Pay It Forward Stories 2020

Thank you Dennis & Phyllis Washington, first for the opportunity to work at such a great place. It is hard enough to find a good job, but finding one working for a family such as yours, who actually care about their employees is rare. This year I gave my card to a private couple who are in their late 60's and are having trouble "just getting by". This couple has been together for over 30 years and last year the wife had to have back surgery and is unable to work. Being the only one working in the house, the bills have been piling up, so she could start healing, and now after nearly a year, she is getting back on her feet. I wanted them to have the Pay It Forward gift card, so maybe it will get them caught up on a few of their bills, or just to take their minds off the bills and enjoy a little bit of life. Thank you again for the kindness you have shown our community and the over-whelming generosity that help so many people.

Nancy Kenny

I chose to donate my Pay It Forward card to the Veterans Advocacy Clinic at the University of Montana School of Law. This organization is dear to me, and they are serving a region that typically does not get adequate support.

The Veterans Advocacy Clinic provides free legal services to veterans across Montana. The Clinic fulfills its mission of accounting for the long-term impacts of military service on disabled or improperly discharged veterans through direct legal representation, legal consultation, and outreach. The Clinic works to ensure that veterans receive proper care and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs and works to resolve improper and inequitable discharges by the Department of Defense.

Since its founding in 2017, the Clinic has represented over 50 veterans before the VA and the DoD and counseled many more.

In addition, the Veterans Advocacy Clinic, as part of the Clinical Program at the Alexander Blewett III Law School, supervises students as they handle veterans’ claims. The Clinic trains students in professionalism and administrative law while instilling the spirit of volunteerism in the next generation of attorneys.

The Clinic plans to use my Pay It Forward donation to complete an outreach trip to an underserved rural area or Tribal Reservation in need of resources for veterans.

I used my Pay It Forward card to purchase grocery and necessity items for a family who has loss of income due to the Covid-19 situation. They were very thankful. Thank you for helping me help them.

Earlier this year, my wife Lisa & I learned of a little boy, Manny, here in Las Vegas that had his wheelchair stolen. His family was crushed with the personal and financial blow the theft caused. Manny has 6 other siblings all being raised by a single mother working hard just to put food on the table and shelter over seven little souls. Manny's physical handicaps and mobility needs require a specialized wheelchair and the replacement cost for his stolen chair was overwhelming for Sarah, his mother. Multiple groups of friends and neighbors banded together and raised money to help give Sarah the financial ability to buy her son a new wheelchair. He desperately wanted, to again, move around and enjoy time with his friends and family. Lisa & I took inspiration from the generosity of the Dennis & Phyllis Washington foundation and donated the Foundation's Pay It Forward gift to Manny's mother along with a matching personal donation. The funds raised from our local off road clubs topped off by the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation's Pay It Forward gift allowed Sarah to pay for a new $4,000 specialized wheelchair for her young son. He is now able to move around with a smile on this face and the world in front of him. Dennis & Phyllis, thank you for your generosity and inspiration through the Foundation to help make our communities a kinder place.

Bill & Lisa Oberlander

I originally donated my card to the elementary schools in Laurel to pay off lunch accounts that had a negative balance. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Laurel students and employees are not in school. They are now using the card to purchase food to supply weekly food boxes to Laurel school families that are in need.

The 2020 Pay It Forward Card was bestowed to the organization Cultivating Connections. Cultivating Connections is a non-profit organization that introduces the youth of today to organic farming and directs many other programs that include:
*The Youth Farm Internship: 8 Interns mentored in the arts of organic farming, community involvement, and value-added food processing.
*Salads For Seniors’ project- 100 fresh garden salads a week for eight weeks. Interns harvested, produced, and delivered the salads to Meals on
Wheels of Ravalli County Council on Aging.
*International Youth in Farming Work Safari: 3 interns traveled to Berlin, Germany to learn about and experience a foreign culture and its
agriculture.
*Special Abilities Camp: Eighth year of summer days camps for kids on the autism spectrum, in cooperation with Bitterroot Arts for Autism.
*Kinder-Gardeners Project: 3-part farm visit series for all seven kindergarten classes (over 120 kids) from Hamilton.
*Homies Program: Weekly summer farm visits for youth living at the Linda Massa Youth Home.

Cultivating Connections was so appreciative in receiving monies from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation - Pay It Forward, especially since all of their spring fund raising efforts were cancelled secondary to CoVid 19.

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I gave my card to missoula youth hockey, they are in need of gear for kids, upgrades to the facility, and probially way more than I'm aware, I have donated a fair bit of time helping with events and the free youth clinics, I left the funds as a whole so they could put them where they were needed most giving the chain of events in the last couple months. I have seen the improvement of self confidence, friendship, trust and the overwhelming sense of joy that msla youth hockey has giving to many kids , I thank you on behalf of myself and missoula youth hockey for the opportunity and the gift that allows them to keep giving! Thank you again ,,Don

The gift card was given to the Basin Community Church, in Basin, MT to be used for equipment & repairs and any community needs, individual medical expenses and or basic necessities for individuals that may arise.

My wife and I decided to give our gift card to an aide at the elementary school that my wife works at. We call her Ms. Judy. Ms. Judy is a single mother of two who also takes care of her older brother who has Down Syndrome. We met her last year when she became an aide to work one-on-one with a non-speaking mentally disabled 9 year old in my wife's 3rd grade classroom. Ms. Judy's work requirements were to be at school by 7:00 a.m. so she could ride the bus to help pick this student up. She then was to spend the whole day with him and complete her daily assignments with him. These assignments included: Teaching him simple command words and some sign language, helping him eat lunch, helping him be involved in outside play with other children, aiding the teacher for this child's educational standards, and then riding the bus home with him. Ms. Judy did all of this while taking care of her children, her brother, and working two jobs. This past year Ms. Judy was diagnosed with bladder cancer. They caught it early but she still had to complete treatments which often left her feeling sick. While going through all of this, Ms. Judy still came to work because she knew this student needed her. Ms. Judy put her own needs and wants aside to help her student with his special needs. We felt that this dedication deserved recognition.

I was glad to donate to two different places. I split my 500.00 dollars and donated to the SCRAPS animal shelter for much needed supplies. They were going to have to shut down due to low funding and no supplies. I donated the other half to meals on wheels here in Spokane. During this odd time we are going through I thought that the elderly will need some assistance with a warm meal.

I gave my Pay It Forward donation to the YWCA of Missoula. The YWCA is "...dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. The YWCA opens doors to opportunity and self-sufficiency for women and families facing poverty, violence and discrimination. With over 100 years of experience, the YWCA is the leading organization in Missoula for moving women and families out of crisis and empowering them to achieve lasting independence".

In the unprecedented times that we face today with COVID-19, there is no better time to give to local non-profits. When I contacted the YWCA, Missoula wasn't under the stay-at-home order yet, but started to understand the importance of social distancing and sanitizing in combating the virus. I was able to reach out to the YWCA through email and we were able to meet in person to give my Pay it Forward donation them, even though they were closed to the general public. They were incredibly appreciative for this donation. I was told that because of COVID-19, they had to close their thrift stores, which provides vital income for their services. Currently, they are planning to use the donation to help cover extra costs such as sanitizing products for their shelter.

Thank you for allowing me to give back to my community, especially during such an important time as this.

- Olivia

Our family chose to donate to the Second Harvest food bank. This donation is estimated to help provide as many as 2400 much needed meals. We felt like this generous gift would be best used to help feed the many struggling families throughout our community. The recent Pandemic has put an incredible amount of stress on food banks across the country. Many hard working American families are in a situation unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. This is the first time many of these families have ever had to look for an outside hand for help. Our family felt very honored to be chosen for this years Pay it Forward program. This was a good learning experience for our youngest child in the importance of charitable giving. We all chipped in and with a couple extra chores around the house were able to bring the total meals provided to 3500:) Thank you and God bless.

~The Clinger Family~

I would like to thank Dennis and Phyllis Washington for the ability to pay it forward to a cause that I am passionate about. I decided to reach out to the Montana Hunters Education Instructors in my area and ask what they are in need of. Jackie and Allen Speck, two local instructors, informed me that they were in desperate need of first aid kits. These kits are not paid for by the state of Montana, and these two instructors usually spend their own money to ensure that every youth hunter that completes their course receives a waterproof first aid kit. One of the key safety points that they teach the future hunting youth of Montana is the importance of always having a first aid kit in their backpack at all times in case of an emergency. I was amazed that these are not paid for by the state of Montana. We reached out to Cabela's and they gave us a special price on these kits, which allowed us to purchase even more of these kits to be distributed. Cabela's also donated some safety orange vests to distribute to the class participants. All of this would not have been possible with out the caring philanthropic work that the Washington family engages in every year. I was honored to be a recipient of the 2020 Pay It Forward program.

i chose to give mycard to Gates of Freedom is a Christian non-profit 501(c)3 organization that is dedicated to serving our communities and focuses its ministry around helping troubled teens and young adults. It was founded in 2009 out of the needs that exist in our society. Today, Gates of Freedom is an active part of the community by providing spiritual support to general youth, teens in critical situations, and young adults in correction centers across the State of Washington. Gates of Freedom conduct community outreach and education, and serve at the Men’s Recovery Center in Enumclaw, WA. Over the years, hundreds of inmates and recovery center students have heard the Good News that Jesus can help them no matter how far they have gone in their lives, and many have received a new life and hope for the future.

Thank you Dennis & Phillis Washington:
For the Pay it forward I chose:
Hazel and Owen Tyler with Paws up Safe Home.
In the beautiful valley of Potomac MT
these amazing elderly couple take care of the Lost, Abandoned and Abused Animals
I had a hard time contacting Hazel because of the Convid-19
but we did meet car to car talking she told me some wonderful stories about all the animals she and her husband take care of she was surprisingly fun and energetic. She invited me to come up and see her land and tell me more stories about all her critters in the summer time.
thank you very much for the chartable donation for these wonderful generous people.

I chose to pay forward the $500 gift card to Morgan McQuillan. Here is her story:

Morgan McQuillan’s story:

Morgan McQuillan was first diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, at the age of 5 in May of 1999. She was scheduled to start kindergarten in the fall but instead started chemotherapy. In September of that same year, she had a very rare amputation done on her right leg to remove the tumor. Morgan successfully learned how to walk with a prosthetic and went on to beat the cancer. Then 8 years later, when she was 12 years old, she was rediagnosed with Osteosarcoma of the soft tissue. She underwent surgery to remove the spots. At the age of 14, Morgan lost her father to Leukemia. At the age of 15, Morgan relapsed for the third time and a tumor was found in her upper jaw. She underwent chemo as well as surgery to remove the upper part of her jaw and was fitted with a partial mouth prosthesis. Once again, she went into remission. Two years later, during the fall of her senior year of high school, she was rediagnosed with Osteosarcoma, with one tumor in her soft tissue and another one on her pelvis. At this time, Morgan was told her options were very limited as she had built a tolerance up to most chemotherapy and any surgery they could do would be very extreme and diminish the quality of her life. At this time, it was clear that Morgan would never be fully cured of cancer. Rather than the doctors giving up on Morgan, they decided to try an unconventional form of treatment which consisted of radiation and chemotherapy. This was one of many miracles that was given to Morgan, the treatment worked and killed that tumor. Due to the radiation Morgan endured, she began having extreme pain in her pelvis and had to learn how to deal with that. Morgan experienced two more occurrences of Osteosarcoma in her right pelvis by the age of 22. Both times, the tumors were killed with a surgery called ablation. However, this surgery caused her to lose the feeling on the right side of her hip.

In January of this year, Morgan was rediagnosed for the seventh time with Osteosarcoma. The doctors also found a tumor on her small intestine that needed to be removed. Treatment options were once again limited. Morgan was given the option to undergo a surgery called a Hemipelvectomy, which she chose. This surgery removed her entire right hip and the remainder of her right leg. Morgan is still in the hospital to this date recovering from this surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where she has undergone the majority of her treatment. She is experiencing a significant amount of stomach problems due to the removal of the tumor on her intestine which is slowing down her progress. She is simultaneously going through physical therapy and is now learning how to be mobile with just one leg. She will rely on a wheelchair or a walker to get her around for the rest of her life. The rest of Morgan’s treatment plan is up in the air at the point. Once Morgan returns home, she will be staying at her mother’s house outside of Joliet, MT which is currently undergoing some remodeling to make it handicap accessible for Morgan.

Thank you for reading Morgan’s story.

Submitted on March 4, 2020 by Kate Croft, Morgan’s sister.

I donated the card to a local daycare near my sons school. A lot of the children from k-6 go to this daycare. So I thought this gift would be great for the upgrade in play equipment, maybe an AC unit to help cool the kids in the coming months and if a family is in need of paying a bill. Thank you for this gift for the help this gives to the community.

I chose to give the giving card to a sweet little girl in Butte Montana that was born with Down Syndrome. Her family is very loving and provides every possible thing they can for her to be happy, healthy, and excel in life. Her parents both work full time and devote every spare minute to raising their three daughters. Her therapies are very costly, so the giving card will be used towards them. I felt that a hard working, devoted, and loving family embodied the spirit of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. The family as well as my family are very thankful for this opportunity and wonderful program.

A close friend, who is self-employed, has been unable to work for most of the winter. They have been caring for a family member through a serious medical condition. The time and resources this friend has dedicated to their loved one has compromised their ability to generate income for the last six months. This money will allow them to focus more on family while they navigate this trying time in their lives.

I donated my pay it forward card to a family where there dad was laid off and there kid qualified for nationals in the all women wrestling tournament all before this pandemic happened the tournament was supposed to take place in iowa the end of march but with the covid 19 going on I suppose the used the money elsewhere

I gave my card to a single Mom and her 3 young children in Missoula. They were having a hard time making ends meet made evident to me when simple needs like diapers were a hardship. The ability for me to give this card couldn't have been more timely. I am so thankful as an employee within the Washington Companies for the opportunity given by the Dennis and Phyllis Foundation to pour out into our communities. I believe the impact this has on both individuals and organizations that we chose are hard to fully understand but I can say that in this instance it was very much appreciated.

The night before I received the honor of giving the pay it forward card a family in my neighborhood lost their home and most of their belongings to a house fire. In a time of need I was able to deliver hope and love to a family who was in desperate need of it. The funds will be used to replace house hold and personal items that were lost.

I am grateful to be apart of an organization that cares so deeply about the communities that we work in, the difference that they make is noticeable!

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of Americans are out of work for the foreseeable future. While many of these people are expected to receive assistance in one form or another from the CARES Act, one group that faces deliberate and explicate exclusion from this bill is sex workers.

I have chosen to give $500 to a fund established for Missoula area sex workers, to help them get through these difficult times. Because sex work IS work, and these folks are frequently overlooked and marginalized members of our community, and don't deserve to be excluded from the assistance being given the rest of us.

"We need this fund to stay housed, fed, and safe, as many in our community are struggling to find work and pay for basic necessities at this time. We are asking for donations from our allies, clients, organizations, and anyone not impacted by the pandemic. Funds received will be distributed to our most vulnerable community members first—those who are BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color), queer/trans, have dependents, or are immunocompromised."

"Many of us are survival sex workers. We are facing eviction. We are trying to get on our feet after leaving abusive partners. We are immigrants. We have young children. We’re going to continue to build community and help each other in any way that we can during this time."

Hello All,

First, I'd like to thank everyone involved with the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, for their generosity, kind heartedness, and willingness to help others in so many ways.

I chose to donate my Pay it Forward card to BABUSA, Bikers Against Bullies. I have participated in some of their events, rides, met many wonderful people along the way, have seen some of their work on bikes which they sell raffle tickets for, then donate the funds to children in many different places.

The recipient was very happy to receive this donation, and assured me that it will all go towards children and the awareness of something which we feel is a great cause.

Thank you.

Thomas Moran

I have a long time family friend Paige, who is 28 and was recently diagnosed with cancer. She sought medical care for pain and irregular bleeding, but was told the pain was from overworking and the bleeding was due to birth control she was taking. She went back to work and life, but the pain continued to get worse. After numerous tests, they diagnosed her with stage 3 cervical cancer. She has no medical insurance. She is a single mom raising 3 small children. She is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. The last time I heard from the family the tumor shrunk from baseball size to marble size. I gave her your generous donation to help with her mounting medical bills.