In celebration of Women’s History Month and as part of its ongoing commitment to cultural diversity and responsible banking, Union Bank, N.A., has partnered with KCETLink to honor two exceptional women as local heroes.
The 2014 Women’s History Month honorees, Leslye Borden, founder of Handmade Especially for You, and Ann Reiss Lane, founder and chair emerita of Women Against Gun Violence (WAGV) will be recognized in March at a private dinner celebration with their families and executives from KCETLink and Union Bank.
“KCETLink is pleased to celebrate the accomplishments of Leslye and Ann throughout Women’s History month,” KCETLink Chief Executive Officer Al Jerome said. “We are grateful to have a partner in Union Bank to support this valuable program and give our viewers the opportunity to learn about the extraordinary contributions of our local heroes.”
Reiss Lane founded (WAGV) as an organization whose mission is to help reduce the gun homicide rate by not only empowering women as agents of social change, but by also supporting the family and friends of those affected. Located at 8800 Venice Blvd., on the edge of Culver City, WAGV began, the gun homicide rate in Los Angeles has dropped from more than 1,000 in 1993 to fewer than 300 in 2013. Reiss Lane has a long career of public service, including 20 years as a member of former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley’s administration, 13 of which she served on the Board of Fire Commissioners. She is a member of the Advisory Board of L.A.’s BEST, Governing Board member of Community Partners, and chair emerita of Shelter Partnership.
Borden founded Handmade Especially for You to provide handmade “comfort” scarves to women who have suffered abuse. Borden manages a worldwide network of more than 600 volunteers, which coordinates the production, collection and distribution of the scarves. In addition to her work with the organization, she visits churches, retirement homes and senior centers to share yarn kits, enlist volunteers and provide scarf patterns for those who wish to work on their own. To date, more than 57,000 comfort scarves have been delivered to shelters and centers throughout Los Angeles County.
Since 1998, KCETLink and Union Bank have collaborated on the Local Heroes Program and recognized nearly 180 honorees. The program pays tribute to exemplary leaders who are making a difference and enriching the lives of others by improving their community, region and the world at large. The 2014 Women’s History Month honorees demonstrate a shared commitment to providing their communities with the tools to thrive in today’s changing world.
In addition to the Women’s History Month local heroes, honorees were also identified during Black History Month and will also be recognized during Jewish American Heritage Month (May); Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May); Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month (June); and Hispanic Heritage Month (September/October).
“Union Bank is honored to recognize these powerful women as Local Heroes,” said Union Bank Senior Executive Vice President Pierre P. Habis, head of Community Banking. “The honorees exemplify Union Bank’s commitment to giving back to our communities, and we are excited to continue our amazing partnership with KCETLink, which provides an opportunity to highlight the achievements of the local heroes.”
KCET, the Southern and Central California public broadcast service of KCETLink, showcases the rich, vibrant history and cultural diversity of the region through the Local Heroes program and by airing special programs tied to the respective heritage months, and throughout the year. For more information or to nominate a future local hero, please visit www.kcet. com. For more information about the Local Heroes program, please visit unionbank.com/heroes.
