Get to Know Stephanie Land
This Year’s Luncheon Guest Speaker
Growing up in a middle-class household between Washington State and Alaska, Stephanie Land always dreamed of becoming a writer. At 28, this dream came to an abrupt halt when after fleeing an abusive home with her seven-month-old daughter, she found herself in a homeless shelter, navigating the labyrinth of poverty in America. She then took a job cleaning homes for $9 an hour, balancing a delicate budget and encountering barrier after barrier as she worked to regain stability.
Land eventually penned this chapter of her life into a The New York Times’ bestselling memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” which was then adapted to the Emmy and Golden Globe-award nominated Netflix series “Maid,” starring Margaret Qualley in 2021.
On Monday, Oct. 21 at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Land will take the stage at Hopelink’s 29th Annual Reaching Out Luncheon to deliver keynote remarks.
“Poverty is so complex. With only an hour-long event, it’s important to us that our guests come away with a stronger understanding of the systemic factors keeping people in poverty as well as the strength and resilience we see every day as people build the tools to exit poverty,” said Meghan Altimore, Hopelink Chief Operating Officer. “Stephanie Land has so powerfully illustrated this duality in her writing over the years. We’re thrilled to have her as our keynote speaker.”
Following the success of her first book, Land returned in 2023 with “Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education,” in which she recounts her journey of chasing her long-held literary dreams, attending college, and becoming a writer.
All those who attend the fundraising event in person this October will receive a copy of one of Land’s books, with a book signing to immediately follow the event.
In addition to Land’s remarks, guests will hear the stories of north and east King County residents who’ve partnered with Hopelink to exit poverty and about the agency’s growing impact. In the past five years, Hopelink’s service area has experienced rapid economic growth and a lack of affordable housing, which among other factors, have contributed to increasing community needs. An estimated 700,000 people within Hopelink’s service area are experiencing poverty, as shown in the Agency’s 2022 Community Needs Assessment.
With a fundraising goal of $1 million, Reaching Out Luncheon is the agency’s call to action for community members to support Hopelink’s reach across the region in addressing these expanding needs.
“Our region is at an inflection point. Too many of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet and I believe Hopelink, along with our community, have extraordinary opportunities to grow our impact and meet these challenges,” said Altimore. “We’re thrilled to have Stephanie at our side and by joining us this October, community members can be a part of creating lasting change.”
Tickets to attend Reaching Out Luncheon are now available.