A nonprofit for women touts fall classes, upcoming benefit

Published 1:30 am Thursday, October 19, 2023

Women Hold the Key, a small but growing nonprofit focused on building a community, is currently in the midst of a busy fall season, offering two different sets of events on the island, and also planning a major benefit event.

Offerings in the first set, called Key Community Events, are offered free to any woman on Vashon. The second, Key Classes, are paid programs and classes. Many but not all of the events take place at Synergy, a co-working space in downtown Vashon that is closely aligned with the nonprofit.

According to the nonprofit’s executive director, Tina Shattuck, the organization is aptly named.

“We believe women hold the key to connection — through gatherings, celebrations, support, and learning together,” she said.

In the past year, Shattuck said, Women Hold the Key has held more than 93 classes, with more than 450 women participating in the nonprofit’s classes, meetings, and events.

This current lineup of community events and classes, said Shattuck, encompasses a wide range of interests and needs — everything from finance to end-of-life planning to personal development. Support groups, women’s salons, and movie and supper clubs have also been organized, she said.

All programs can be found here.

Shattuck is excited about an upcoming benefit for Women Hold the Key: a one-day training intensive, “Communication Alchemy: Transforming the Relationship Mindset,” set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at Mukai Farm & Garden.

She described the day as a “one-of-a-kind opportunity for women to transform their relationships through communication.” Lunch and snacks will be provided for participants.

This program will be facilitated by Vashon residents Paulette Sun Davis and Nicole Mercolino, of Empowerment Technology Corp/One Now. Both facilitators are experienced coaches, consultants, and thought leaders in the fields of human development and commitment-based communication.

The cost of the training is $200; a limited number of scholarships are available.

Contact Shattuck at director@womenholdthekey.com for more information, or visit whtk.us.