single Mothers Outreach

2014 Empowering HeArts Honoree

Kacey Surratt Kacey secretly dated her

eighth grade sweetheart straight through college. Although her interracial relationship was unusual in 1980, she proceeded to marry him and have five children within the next eight years. Kacey grew up in a big southern family consisting of eight children with the eldest twenty years older than the youngest. Her husband was a stage actor, which required them to move frequently for his job. They first lived in San Francisco, then Denver, Los Angeles, Central California, and West Virginia, finally returning to Southern California. When Kacey’s husband wasn’t working, she would find work as an accountant. Although their marriage lasted twenty-two years, her husband was abusive. In 2003, Kacey bravely left him, taking her children who chose to move with her. Kacey asked two things of her children: That they obtain scholarships for college. That they be smarter than she was.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Keeping up with the activities of her five children was a full time job. At one point after her children had left for college, she found herself driving to LAX three times in a four-day period in holiday traffic. They were returning from every time zone. She saw the driving as an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with each child.

Kacey Surratt is proudly sponsored by Tanii Carr

Remarkably in the end, four of Kacey’s five children received scholarships to college. Two received academic scholarships, and two received athletic scholarships.

Jen Parker, of Jen Parker Photography,

Recently, Kacey became a Mentor Mom for Single Mothers Outreach to pass onto others the outstanding wisdom and prowess she so naturally demonstrated as a single mother.

She has a way of connecting with her subject and successfully

specializes in natural light, documentary-style photos of people.

draws out their emotions, while capturing them in a photo. Jen was a featured artist in Hanami After Dark. Her artwork was auctioned off and the proceeds supported the victims of the

honoree

Kacey’s greatest strength as a mother was having the ability to be involved at whatever level necessary to support her children’s interests. She also always wanted to make the

best memories possible for them. Although they did not have as many material things as many of their friends, due to their financial limitations they learned how to make do and have fun with what they had. She always had exceptionally high expectations for all five of her children.

Japanese tsunami and earthquakes. She was also a featured

artist

artist in last year’s Empowering HeArts event.

Single Mothers Outreach

2014 Empowering HeArts Honoree

Racquel Turner If you were to ask Racquel “Rocky” Turner, she would tell you that she is just a regular mom to 50 children: six here in Santa Clarita and forty-four in Nairobi, Kenya. Recently, she attended a career day at one of her Santa Clarita children’s schools. As other parents reported what it was like to be a policeman, or a doctor or a lawyer, Rocky reflected that all she has ever wanted to be was a mother, and she has fulfilled that dream. She has fulfilled it in a larger way than she ever would have imagined. In 2006, Rocky felt a prodding from within that she wasn’t doing as much as she could be doing as a mother to the six children she already had and googled, “volunteer Africa.” The next year, she was on a plane to Nairobi, where she was assigned to Saint Monica’s orphanage for girls. She immediately fell in love with the girls she found there. She learned that the girls were only educated through the eighth grade and that unless they could fund it independently, their education would come to an end. Rocky started MFFO (Mothers Fighting For Others), a charity with a mission to raise money for everything the girls would need-- everything we take for granted.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

She is now not only the educational director for the orphanage but mother to all of the girls. She is constantly considering what she needs to do to ensure that the needs of her girls in Nairobi are met. She feels that they need exactly what her children in Santa Clarita need: food, clothing, shelter, electricity, regular doctor visits and to go to school. On average, she travels to Nairobi two to three times a year. When asked her how her children in Santa Clarita have been affected by her love for her children in Nairobi, she responded that, “They have been impacted in that they understand not only how big the world is but how small it can be by opening up your heart to other people.” Rocky’s dreams for the future include educating as many girls as possible while balancing raising her six children here at her home in Santa Clarita. She claims that she is just a regular person who does all of this because it is the right thing to do and hopes that someone would do this for her and her children if she were ever in need. She considers it a privilege to help these wonderful girls.

honoree

In February of 2010, her world fell apart when she discovered that the acting director of the orphanage had not only been abusing the money MFFO had raised but the girls as well. Rocky was distraught. Working with her Kenyan

partner, Board members and volunteers, she raised U.S. $45,000, removed the girls from the acting director’s care and guardianship, and took complete control of MFFO.

Beautiful.

Racquel “Rocky” Turner is proudly sponsored by Newhall Escrow

Alexis Surratt has created art from a very young age and has a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Carleton College in Northfield, MN. She previously worked in the fashion industry, and, currently has been teaching art for the past 5 years while running an art studio. Alexis is a commissioned artist who specializes in 2-D media, portraits, and landscapes.

artist

Single Mothers Outreach

I wish to sincerely thank the 2014 Empowering HeArts Committee who made this event a great success for Single Mothers Outreach. I appreciate your labor of love by serving our mission with your time and talents. You guys rock! — DaAnne

Empowering HeArts 2014 Committee Victor Lizano, Co-Chair | Michele Reckon-Golden - Venue | Phillis Stacy-Brooks - Marketing Kimberly Kagy - Honoree Liaison | Sheril Porter - Sales | Yoti Telio - Art Exhibit Rhonda Coleman - Decor | Taylor Ellingsworth - Kickoff Event Logistics | Stuart Frolick - Artist Liaison Steve Corn - Board Liaison/Sponsorships

Let’s Start A New Conversation About Money.

Congratulations Honorees!

James Loken, ChFC®, FIC Wealth Advisor CA Insurance ID No.: 0C89531 23942 Lyons Ave., 205, Santa Clarita o: 661-942-6585 | f: 661-942-7096 | c: 661-510-2425 e: James.Loken@Thrivent.com | w: Thrivent.com/fr/james.loken

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Single Mothers Outreach

We Give Independence, Not Co-Dependence Single Mothers Outreach directly helps single parents find jobs, get educated, secure housing, stabilize their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotional states, manage their finances, and help one another. Thanks to contributors like you, Single Mothers Outreach can provide hope, support, and resources that will empower single parents.

Visit us online to learn more about us, volunteer or make a donate. singlemothersoutreach.org | facebook.com/SingleMothersOutreach | twitter.com/SMOSantaClarita

Purpose of Empowering Hearts Single Mothers Outreach inspires, supports, and educates single parents so that they can become self sustaining and thrive. We have heard thousands of stories of parents, many who rise above poverty, domestic violence, disability, and dysfunction to make a meaning-

ful life for themselves and their children. Single parenting is extremely

challenging â&#x20AC;&#x201C; single parents need role models to keep them focused

on the goal of

raising successful, well-adjusted children. Empowering HeArts

provides the platform

for this inspiration.

The Hacker Family and Hacker Law Group

Kiki Hacker for Being Recognized as One Empowering Woman!

Two years ago, I joined SMO as a member and later became a volunteer. SMO has been a blessing to me, my family and so many other single parents in our community. What inspires me about SMO is that they do not look at status. After my divorce in 2009, I hesitated calling SMO. I was afraid that they would turn me away due to me having a full-time job and receiving my MBA. The staff saw my passion to be the best parent to my children and that was all that mattered. The classes and programs offered are amazing. SMO is dedicated and continues to inspire, guide, support, encourage and help rebuild single parents that have exhausted ways to survive through many resources. The best is yet to come for SMO. I am proud to be a member and a volunteer. Nicole L. Feast-Williams | Direct: 832.368.8518 24585 Town Center Dr., #4204 | Valencia, CA 91355 ntreasures@icloud.com

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Single Mothers Outreach

Racquel Turner is truly an amazing person who believes in always doing for others. She is dedicated to providing orphans and vulnerable children, in Kenya, with opportunities their parents would have provided, if they only could; a loving and nurturing environment and a quality education, so they can learn, thrive and achieve their highest potential. I am proud to sponsor Racquel (Rocky) Turner as a Single Mothers Outreach 2014 Empowering Hearts Honoree.

Steve A. Corn, CEO, Newhall Escrow Company

Congratulations Linda Hafizi Thank you for helping change the lives of families in the Santa Clarita Valley community and beyond.

Empowering Hearts Event 2014

Single Mothers Outreach