Helping Hand Award

Community Connector of the Year

Every community has people who care deeply about the place they call home, and who show that care through action.

They are the people who step forward when something needs to be done. They give their time, energy, voice, experience, and heart to make life better for others. Sometimes they do it through volunteer work, leadership, advocacy, lived experience, or simply by being the person others know they can count on.

The Helping Hand Award recognizes one individual whose service to others and passion for community have helped strengthen the people, places, and connections that make up Spokane over the last year.

The first Award recipient will be selected through a public nomination process. Community members are invited to nominate someone who has helped bring people together, connect others to support, or create meaningful impact through their commitment to the community.

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award are open June 1 and close July 31 through an online nomination form. After nominations close, a review panel made up of Spokane-area community leaders will select the inaugural recipient, bringing added depth and community voice to the award’s first year.

The recipient will be formally presented with the Helping Hand Award live at Hands Across Spokane on September 12, shortly before the shared hand-joining ceremony.

Meet the Community Review Panel

Samantha Clark

Chief Kevin Hall

Samantha Clark

MultiCare Health Systems

As Vice President and Chief of Business Operations for MultiCare Health System’s Behavioral Health Network, Samantha Clark helps lead planning, partnerships, operations, and access to care. Her leadership is shaped by earlier roles in foster care, in-home living assistance, and social work services, along with a continued commitment to improving behavioral health care.

Tim Pham

Chief Kevin Hall

Samantha Clark

KREM 2

Tim Pham is an Emmy Award-winning Morning Anchor and Executive Producer at KREM 2 News, where he helps lead daily news coverage and shares stories from across the Inland Northwest. His work in journalism, combined with his active involvement in nonprofit, faith-based, and community events, reflects a strong connection to the people and issues shaping the region.

Chief Kevin Hall

Spokane Police Department

As Chief of Police for the Spokane Police Department, Kevin Hall leads the department’s public safety, response, and law enforcement operations. His leadership is shaped by experience developing evidence-based programs focused on accountability, prevention, peer support, harm reduction, and connecting people to care.

Shelly O’Quinn

Sheriff John Nowels

Chief Kevin Hall

Innovia Foundation

Shelly O’Quinn is CEO of Innovia Foundation, where she leads work focused on community impact, philanthropy, partnerships, and long-term regional investment. Her leadership is shaped by experience across the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors, including prior service as a Spokane County Commissioner and her ongoing work with community-focused boards and initiatives.

Sheriff John Nowels

Spokane County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff John Nowels leads the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, with work spanning patrol, investigations, and agency leadership. His leadership is rooted in public service, community safety, and the responsibility to respond to the needs of Spokane County residents, including through board service focused on public safety, youth, and community well-being.

Kitara Johnson

Sheriff John Nowels

Gabriel’s Challenge

Kitara Johnson is CEO of Gabriel’s Challenge Community Coalition, where she leads work focused on prevention, behavioral health, community engagement, and systems change. Her work brings together government agencies, healthcare organizations, schools, and community partners to strengthen collaboration, improve access, and build solutions rooted in community voice.

Eligibility

Nominees must be individuals whose service, leadership, volunteer work, advocacy, or community involvement has contributed to the Spokane community over the last year.

Nominees may be connected to nonprofit work, public service, education, local business, neighborhood efforts, volunteer initiatives, or informal community support. A formal title, organizational role, or public platform is not required.

Eligible nominees should show a clear commitment to helping others, connecting people to support or opportunity, and contributing to the community through actions that can be described through specific examples.

Selection

One recipient will be selected as the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year.

After the nomination period closes, all eligible nominations will be reviewed by a panel made up of community leaders. They will review the information provided in each nomination and identify the nominee whose service most clearly reflects the purpose of the Helping Hand Award.

The panel will consider the nominee’s connection to Spokane, the examples shared in the nomination, the people or groups affected by their work, and the way their actions contributed to the community over the last year. Strong nominations will include clear examples, not just general praise. The panel will look for evidence that the nominee has helped bring people together, connected others to support or opportunity, responded to a community need, or contributed in a way that others can recognize and speak to.

Recognition

The selected recipient will be contacted before the event so award details can be confirmed and the event team can gather any information needed for their recognition.

The recipient will be publicly recognized and awarded on stage at Hands Across Spokane 2026 on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Their recognition may also be included in event materials, social media, website updates, and other event-related communications.

The Helping Hand Award

Community Connector Of The Year

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year are open!

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year are open!

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year are open!

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year are open!

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year are open!

Nominations for the Helping Hand Award: Community Connector of the Year are open!