Women with Heart

Six of the Valley’s Most Charitable Souls

by Danielle D’Adamo

Humility. Integrity. Respect. Just a few of the core values that make up the philanthropic spirit, a concept often lost in an age of instant gratification. The notion of social responsibility and volunteerism remains the mission of charities and nonprofit organizations. And no one understands this better than the Valley’s selfless individuals who graciously give their time, money and resources—all for the greater good.

Phoenix Woman is honored to highlight six remarkable women who have given much of themselves to make the Valley of the Sun a better place. In addition, they look to instill the importance of philanthropy in others, leading by example as they act out of a desire to bring comfort and enrichment to those in need.

Sarah O’Mera and Yvonne Fedderson
Who could have foreseen that two young Hollywood actors would become founders of a leading national nonprofit organization celebrating 50 years of helping victims of child abuse? After receiving a few hundred awards and a third Nobel Peace Prize nomination, Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson would say it was written in the stars. “We knew it was ordained that this was our life’s work, and we couldn’t be happier,” says O’Meara.

After meeting on the set of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet and becoming fast friends, their mission for children began in 1959 on a government-sponsored goodwill tour to visit troops in Japan. It was there on the streets of Tokyo that they took in 11 Japanese-American children who were tossed aside because of their mixed heritage. “Our lives changed forever in that moment,” says Fedderson. “We could have easily walked on but we made the choice to stay and help.”

Stopping at nothing to find a safe haven for children across the globe, O’Meara and Fedderson founded International Children’s Inc., an organization that prompted Operation Baby Lift and eventually blew the lid off “America’s best-kept secret” by running the first television special on child abuse in the U.S. The campaign’s success evoked a name change to Children’s Village USA (now Childhelp) and promoted state-of-the-art programs for abused and neglected children.

From its humble beginnings as an act of kindness on a lonely street in Tokyo, today, Childhelp is recognized around the world for its hotline, residential treatment and advocacy centers as “best practices” related to child abuse. With its national headquarters in Arizona, Childhelp has helped over 4 million children in 50 years of operation. Now, O’Meara and Fedderson live in Paradise Valley and feel fortunate in knowing this is where they belong.

“We never expected our work to grow like it has,” says O’Meara. “But all along the way, we’ve made the choices that were right for us and other people will have different opportunities presented to them. You just need to step out on faith when you feel something is right.”

Fedderson agrees, adding, “You cannot be happy in life if you do not serve others. That’s the key to life.”

Judy Mohraz
Judy Mohraz first learned what it meant to give back when she was eight years old. “My grandmother lived with us when I was a child, and she would have me write out the checks that she would give to charities,” she says. “It would only be five dollars but even then, there was a sense that this is what you do.”

While her career was in higher education, Mohraz experienced the transformational power of community service firsthand. “I was a university professor in Baltimore and the graduates had an astonishing commitment to giving back,” she says. “So when this opportunity came along in 2000 to come as the first CEO of Virginia Piper, it was just something I couldn’t pass up.”

A private foundation based in Phoenix, The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust is dedicated to honoring Virginia Piper’s philanthropic commitment to changing lives and strengthening the Maricopa County community. Her dedication to the issues of education, the arts, healthcare, children and adults, and religious institutions is carried out on behalf of the trustees, staff and volunteers of the organization.

Mohraz was deeply touched by Virginia’s values and the idea that this was not her money. “We try very hard with our trustees and staff to remember that we’re simply stewards, and it’s our great privilege to invest in the community and find great partners,” she says.

A truly humble Good Samaritan, Mohraz admits that she feels a bit uncomfortable being honored and prefers to share the spotlight with others behind the scenes. “It’s not like you’re profiling one of our wonderful volunteers who do this on their own,” she says. “But I will say that it’s so much more than a job. I never wake up and not think how fortunate I am to have this opportunity to be a part of such an amazing organization.”

And while philanthropy became a hallmark for Mohraz, she offers advice to those looking to get involved. “The good thing about Arizona is that everyone is welcome,” she says. “If you want to roll up your sleeves and help, there are opportunities around every corner.”

Linda Pope
With a long history of civic and philanthropic involvement, Linda Pope is a volunteer extraordinaire. Arguably the “voice” of domestic violence in Phoenix, Pope admits she was never exposed to the issue until college, where she saw how far reaching the problem was. “I was always taught that family was the most important thing and something to be honored and respected,” she says. “I began to pay more attention and realized in my study of belief systems that many codes actually condoned and even encouraged violence against women and children.”

To her, no explanation or excuse would ever warrant a reason to hurt a child. Determined to do something about it, she discovered the work of the Arizona Foundation for Women, Fresh Start, the Boys and Girls’ Clubs, and others, and eventually, VDay, the global movement to end violence against women. Pope was invited to travel to Egypt to be part of the opening of the first women’s domestic violence shelter in the nation along with Carole Black, former CEO of Lifetime television, and Eve Ensler, creator of “The Vagina Monologues.”

“Once someone’s passion is identified, it seems that all those connected to focusing on those issues are also identified,” she says. “My work with VDay is most important to me, and to be even a small part of those solutions makes all the difference.”

Armed with an intimidating list of organizations she supports, Pope’s unwavering commitment to community service unfolded into her very own organization. The Giving Hearts Foundation serves as a Web source for all charities and has raised millions of dollars over the past eight years. A firm believer that volunteerism helps enact the very basic of principles, Pope encourages others looking to get involved to “focus on something that means something and just apply the Golden Rule.”

“Involvement in the community is as natural as living in the community,” says Pope. “There comes much more reward intrinsically than any surface look at community service could concur.”

Ina Manaster
Ina Manaster always knew there was more to life than being a successful career woman. “My parents were always in survival mode since they were married during the Great Depression,” she says. “They passed down their work ethic to me and I became heavily involved with my career. But I was burnt out and I knew there was another agenda; I just didn’t know what.”

Looking for the missing piece to the bigger picture, Manaster became interested in neurological issues after her husband’s mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. After serving on the board of the neurological hospital in Chicago, Ill., she realized philanthropic work is what she is meant to do. “We moved to Arizona after I retired, so I took a mental sabbatical to figure out my next step,” Manaster says. “And after a year or two of realizing I’m not a golfer, I found that the social scene in Phoenix was directly related to charitable events. That was my niche.”

Eager to help in any way, Manaster found herself working with up to nine charities per year, planning menus for various events. After getting her feet wet behind the scenes, Manaster’s desire to help those less fortunate led her to become board chairman of Florence Crittenton of Arizona, a nonprofit organization offering comprehensive programs designed to help at-risk girls from 12 to 21 overcome issues of abuse, neglect, teen pregnancy and behavioral and/or mental health problems.

“This was the environment where I could make a difference,” she says. “My work with the organization has been so rewarding knowing that our girls are safe and well cared for. I helped make an impact and I get a great deal out of that.”

With grace and composure, Manaster comments that the breadth of philanthropy doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it is done. “Helping other people takes nothing away from you,” she says. “So give something… and sometimes, make it a little stretch.”

Kristen Salcito-Sandquist
Some of us are late bloomers when it comes to philanthropy, but for Kristen Salcito-Sandquist, the concept of social responsibility was always a part of her life. “It was a no-brainer for my family,” she says. “I remember when I was a little girl shopping for angels off of the Christmas trees at the mall, and as time went on, the nonprofit work just continued to grow.”

But before becoming the founder of two successful nonprofits, Salcito-Sandquist was a humble 8th-grade physical science teacher in Wisconsin. Yet the desire to help others was always present. “While I was teaching, I noticed that many of my students didn’t have basic necessities,” she says. Compelled to raise awareness by seeking donations, the response was so overwhelming that she founded her first nonprofit, Circle of Friends Inc., a program helping children and families in 26 schools across Wisconsin.

Salcito-Sandquist always felt the pull of community service and wanted to make a bigger impact by dedicating herself to the art of fundraising. She moved to Arizona to start her second nonprofit, Visions of Hope Inc., which allocates funds to several Valley charities. “With all of the jobs I’ve had, there is nothing I have enjoyed as much as the nonprofit work,” she says.

In addition to all of the work Salcito-Sandquist and her committed team of volunteers have accomplished, she recently combined her passion for helping others with her love of fashion by opening Swank, a specialty women’s clothing boutique in Scottsdale, where a portion of the proceeds will benefit local charities. And while Salcito-Sandquist found her calling in philanthropy, she is a firm believer of recruiting able bodies.

”With all of the need in this community, organizations are at their all-time highest demand for volunteers,” she says. “It’s so easy to get involved. Just take the first step.”

Danielle D’Adamo is Managing Editor of Phoenix Woman.