SPOKANE, Wash. — The annual Pumpkin Ball returns this Saturday to benefit Vanessa Behan, a critical safe space for infants and children in Spokane. 4 News Now’s Robyn Nance and Kirstin O’Connor will serve as emcees for the fundraising event.
Named in memory of two-year-old Vanessa Behan, who died from child abuse injuries in 1987, the nonprofit organization has impacted the lives of over 103,000 children and parents in the region.
In the past year alone, Vanessa Behan served more than 7,200 child visits and distributed 400,000 diapers. The facility operates around the clock, with most children staying approximately 12 hours while their parents address emergencies or seek temporary relief.
The facility serves families facing various challenges. In 2024, 21 percent of those families in Spokane were experiencing some form of homelessness.
Gavin McArthur, a father of two young boys, walks two miles from his home near Sacred Heart Medical Center to bring his children to Vanessa Behan.
“Most of the time during that walk, they’re smiling because they know that I’m dropping them off somewhere that they love to go,” McArthur said.
McArthur, who doesn’t drive and relies on public transportation when he can afford it, is currently unemployed. He became a father after experiencing homelessness and faced significant challenges as a single parent.
McArthur grew up at the Hutton Settlement children’s home in Spokane Valley. He understands the importance of breaking cycles of trauma and providing stability for children.
“I had gone through a crisis shortly after my first kid was born,” he said. “It felt like it was too much to deal with between me and them and their mother wasn’t in the picture at the time, so it made it very, very difficult.”
During particularly challenging periods, McArthur sought mental health treatment while relying on Vanessa Behan for support.
Vanessa Behan also provides emergency short-term childcare for parents like Naomi Simpson, a single mother who depends on the service to maintain employment and provide for her children.
“As a single parent it’s really hard because I’m always the fall back, I take sick days for three people,” Simpson said.
The nonprofit’s impact on families like Simpson’s and McArthur’s extends beyond childcare. It provides a crucial intervention that can prevent situations from escalating to abuse or violence.
“Without Vanessa Behan my kiddos may have gone into a similar form of foster care like I did growing up,” McArthur said.
Despite the facility’s success, demand continues to outpace capacity. Last year, 4,000 calls to Vanessa Behan had to be turned away due to staffing limitations rather than space constraints.
The upcoming Pumpkin Ball aims to address this challenge by raising funds to hire additional staff, ensuring that no family in crisis is turned away when they need help most.
For more information about Vanessa Behan visit the website.
You can also donate urgent supplies like diapers and formula through an Amazon Wish List.
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