Pay it Forward Stories 2021

Our card was given to some close friends of ours. After learning our friend had lost his job of 16 years due to corporate reorganization we knew they would be good recipients. They are the type of people who always give, and it felt wonderful to return that to them.

I gave the card to the Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) in Missoula MT. In December 2019, my son Chamber was born 6 1/2 weeks early and was in the NICU for 29 days. My wife stayed at the Ronald McDonald house for 22 nights and I stayed 10 with them. They gave us a place to stay and fed us, so the only worry we had was getting him healthy and home. It is now our favorite charity and we give back any chance we can. Thank you for choosing me for the Pay It Forward Giving Cards for 2021.

I gifted the Pay it Forward Gift card to a gentleman named Jim Todd. I heard about him through my in-laws who volunteer at the Salvation Army in downtown Billings.
Jim works at the Salvation Army. In his younger years, he had a hard lifestyle of addiction and homelessness. Jim has been clean for 2 years and getting his life on track. He is still active in AA.
When he was in his 30s, Jim was in a car accident which left him with permanent brain damage. This brain damage affects his ability to retain information. While working at the Salvation Army delivering food to Billings homeless, he has daily contact with many people who can relate to him on a personal level. My in-laws would deliver food with him weekly and got to know him well. When I told my in-laws about the donation, they immediately thought of Jim Todd. He is someone who they thought would put the money to good use. He struggles paycheck to paycheck and they believe this would really help him out.
He was given the gift card a few weeks ago and said he didn’t mind at all if we shared his name and his story. He was extremely grateful for the gift.

I donated my card to the Missoula Humane Society. They were so very grateful. They just started a mobile hospital and could definitely use several things. Squeeze cheese, baby food (for the scared picky eaters) and several more items.
She said due to Covid there donations have been really down this past year. She wanted me to thank the Washington Foundation , and to let them know what a wonderful thing they do for the community.

I gave my card to a young Butte man who has a disease called IGA Nephropathy, which caused his kidneys to shut down. His father has donated a kidney and he is raising money to support his transplant and related costs of such an undertaking. I'm sure the money will go along ways in helping this guy out. Thank you Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for the opportunity.

Thank you,
Larry Mchugh

I have an elderly neighbor with heart problems and spends a lot of time in the hospital. He is on a fixed income and has trouble paying his bills. I gave him the gift card to help him pay for heating fuel for his old home. Sadly he passed away about a month after I gave him the gift card. His wife is still with us and really appreciates the help keeping her home warm.

Thanks Dennis & Phyllis!

Mark

I decided to buy Season Passes for a Family less fortunate.
The Kids are grateful for the kind gift. This will get them back outdoors.
The head of the household had recently lost their job and could not afford to
keep the kids involved in outdoor activities.

Donated to St. Thomas Becket Academy.

I gave my card to a young gentleman from Billings who had 2 medical emergencies in one day. He had 2 ambulance trips in one day, surgery and has been hospitalized for weeks. This has caused a loss of income for him and significant medical bills. I gave him the card to help him through this difficult time.

I donated my Pay it Forward card to the Humane Society of Western Montana. The decision was a family decision. I asked my wife and two adult children on their thoughts for where to donate the card. There were lots of worthy causes brought up, Flagship, Watsons Children's Shelter to name a few but these already receive donations from the Dennis a Phyllis Washington Foundation so I went with the Humane Society of Western Montana. I asked that the money be used for food, bedding and/or toys for the animals. The donation was received with great gratitude and will be put to use right away. Thank you Dennis and Phyliss Washington for helping make our communities a better place.

I will be using my card this weekend to go to Costco and PetSmart to purchase toys, treats, food, and other items the Humane Society of Western Montana are in need of. I am a proud owner of two rescue dogs, and would like to support the best local organization helping other animals find their homes.

My wife and I chose to donate to help our men and women that signed up to protect our way of life and came back home missing limbs or having PTSD. Some need a lot of support, some need just a little. We thought the Warriors and Quiet Waters program would be perfect for the Pay It Forward program as they lend support for stress relief, psychological help, and getting away, if for only a while, from all the struggles they face and their families. A calm day on the river to fish and find solitude.
When I'm at work and I want to bang my head against the wall and pull my hair out and the day can't get any worse, I realise I still have it pretty good and some are less fortunate.

I chose to give the pay it forward card to Gallatin County CASA. Their mission is to provide well-trained, effective volunteer CASA/Guardians ad Litem advocate for abused and neglected children in the 18th Judicial Court System.

CASA/GAL of Gallatin County, formerly known as Gallatin County CASA/GAL is a nonprofit organization of community volunteers who serve as advocates for children who are alleged victims of abuse and neglect. Trained volunteers serve as the eyes and ears for the Judge. They provide an objective perspective on each case and advocate for the children’s needs while they are involved in the court system.

I didn't have to think twice about where my 500 dollar card was going to go. I gave mine to a non profit that helps to feed the hungry kids in
rural Montana. Its hard to believe there are more than 35,000 hungry children in this state ! It's called Cole's Pantry, and was started in Bridger
Montana about ten years ago. It was in memory of Cole Pelican , who died tragically at the tender age of 8 years old falling from a Horse. His
parents wanted to do something to help children who were going hungry and preserve his memory so Cole's Pantry was born. They started
small and through their tireless work , it has expanded to more than 19 locations across the state. They deliver meals in back packs for the
unfortunate ones that can get a meal at school , but nothing on the weekend. I gave my card to Carol Brumfield, one of the founders, and
she was overjoyed. 500 dollars can feed a lots of kids ! I was surprised and proud that they had gotten a grant from Washington Foundation
last year, so news in spreading about the fantastic work they do !!!

I donated my gift card to Emma's House to provide support for their cause in helping children in abusive and traumatic situations. They provide resources to children for safe housing, counseling, and guidance through court hearings and other legal processes stemming from unfortunate situations they may be involved in. Along with the amazing staff, Emma's House also has a resident support dog Twyla that has been professionally trained to provide emotional support and companionship to the children as well.
Children should never have to experience these types of events in their young lives - this organization helps them get through it with compassion and love. <3

I decided to give my Pay it Forward donation to The Outdoorsman Church. The Frenchtown School district has chosen to do early outs every Thursday. This has helped their teachers and staff prepare online lesson plans for any distance learners during the Covid 19 pandemic. Because this has caused hardship for working families, The Outdoorsman Church decided to host after school care on those Thursdays. They only charge $5 per child per Thursday for care from 12:30PM - 5:30PM. I felt they deserve to have this extra $500 to help cover their costs for snacks and activities they've been providing our children.

I gave the card to Summit Wrestling club-all 3 of our kids have wrestled for this club, it not only has taught our kids what it’s like to be part of a team, to be a good team mate, to help other kids with less knowledge and learn new skills and become better wrestlers. Nate- the head coach not only teaches the kids to be great athletes he also helps mold kids into becoming good kids, and in the future good adults. He teaches respect and that if you work hard all your dreams can come true! He started this club to help mentor kids, and he even allows kids in that can’t afford the fees cause he knows his program helps kids that need it the most! He volunteers his time to help kids grow, and i just thought the money would help kids who can’t afford the fees, buy new mats or gear for the program that we are so proud to be affiliated with.

Card was given to a police department and instructed to use it as they see fit to help some in need in the community.

A coworker/friend tragically lost two friends while ice fishing. Both were married with kids. The giving card was sent to their families to help with unexpected expenses/funeral cost or for whatever they needed.

I recently heard of a co-worker who has a 2 year old daughter that was diagnosed with autism. This little girl is both non-verbal and an eloper, which means that she hasn't learned to speak and will run away from safe situations. The family is getting a service dog for her. This dog will watch over her and keep her from running off. It will also keep her from doing any self harm if she gets to that point. As a parent and grandparent this peace of mind would be priceless. These dogs are very expensive and I am donating my card towards the cost of this amazing animal.

I have known this young Single Mother in Whitehall for a long time. She has always taken pride in taking care of herself and her daughter For the last 3 months, she has been suffering with a tooth that needed a root canal. On her limited income, Her Dentist required a down payment before he would do the Root Canal. My "Pay it Forward was given to this young lady so she could get the the procedure done so she did not suffer anymore.

Thank You to Dennis and Phyllis for giving me the opportunity to help her.

I gifted the giving card to a family of 4 that has a daughter that has been diagnosed with stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma (cancer). She is currently 7 years old and has been battling cancer for 2 years. The family has been displaced from their home temporarily living in Utah for their daughters multitude of treatments without being able to work. Their daughter has has many treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, transplants, and multiple relapses. The giving car will help the family pay medical costs for the continued treatment of their daughter.

I thank you for the opportunity to do this. It shows my kids the importance of giving to others. The first purchase was at Kohl’s in Billings. There I bought clothes and shoes for a local family that had fallen on hard times due to Covid. The single mother of two has not been able to work and get kids needed things for school such as clothes and shoes. The next purchase was at Walmart. I paid for a family’s purchase. Lastly I am using the remaining amount at Same club to provide the single mother of two from the first purchase some things she said she needed for her house. Again thank you so much for this opportunity!

I chose to “Pay It Forward” to a coworker and his family. Baby Iver Jude Sturm (Search: Baby Iver, gofundme.com) was born with a complex congenital heart condition called unbalanced AV canal with near pulmonary atresia. Iver has been battling this since before he was born (11/11/20) and is a little warrior. He and his family have more or less been in Texas since November and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Iver endured his first surgery within days of being born and will need a second and third surgery in the coming months and years. He has since been placed on a heart transplant list as a 1A or Urgent need. We keep our fingers crossed that he will receive the heart he needs!

The card was used to a Go Fund Me account for a Montana Rail Link Carman. In November, Leremy Sturm and his wife had a baby boy, Iver, who was born with a congenital heart condition called unbalanced AV canal with near pulmonary atresia. Since the birth Iver has undergone several surgeries and cardiac events that has required leremy to be away from work. The money will be used as the family sees necessary. For more information on Iver’s journey visit https://gofund.me/e4873658