Skip to content

2022 Philanthropy Update: Supporting NAOMI

Building Community Through Vulnerability

As a result of NAOMI’s dedication to liberating women and children, people within the Spokane community are freed from cycles of poverty, abuse, and dependence. Their innovative approach to addiction treatment is a model for others to follow.

Image courtesy of NAOMI.

When selecting organizations to partner with, IntelliTect looks for groups giving freedom and fighting injustice for those without hope.

NAOMI, a non-profit located in Spokane, WA, shares these values. NAOMI provides vulnerable women with the resources needed to beat addiction and advocate for themselves.

The partnership of IntelliTect and Mark & Elisabeth Michaelis has allowed NAOMI to evolve over the last several years to an innovative relationship-first model. This allowed NAOMI to more effectively support women and their families as they heal from generational addiction, trauma, and harmful relationships.
Sara Cardwell, Interim Executive Director, NAOMI

Addressing the Root Cause

NAOMI has a unique focus: loneliness. Their direct approach to addressing a root cause of addiction has successfully provided housing and community for women facing isolation.

Without necessarily knowing it at the start, NAOMI has innovated in addiction treatment and developed a universally applicable process for single mothers and everyone.
Mark Michaelis, IntelliTect CEO

Their model for supporting women in ending their addiction through community-building and tackling the factors behind loneliness has significantly impacted both individuals and the wider Spokane community.

According to the 2022 community data on NAOMI’s website, as a result of donations, 40 women and 33 children received services from the NAOMI community through one-on-one support, groups, and gatherings. These services help build a community for those facing loneliness and challenge them to seek healthy relationships that foster accountability, vulnerability, and caring — universal needs that people across the socioeconomic spectrum struggle with at varying points in their lives.

The invaluable relationships that formed between NAOMI and IntelliTect increased our capacity to provide community and thriving choices to families who would otherwise journey alone. NAOMI exists for relationships and can only exist because of relationships with partners like IntelliTect.
Sara Cardwell, Interim Executive Director, NAOMI

Supporting Local Families

NAOMI’s impact extends beyond addiction treatment. Their focus on building strong relationships and community has helped combat the effects of loneliness, which can lead to various adverse outcomes, from depression to physical illness.

One choice can impact the direction of someone’s life. When facing isolation, getting out of an unsafe relationship, seeking therapy, or pursuing education can seem impossible to achieve. NAOMI’s emphasis on creating connections between women, specifically single mothers, and local resources gives them the confidence to recover and thrive.

The only question now is how fast NAOMI can scale and grow so that more and more people can be impacted by their caring, and they can grow more quickly while not losing their core solution – a close-knit community of genuine relationships.
Mark Michaelis, IntelliTect CEO

With continued support, NAOMI can reach more single mothers and positively impact the lives of those struggling with addiction.

Curious About Our Other Partnerships?

NAOMI is one of many organizations IntelliTect supports. Check out our philanthropy map to see our complete list of projects. Take a look at our 2021 philanthropy update for more information about our past projects.

Written by Nicole Glidden.

Does Your Organization Need a Custom Solution?

Let’s chat about how we can help you achieve excellence on your next project!