Dr. Ward Merkeley has a soft spot for people in need. Working as an emergency room physician for more than two decades at Providence Holy Family Hospital, he saw desperate needs of every kind.

Annie Crain thought her medical career was behind her when the former RN and her husband moved back to her native Spokane area last year after raising four boys on the West Side. Her passion for more than a decade had been sharing Jesus with children, both in local neighborhood outreach and in developing nations. Health care and homelessness weren't areas she was particularly passionate about – it was all about the kids.