Ambrosiani named as a Woman of Wisdom

It is a pleasure to announce Mary Jo Ambrosiani as a 2019 Woman of Wisdom. Mary Jo and her husband Jack have been Sandpoint residents since 1987, building their home on Oden Bay much by themselves. This hands-on, hardworking lady was a home economics teacher in Sandpoint and then in Bonners Ferry, receiving her Master’s Degree from University of Idaho in 1995 in Vocational Education.

Mary Jo was drawn to children in need, and so began a loving commitment to those who are underserved and needing guidance. She was the youth director at St Joseph’s Catholic Church and became a “Cursillo” instructor which deepened her spiritual journey. She and Jack have been members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for 32 years, and Mary Jo has been an active member of their Altar Society for 25 years.

She and Jack founded their charitable organization, the Ambrosiani-Pastore Foundation, which is dedicated to youth and family development, especially for abused and at-risk kids.

Mary Jo serves as the executive director and oversees all their charitable activities and grant awards totaling approximately $3 million over the past 18 years. Approximately $1 million of those funds went to local schools for scholarships and life skills classes, with another $1 million towards youth and family development programs, domestic violence programs and youth crisis programs. The remaining $1 million was used for general community aid programs, shelters and nondenominational Christian retreats.

Through the foundation, they provide continuing education scholarships and, unlike many others offered, these target students with GPAs of 1.9-3.2.These faith-based but non-denominational scholarships offer an opportunity for hard-working students who are not near the top of their classes. Mary Jo has attended every graduation scholarship night for the past 18 years at Sandpoint, Clark Fork and Lake Pend Oreille high schools, granting well over 300 scholarships. She and Jack have been active in supporting many other local nonprofits as well including Kinderhaven, Bonner Community Food Bank, Bonner Gospel Mission, Juvenile Justice Outreach, Priest River Ministries, Bonner County Homeless Task Force, Panhandle Special Needs, Sandpoint Senior Center and many, many others.

In 2010, Mary Jo and Jack developed a life skills program for at-risk teens. They worked with four different school districts and funded the salaries of one teacher per district to lead these classes full time for three years. The program reached over 1,500 students providing everyday life skills they otherwise would not have been exposed to. They are working with the state of Idaho currently to make this a statewide initiative.

Also, in 2010, Mary Jo expanded her efforts in dealing with homeless women and children and became the president of Bonner County Homeless Transitions, a position she still holds today. She is sometimes a one-woman show, using their family truck hauling furniture or dealing with general maintenance. True to form, Mary Jo is also currently a long-standing member of the Catholic Alter Society, CAL and serves as a founding board member of Cygnus, Inc. (She was instrumental in assisting Jack start the first aerospace manufacturing company here in Sandpoint). Mary Jo also founded the North Idaho Federated Republican Women’s group, currently serving as president. The group has been collecting “support our troops” coupons for the last two years, saving over $33,000 for military families throughout the world.

Simply stated, this amazing lady has it all: she is generous, thoughtful, smart, hard-working, caring and always willing and ready to get her hands dirty for any causes she believes in. The motto she embodies is, “Give and hand UP, not a hand down.”

In addition to Mary Jo, the other Women of Wisdom 2019 honorees include Debbie Ferguson, Kathleen Bordenave, Marilyn Robertson, Mary Stevens, and Teri Nickisch. This year’s Women of Wisdom Gala will take place on Saturday, May 11, beginning at 11 a.m. with a welcome reception followed by a luncheon and program from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the The Ponderay Events Center.

To be nominated to be a Woman of Wisdom, candidates must be 65 years or older. She possesses vision and achieves goals through collaboration. She exhibits a love of learning through the pursuit of knowledge by study or experience. She shows a commitment to the Bonner County community and its members, and has had a positive impact, such as in the areas of art, music, theatre, dance, sports, education and service. She demonstrates dedicated leadership that results in admiration and respect from others. She is an inspiration to others and an example for future generations of women. She faces life’s challenges with grace and courage, and lives with dignity, integrity and honor.

The 2019 Women Honoring Women committee members are: Kari Saccomanno, chair; Diane Arrants, Robin Bianco, Kathy Chambers, Kathy Conger, Barbara Eacret, Deanna Harris, Alana Hatcher, Patty Hutchens, Julie Jurenka, Kendall Lang, Pat Lewis, Debbie Love, Sally Lowry, Leslie Marshall, Jeralyn Mire, Marlene Rorke, Sandy Ross, Marilyn Sabella, Tina Sleyster, Sally Transue and Linda VanDellen.