Pay It Forward Stories 2020

A really good family friend find out she had 3 tumors on her brain ended up having to go to Seattle for the surgery so I donated my card to her and her family to help with medical bills. It’s pretty awesome That Dennis and Phyllis give their employees opportunity to do this. It’s a really great feeling to give people in need something that you couldn’t afford. Thanks again for this opportunity to pay it forward.

This year I chose to Payitforward to Shan's Foster Farm. Shannon is an individual that works on the front lines rescuing animals in need. She is the person that crawls under the abandoned house to gather up a litter of puppies that are freezing to death. She is the person spending countless hours gaining a feral dogs trust so it can be caught. She is going out multiple times a day to check a live trap in hopes of catching a moma dog whose puppies were already caught. She spends nights up for hours bottle feeding abandoned kittens trying to keep them alive. All of this on her personal time, on her dollar, and in her home. Once she gets these animals caught and healthy she helps to get them to shelters to find them good homes. I wanted to help her out and say thank you for hard work and to help with the costs of doing so. She is an amazing person with a great cause.

The giving card was given to a sweet family whom you would never suspect might have a tight financial budget, unless you know them personally. The father works in law enforcement and the mother has chosen to be a stay-at-home mom for their four boys, ages 2 to 13. The father has recently had a few mishaps in his line of work which resulted in him having to have knee surgery. Subsequently, he missed a few weeks of work and was on work comp. The mother lives with gastoparesis, which is a stomach disease that makes you pretty much feel like you have a stomach flu that never goes away. When she has a flare-up, she often ends up in the E.R. and then the hospital for 3 or 4 days. On top of the health issues, they have 4 growing and very active boys. Despite the hardships this family has faced, they are a light in their community. They serve the people of their community endlessly and without complaint. I felt they needed the encouragement of knowing there are people out there who really do care about them as well and that is why they were given the gift card.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to help them out!

I donated my Pay It Forward card to the Belmont Senior Center. During this pandemic, many seniors rely on programs like Meals on Wheels provided by the Belmont. In speaking with one of the employees, she said many seniors are confused, bored, etc so she was excited to put this extra money to good use during this crisis & I was happy to be able to provide it.

I gave my $500 card to the Helena Food share for kids packs for lunches with the kids being out of school I wanted to make sure the kids are still being fed in these trying times.

I was selected this year to receive a Pay It Forward gift card. I donated the $500. gift card to Missoula Aging Services, Meals on Wheels, which is needed for the caring and compassion for the elderly as well as the food they deliver. I appreciate the opportunity and more so for the program. Thank you to the Dennis & Phyllis Foundation, you make a huge difference in my community.

Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics is a local organization helping local people using local volunteers and donations. Started in 1981 with twelve athletes, a handful of volunteers provided a cross country ski venue for adults and children with physical and mental challenges. Since then it has grown into a very popular winter event and will host it's 40th annual games in January of 2021.

In January of 2020 the Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics hosted 126 athletes representing 16 schools and other organizations, with over 200 coaches and support people and an additional 200 plus volunteers. Cross country skiing, downhill skiing and snowshoe races were the events provided at Lost Trail Powder Mountain over a two day period. A banquet and dance was also hosted by the Olympic organizers at the Bitterroot River Inn.

Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics raises the majority of its funding by hosting the annual Hacker Golf Tournament at the Hamilton Golf Club in September each year. Additional donations from local businesses and individuals help provide the funds needed to keep this popular event going every January.

The Bitterroot Winter Special Olympics is truly a grassroots organization promoting competition, friendship and joy between athletes, coaches and volunteers.

My mother in-law, Marla Hennequin, has been a volunteer on the steering committee for 34 years.

I was chosen to hand out a Pay It Forward card from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for 2020. For my card, I chose Lynette Harrington. Her daughter Kodi is a personal friend. In early January, Lynnette had a massive stroke. She was rendered paralyzed on her left side. Lynette is retired and was also taking care of her elderly mother at the time as well. Lynette and her mother both had to be moved into assisted living as Lynette rehabs from her stroke. With the money, Kodi was able to purchase an electric recliner and walker to help her mom in her rehab. She is doing well in recovery at this time. I received a card from Kodi thanking myself and the foundation. I want to personally thank the foundation as well for giving me this opportunity to help people in need. I have been chosen many time for this great honor. This brings so much joy to people who are in need.

Thanks again,

Tom

Hello. My name is Keri Maart and I work at Franklin Elementary School. I run their Family Resource Center and I work with our homeless and at risk populations. Family depend on me to help them with basic needs in order for their children to attend school everyday. This could be busing options, food insecurities, housing referrals just to name a few. When the closed have been shut down due to COVID-19, around three- quarters of our families worry about the added pressure of breakfast and lunch that they school usually supplies. I am actually working on a school bus that delivers lunches to all District 1 Children. I used the money to purchase 20, 25.00 gift cards to Albertson's, that families can use to purchase meals for their families, and I will be giving them away tomorrow on my bus route.
Thank you for everything!!!!

I donated my card to Valicity's Once Upon A Time charity. After their daughter lost her battle with leukemia when she was five. Josh and Candy Faith have a Princess Ball every year to raise money to give back to some of the organizations that helped them when Valicity was sick. This year the money was given to The Montana Hope Project. This year was the tenth annual ball and to date there has been over 9,000 participants. The other two charities they give to are The Ronald McDonald House and Angel Flight West.

Gave my card to a family in town that was down on lucky and really could use a pick me up. Struggling to pay bills and buy food.

I gave my pay it forward card to some friends that have recently been set back due to medical bills. Their daughter became sick with what they later found was mono. After a couple days of no progression they went back in and discovered that the mono had led to the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. The family was greatly appreciative for the donation and said it couldn’t have came at a better time!

Thanks to the Pay It Forward Program, I was able to help out two single moms and their families. These families wish to remain anonymous, but they express their gratitude for this donation. Things have been very tough for both of these families, so the donation will go to amazing use. This program is absolutely amazing, and we are so thankful to be a part of it. I thank the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation for giving me the opportunity to pay it forward.

Thank you to the Dennis & Phyllis Washington foundation for this opportunity to help others through the Pay it Forward program. With the current employment situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, I learned of a very special lady Sarah, to whom I gave my card to. Sarah was a single Mom of three rambunctious boys, when her youngest at just 3 1/2 yrs old, diagnosed with Soft tissue cancer (Desmoplastic small round cell tumor). For three years Sarah traveled to Seattle for Easton's cancer treatment. Easton fought the long battle and passed away in August 2018. Sarah pulls her strength from her amazing faith knowing where her son now resides. She puts on her armor and faces each day with her two sons with a huge smile and positivity.
Most recently, she lost her job due to the company closing and had accepted a new position with another employer when the pandemic suspended the job. This card will offer a little help and genuine kindness.
Thank you again for the opportunity to brighten ones day.

We are very thankful to have the opportunity to Pay It Forward. We chose to split the money between two families. One is a family of four and the father does snow removal in the winter (as we all know Helena did not get much of that at all this year) and the mother does house cleaning. We were able to take the mom/wife shopping for whatever she needed. There were several items that she had not been able to purchase in quite a long time. The smile on her face was priceless! The family has expressed extra gratitude since the Coronavirus, as she was not worried about having food and supplies at home. With the balance of the card, we sent to a single mom of two in Arizona. She has MS and works fulltime, her ex-husband has not paid child support since last fall, as he was on medical leave from his job. She had said the timing in which she received the card "was such a blessing", as it is when the Coronavirus had started causing things to shut down. She had been worrying, as she didn't have money to purchase normal groceries, let alone groceries that she would need to be able to have her children home from school.

My mother survived her Stage IV Lung Cancer diagnosis for 85 days. By the time we knew anything was wrong, it was already too late. I donated to LUNGevity Foundation to help fund early detection research so that others can have a fighting chance. Lung cancer was my mother's second primary cancer. She had already survived breast cancer and had donated to breast cancer research every year since being diagnosed with it so I know she would support this decision. I am so very thankful to Dennis and Phyllis and the Washington Foundation for this opportunity to donate in honor of my mother.

We have recently heard of a hockey family was in need. Their son is 13 years old plays hockey with my son and his dad was diagnosed with stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer that has went into his lungs. He is is the main financial provider for his family . They have had a short bought with treatments trying everything to save him. Sadly since I have donated to them he has passed leaving the family with a lot of sadness and financial hardship. Im just hoping by giving this money to them it might lessen their worries a little while.
Thank you for this opportunity to help them out. This is a wonderful program that helps so many.

Hal Bates

I would like to personally thank Dennis and Phyllis Washington foundation for this wonderful program. I have split mine three ways that have touched mt heart.

1st choice was given to a friend's son Max is a High school athlete that has recently lost vision in his eye do to a tumor on his optical nerve. They are now doing chemo and having to travel to Salt Lake for treatments. I wanted to help them with a little gas money or help them be able to get a few meals while on the road.

2nd choice: I have given a small donation to the New Hope project. This is a wonderful place that helps out out community with pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, assuring moms of help with making decisions or pointing them in ways to help them make choices.

3rd choice: A friend that just moved to Montana found out they are expecting. I thought giving them some money to help with the expenses of starting the new journey to lessen their burden.

Thank you for this great opportunity that we can help others out even if it is just a small gesture. They all truly appreciated the help!

Zanae' Bates

My Wife has a Co-Worker that had a really bad year in 2019. His best friend since childhood committed suicide due to MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) which devastated him. Then he lost his Step-Mom to a single vehicle accident in Kuna Idaho and to top it all off his Common Law Wife left him and their 3 year old son just after Christmas time because she thought her friends and partying was more important that being a Wife and Mother to their Son. After she left, that took a big chunk of the household income along with her. My wife and I thought he'd be a great candidate to receive the "Pay It Forward" $$ to help boost his spirits. It absolutely did just that!! He couldn't believe that he was worthy of such a gift. I don't think there was a dry eye after seeing his reaction. Thank you Washington Foundation for adding some extra hope to my Wife's Co-Worker that there is still some good people out there willing to lend a extra hand when needed.

My card was given to the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network. This Non-Profit helps the Family deal or cope with the news that their new born has Down Syndrome. They give them facts, resources and a supporting network. So they can fully understand and handle the situation properly. The DSDN is near & dear to my heart because I have some very special friends in my live that have Down Syndrome.

I presented the giving card to The Marine Corps League, Detachment 1132 Riverfront Marines North Augusta, South Carolina. Below are a list a programs that 1132 have in place to support veterans, veteran spouses/children and the local community.
- Volunteering at the VA Hospital: Door Greeters/information desk, Bingo Night for shut-in patients, Student Volunteer Support, Salute to Hospitalized veterans, Homeless stand downs and many other; Toys-For-Tots, Junior ROTC Annual Scholarship program and providing ceremonial burials for veterans in the local area. This Unit assist the veterans in the South Carolina and Georgia area in any way that is possible possible.

Thank you to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for this program. I gave my Pay It Forward funds to Animeals No Kill Adoption Center and Animal Food Bank. This is a great organization that rescues cats and kittens and keeps them until they are adopted, while providing medical care along the way. They also feed local cats and dogs for seniors and others that may have a hard time financially feeding their pets, instead of giving their pets away they are able to keep them, which helps the homeless animal problem. I asked Animeals to please wave adoption fees for the cats that have been there the longest and have been hard to adopt out for whatever reason. They were very excited for this donation and said Thank you so much!!

Thank you again for this opportunity to help my community.

I was very grateful to give a Pay It Forward gift card to a family in our neighborhood where the mother has been fighting cancer for over a year. This is a very nice family with young children and this disease has been incredibly difficult on them physically, emotionally, and financially. I am inspired by their strength through this experience. They were very grateful for the generous gift card.

I just want to start out by thanking Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation for this opportunity to spread kindness. With everything going on in the world today, this act of kindness is greatly appreciated. I didn't have to think hard about where I would like to donate this $500. After hearing the specifics on how many children rely on meals from school, and who do not have enough at home, I chose to donate this to Frenchtown School
District. This will help ensure that the low income children will not go without food, or clothing. The school helps the children if they are unable to have a warm coat, or a pair of boots/shoes. They help supply the necessities that most of us take for granted.
Again, thank you for this opportunity to allow me to help our community and our children.