One Who Cares
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(Photo by Marshall Franklin Long)
KARE–11 reporter and weekend news anchor Rena Sarigianopoulos is used to being in the public eye. But there’s one spotlight she’s content to sidestep—or, as the case may be, step into with a distinct purpose.
A Plymouth resident since she arrived in the Twin Cities from Milwaukee about four years ago, Sarigianopoulos frequently lends her face and name to a number of local causes, hosting numerous events throughout the year. But she is quick to deflect the attention to the real heroes: The people who make these organizations work, and the public they serve.
“I have a high profile just because of what I do; it has nothing to do with me personally,” she says. “But I can use my it to get other people interested in volunteering and charity.”
By raising awareness for a group and the cause it supports, Sarigianopoulos hopes to increase interest—and aid—exponentially, drawing in more volunteers to donate time and money. Her interest in volunteering really took off when she got to the Twin Cities, although that may have been more coincidence than anything else. “We get to a point in our lives where it doesn’t feel right not to be giving back. As you get older, you start to realize how precious life is,” she says. (Sarigianopoulos hosts between four and six events each month for one group or another.) In many cases, charitable organizations simply ask. In other cases, there’s a more personal connection.
In the case of the Arthritis Foundation, for example, it’s quite personal. Sarigianopoulos was diagnosed with a rare form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in her early 20s (it’s been in remission for some time) and now sits on the board of the north-central chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. She focuses her efforts on children, who must deal with pain and a debilitating loss of motion. “It’s such a horrible disease; I can’t imagine what it might be like for kids,” she says.
She’s also developed connections as she gets to know the people behind the groups. Michelle Morey is the driving force behind Pay It Forward Fund, a group that helps patients with breast and other female-specific cancers by providing grants for patients’ living expenses. Morey herself had breast cancer, and as Sarigianopoulos learned more about her story, their friendship grew.
A group with similar goals, Spare Key, is another great organization, Sarigianopoulos says. It gives one-month mortgage grants so people with seriously ill or injured children can take time off to spend time with their (often hospitalized) kids.
She also continues a longstanding association with Hammer Residences, most recently by emceeing its annual ARTcetera event last July. The nonprofit, which has residences in Plymouth, has a mission “to provide adults and children with developmental disabilities the opportunity to experience life to its fullest.”
“They care so deeply about figuring out exactly what ‘experiencing life to its fullest’ means for each client,” Sarigianopoulos says. Case in point: A resident who had her art exhibited in a local gallery and whose story Sarigianopoulos covered in a KARE–11 segment.
A Plymouth resident since she arrived in the Twin Cities from Milwaukee about four years ago, Sarigianopoulos frequently lends her face and name to a number of local causes, hosting numerous events throughout the year. But she is quick to deflect the attention to the real heroes: The people who make these organizations work, and the public they serve.
“I have a high profile just because of what I do; it has nothing to do with me personally,” she says. “But I can use my it to get other people interested in volunteering and charity.”
By raising awareness for a group and the cause it supports, Sarigianopoulos hopes to increase interest—and aid—exponentially, drawing in more volunteers to donate time and money. Her interest in volunteering really took off when she got to the Twin Cities, although that may have been more coincidence than anything else. “We get to a point in our lives where it doesn’t feel right not to be giving back. As you get older, you start to realize how precious life is,” she says. (Sarigianopoulos hosts between four and six events each month for one group or another.) In many cases, charitable organizations simply ask. In other cases, there’s a more personal connection.
In the case of the Arthritis Foundation, for example, it’s quite personal. Sarigianopoulos was diagnosed with a rare form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in her early 20s (it’s been in remission for some time) and now sits on the board of the north-central chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. She focuses her efforts on children, who must deal with pain and a debilitating loss of motion. “It’s such a horrible disease; I can’t imagine what it might be like for kids,” she says.
She’s also developed connections as she gets to know the people behind the groups. Michelle Morey is the driving force behind Pay It Forward Fund, a group that helps patients with breast and other female-specific cancers by providing grants for patients’ living expenses. Morey herself had breast cancer, and as Sarigianopoulos learned more about her story, their friendship grew.
A group with similar goals, Spare Key, is another great organization, Sarigianopoulos says. It gives one-month mortgage grants so people with seriously ill or injured children can take time off to spend time with their (often hospitalized) kids.
She also continues a longstanding association with Hammer Residences, most recently by emceeing its annual ARTcetera event last July. The nonprofit, which has residences in Plymouth, has a mission “to provide adults and children with developmental disabilities the opportunity to experience life to its fullest.”
“They care so deeply about figuring out exactly what ‘experiencing life to its fullest’ means for each client,” Sarigianopoulos says. Case in point: A resident who had her art exhibited in a local gallery and whose story Sarigianopoulos covered in a KARE–11 segment.
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