SPOKANE, Wash. — For nearly 40 years, Vanessa Behan has been a trusted resource and safety net for parents in need of some extra help with their kids during difficult times.
To date, the nonprofit has impacted the lives of nearly 150,000 kids and their families, including one mom who used Vanessa Behan to help improve her own life and the lives of her two kids.
In 2019, Monika Eckhart was a struggling single mom. She had just lost her job and decided to make a major life decision.
“Kind of out of spite, I decided to apply for law school,” she said.
Head Start told her about Vanessa Behan, and soon it became a critical resource for her and her two kids, Athena and Magnus, as she studied for the LSAT.
“My parents don’t live in town. I had very little help trying to cobble together a support network, and Vanessa Behan was like, ‘No questions asked. Call. If we can get you in, we could do it,'” said Eckhart.
Eckhart worked part time in the law library while attending Gonzaga Law School. She says the resources Vanessa Behan offers were a lifeline for her.
“I didn’t have to pack supplies. I didn’t have to pack diapers. And every time I would go, they were like ‘Do you need resources?’ It was hard for me to meal plan and figure out food like three or four days in a row so there was always frozen meals provided,” she said.
Executive Director Amy Vega says there’s never a right or wrong reason to call Vanessa Behan and she’s happy Monika made that call.
“That she had the wherewithal to say, ‘I need that help and it could actually change the outcome for myself and for my children long-term’ says a lot about who she is as a mom and what she wants to do for her children and honestly, for our community,” Vega said.
Vega wants all parents to know if they’re at the end of their rope and don’t have a safe place for their children to be, they can reach out.
“Walk alongside them, encourage them, support them, connect them with other resources and just allow those kiddos to just get away from that stress and just get to see the world from a different lens,” Vega said.
Monika graduated magna cum laude. Just last week, she passed the bar exam. Soon, she will be sworn in as a public defender for the City of Spokane, an incredible achievement for a single mom of two.
“I have had to tell myself I’m proud of myself, because I struggle with that a little bit,” she said. “I did something really hard. It’s unusual. People don’t go back to school at 35 with two kids.”
Those kids certainly noticed what their mom did for herself and for their futures.
“Really proud. She makes a lot of sacrifices to get through law school,” Monika’s daughter Athena said. “It’s just amazing how much she went through.”
Monika still thinks it’s surreal that she created this new path for her children, but says she couldn’t have done it without Vanessa Behan.
“I don’t know if it would have been possible,” she admits. “That’s why I want to donate money to them, because I see the service they provide.”
This Saturday, Vanessa Behan will hold its biggest fundraiser of the year, the 23rd annual Pumpkin Ball.
KXLY’s Robyn Nance and Natalie Grant will emcee this event this year to raise money to support more families like Monika’s throughout the Inland Northwest.
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