1998 - Marlene Kayser
Honoring Marlene Kayser
The Advocates lost a board member, volunteer, committed advocate, and dear friend when Marlene Kayser passed away on October 5, 2018. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization, and no one exemplified this value more than Marlene. She first set the gold standard for volunteers when she was part of The Advocates’ delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. Marlene helped establish and foster relationships which are still important in the organization’s work. A tireless advocate, she rolled up her sleeves to work while at the same time inspiring the rest of the team to keep going.
For more than 20 years Marlene also helped steer The Advocates’ fundraising efforts. No job was too big or too small. For nearly a quarter of a century, Marlene graciously hosted an annual house party to support our Women’s Human Rights Program. In essence, she created the successful house party model that we still use today to benefit our programs. In addition, Marlene shaped the silent auction, a popular part of The Advocates’ annual Human Rights Awards Dinner, into a world class operation. She possessed the knack of knowing what gifts appeal to people of all ages. Her baskets and item selections always got the most and highest bids. We are grateful for Marlene’s generous spirit and for all that she taught us. We will miss Marlene dearly.
