When actress Elaine Church retired to the desert more than two dozen years ago, she did not rest on her acting laurels and simply play in the sun. She did what she has always done: She enthusiastically jumped into the community, using her talents to make a difference through philanthropy.
The Rancho Mirage resident, originally from Manchester, England, soon found herself co-chairing the Broken Glass Awards for the just launched local chapter of Women in Film & Television (PSWIFT), an organization she had been involved with in Los Angeles.
“I met the late Leanna Bonamici just as she was beginning to form the local chapter of PSWIFT,” said the actress who is probably best known for her roles in TV's “Barnaby Jones” and “Doctors Hospital” as well as films such as “Justine” and the controversial “Killing of Sister George.”
After a dozen years on the board of PSWIFT, Church was destined to follow her heart once again in philanthropy — this time for her other love: animals. After her close friend DeAnn Lubell's rescue dog, Amy, was killed by three coyotes, there emerged a new way for her to use both her talents and her heart.
