Mary’s Helping Hands delivers its service through the generosity of its donors and the hard labor of it’s great volunteer team. We are very thankful for the continuous dedication of the team to our mission.
Meet some of the Mary’s Helping Hands Team
Below is the executive team and some of the leaders of different functions within Mary’s Helping Hands.
Lauren Burke
Executive Director | Founder
Lauren Burke is the Founder of Mary’s Helping Hands.
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Background
She is a native southerner now residing in West Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, Brendan and 5 children. Lauren graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors Degree and also represented FSU as a D1 Swimmer. Lauren currently works full-time supporting the Dept. of Defense as a Principal Recruiter within Talent Strategy and is also the Executive Director of Mary's Helping Hands, which she founded in Feb 2021.
Lauren never imagined she would be running a nonprofit, but believes that when you trust something greater than yourself and have faith that you are being assisted in your journey, God will do amazing things.
Personality
Ambitious, spirited, kind, competitive and loving.
When she isn’t at MHH, she enjoys spending time with her family, coaching the local Catholic High School girls swim team, cooking, attending her children's activities/sports, church and doing yard work with her family.
Carissa Wright
Vice President
Carissa is responsible for volunteer scheduling and communication, as well as being Lauren’s right hand lady with various organization needs.
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Carissa graduated from Kirkwood Community College with an A.A.S. in Veterinary Technician. She worked as a Vet Tech for 9 years before leaving to become a stay at home mom. She has had the pleasure of working alongside Lauren since she approached me about her idea for Mary’s Helping Hands. Together she feels they have made a huge impact in our community serving several mothers & children in need of the most basic necessities for pregnancy and baby’s first couple of years. Carissa loves being able to help so many families not only in our community but in the state of Iowa as well.
When she's not working at MMH you can find her with her family. They love to play board & card games, spend time outside, read books together, and spend time with their family & friends.
Dan Maxcy
Advisor | Spiritual Director
Dan helps provide the board, leaders and the organization with discernment within our decision making process.
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Mary Kay Suckow
Board Member | Inventory Team
Mary assists in tracking inventory for all donations and is a regular volunteer.
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In addition to helping the Inventory team, I enjoy meeting with the expectant mothers, working with the health staff from the agencies, shopping the orders and sorting donations. There have also been recent opportunities to buy clothes and hygiene items as part of the inventory team.
I worked in home health care nursing for 42 years. I am a graduate of University of Iowa College of Nursing. Earlier in my nursing career, I worked as a visiting nurse seeing pregnant moms and their babies. I worked at well baby clinics and was in contact with many of the same agencies that Mary's Helping Hands coordinate services with to meet their needs. For twelve years, I have volunteered as a visitor to hospice patients. This ministry is also very dear to my heart. I am an active member of St. Vincent de Paul and Sacred Heart Women's Guild.
I am married. My husband Tom and I enjoy playing pickleball. We look forward to traveling again in the future. I am mother to 3 daughters and grandmother to 3 grandsons. I love being retired and having more time to spend with family and friends. Mary's Helping Hands is not just an activity for me, it's a ministry. We pray for the families we serve. I have made several new friends with this awesome team.
Donna Blank
Board Member | Secretary
Mary Eure
Board Member | Treasurer
Robin Fulton
Board Member at Large
Julie Nelson
Board Member at Large
Sheila Kennedy
Consignment Sales Lead
Karen Larson
Associate Director
Karen joins Mary’s Helping Hands to help expand its ability to meet the growing demand for basic child necessities among vulnerable families in our community.
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After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications, Karen worked for several years in corporate marketing at the Principal Financial Group, as well as consumer brand management and corporate investor relations at 3M in St. Paul, MN. Prior to that, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Drake University and worked in Drake’s marketing communications department. Originally from Urbandale, Karen calls West Des Moines home with her husband Steven and their three children. When she’s not cheering on her kids at soccer, football, Scouting, dance, band and choir events, Karen enjoys volunteering her time. Over the years, she has supported organizations including Dowling Catholic High School, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, the YMCA Supportive Housing Campus, Junior Achievement, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, St. Ambrose Catholic School in Woodbury, MN, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Shelby Lane
Client Operations
Shelby manages our day-to-day client operations, helping connect our moms in needs with the services they require.
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My name is Shelby Lane and I am a native Iowan with a passion for serving God and others. The mission of MHH is so important and I am very proud to be a part of it.
I have an associate’s degree from Des Moines Area Community College in Fashion and Design and a certificate in Photography.
As a creative person, you can find me doing DIY projects or behind my camera when not working. I also love to spend time with my family and my dog at Clear Lake in northern Iowa.
Loralee Chase
Fundraising Manager
Loralee will coordinate all fund raising as well as donor management.
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Loralee has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Drake University and an MBA from the University of Iowa. Loralee has spent the last 9 years working at Sacred Heart Parish, where she and her husband Jon and their 3 children have been parishioners for nearly 25 years. At Sacred Heart, Loralee worked in the roles of Adult Faith Formation Director, Communications Coordinator and most recently in the position of Business Manager. Prior to that, Loralee worked for 15 years as a stay at home mom to her three children. “I know well how much community support and how many resources it takes to raise a family; I look forward to being a part of an organization that can make that time a little easier for caregivers in need!”, says Loralee.
Karla Willis
Referral Advocate
Karla will be a part of our Referral Service Team to help connect our clients with services outside of the scope of what MHH can provide.
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Karla Vaquerano Willis has worked in the Des Moines Metro social services field since 2007. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Iowa, Karla spent her first few years out of college working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois. After moving back to Des Moines with her family, she served as the first Family Support Worker for Primary Health Care. She has built upon her knowledge and experience with every step, including assisting patients with insurance at Mercy Medical Center as a Patient Advocate and finally as Director of Hispanic Ministry with Sacred Heart. Karla is bilingual and passionate about assisting immigrant families. She is currently working on her master’s in social work with a completion date of May 2025.
Brooke Whiting
Referral Advocate
Brooke will be a part of our Referral Service Team to help connect our clients with services outside of the scope of what MHH can provide.
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Brooke is from the state of Washington. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management and Spanish from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. She worked for many years for a third-party administrator of health benefits. She relocated to Pullman, Washington where she earned her Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration. She spent 11 years working at Washington State University as an Academic Advisor, counseling students from enrollment through degree completion in fields from Civil Engineering to Human Development. Brooke moved to Iowa in 2021 with her husband and their four children. She keeps busy attending her kids’ cross country, track, basketball, and dance events, subbing in the Johnston Community School District, and volunteering with Scouting America.
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Loralee has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Drake University and an MBA from the University of Iowa. Loralee has spent the last 9 years working at Sacred Heart Parish, where she and her husband Jon and their 3 children have been parishioners for nearly 25 years. At Sacred Heart, Loralee worked in the roles of Adult Faith Formation Director, Communications Coordinator and most recently in the position of Business Manager. Prior to that, Loralee worked for 15 years as a stay at home mom to her three children. “I know well how much community support and how many resources it takes to raise a family; I look forward to being a part of an organization that can make that time a little easier for caregivers in need!”, says Loralee.
Want to get involved, too? We always need volunteers!
Contact us to let us know how you would like to get involved!