Mary-Jane Wagle Inspires TLC Women to Write Their Stories

Mary Jane Wagle with her book about lives of remarkable Ethiopian Women Photo Credit: Jack Prichett

Recently, volunteer Mary-Jane Wagle gathered several residents of the Transitional Living Center (TLC) on two evenings to share stories from her book, 

Temsalet:  Phenomenal Ethiopian Women, featuring lives of 64 women, who pushed back boundaries in Ethiopia.  Mary Jane lived there for almost four years, helping interview women and edit their stories for publication, there and in the US.  The women tell their backgrounds, challenges, personal strengths, hopes, dreams and advise young women.   

            "It was heartwarming and amazing to see how TLC women identified with the Ethiopian women.  They face many of the same hardships and draw strength in similar ways. I was struck by the empathy and inspiration they felt for the Ethiopian women and their lives," says Mary-Jane.  Now several TLC women are thinking about writing their own stories, with the help of Mary-Jane, Nancy Griffin and Margot Dougherty as volunteer interviewers and story crafters.  "I am hoping their effort to tell their stories will help them realize their power and strength by surviving, remaking their lives and helping others."  

            Mary-Jane is a retired executive with over thirty years business, government and non-profit sector experience in the fields of housing development, community development, women's reproductive health, and strategic planning.  She currently is a community volunteer.  Many thanks  for her remarkable contribution!       

VCH Will Miss Whole Food's Gabe Dupin

 Whenever a volunteer event or donation of food and drink was in the works, the first thought was to call Gabe DuPin from Whole Foods for help.   Gabe was available and could be counted on to come through with just the right products, donated often and freely to VCH.  As just one example, when VCH's Free Storage Venice organized a sleeping bag fund-raiser for homeless persons, Gabe filled a shopping basket with free burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and rolls for the event-along with mustard, relish, ketchup, chips and drinks of all varieties, plates, napkins, cups and utensils.  

            Gabe goes onto a different career with a local kombucha manufacturer.  He has served on YouthBuild's Advisory Board and will continue to do so, so he will still be seen around VCH.  Many thanks to Gabe and Whole Foods.  We wish him the best in his new endeavor!

VCH's Volunteer Coordinator - Barbara Milliken, Gabe DuPin, VCH's Community Outreach and Special Events Coordinator- Linda Lucks (l. to r.)