Pay It Forward Stories 2021

I chose to use my giving card for my cousins, Alyssa and Katrina Lukens who lost their home along with everything in it during the wildfires in September. They are two young people who are constantly giving to others and were completely devastated by the loss of the home they had recently moved into along with all of their personal belongings and pets. I hope that this can help them to be in a better spot with their home search as well as every day needs.

I will be giving my gift card to the Ramsey Keller Memorial.
The Ramsey Keller Memorial was started when Kori and Jeff Keller's daughter moved to heaven too soon. They are now a nonprofit to help other families affected by the loss of a child. Funeral homes around the state help these amazing people with funeral arrangements for the loss of infants.
This organization is close to my heart. A few people that I know have had to deal with the loss of an infant. Kori and Jeff's hard work help to ease the pain.

I donated my card to the Jadyn Fred foundation. The foundation provides financial assistance to families in Montana who have children with medical needs. This assistance helps with motels, food, gas and emergency travel.

We have attended their annual fundraising dinner for many years and have listened to the family stories. Every year we count our blessings for three heathy children and two grandchildren.

We support the Jadyn Fred Foundation because although the families need the financial help, they really value the emotional support the foundation provides. In 2020, the fundraising event was moved to a virtual platform and wasn't as well attended. The foundation was able to secure other funding sources and still helped 80 Montana children.

Thank you to the Washington Family and the Washington Foundation for the Pay It Forward card. https://jadynfred.org/

I chose to “pay it forward” to the North American Prep Hockey Academy. This program provides youth players extensive development opportunities both on and off the ice that were previously unavailable in Montana. The program aligns perfectly with the Foundation’s value of supporting programs and services that give people the tools to enhance the quality of their lives and to benefit society as a whole. The kids not only develop athletic skills, but also confidence, discipline, teamwork, and friendships across the Western United States and Canada. The “pay it forward” will be used to help fund scholarships for players needing financial assistance and/or purchase equipment for the kids.

Thank you to the Foundation!

I gave my card to a Livingston School District after school program called LINKS. I was recently told how they wouldn't be able to have their annual night school carnival due to COVID-19. Since they weren't going to have the carnival they wanted to send every student home with a board game and every family home with a goodie bag that had popcorn, candy, hot chocolate, and much more. I thought this was a perfect way to give my card since it was for such a good cause and that it was truly putting a smile on every kids face. It is such a good feeling when you know that every kid gets to go home and enjoy a game night with their family just as they would have it was the school carnival.

I used my card to support the research and family support programs provided by the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. My father lost his battle with pancreatic cancer about eight years ago at the age of 74. He persevered through 18 months of radiation and chemo therapy in order to prolong his life and spend as much time with his family as possible before his inevitable death. Sadly, a very close friend of mine from childhood was also recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He is now bravely enduring the same brutal treatment plan I watched my father suffer through in order to prolong his own life and spend his remaining time with his family.

This disease hits very close to home for me and I could not think of a single better way to apply my Pay It Forward funds. A special thank you to the Washington family and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for supporting this amazing program.

Rob Bias

I chose to give the card to a coworker Laramie Strum’s family. Their little boy Iver was born with an extremely rare heart condition that required immediate surgery upon his birth. He is now preparing for his second surgery and the family had to uproot and head to Texas to be with him.

A family friend of ours, recently had a stroke. He is a 37 year old small business owner & has young children. He was life-flighted to SLC for care from Butte & has since returned to do both physical & occupational therapy several times per week. Shockingly, he only missed one week's worth of work. I know the card I was given the opportunity to pass on to them will be put to good use.

I have chose again to donate my card to
Old Dog Haven in Oak Harbor, Wa.
They are a no kill Dog Shelter that only take in senior dogs that have been abandoned or given up due to costs of health care needed because of their age.
This shelter through donations from the public and veterinarians try to care for all the medical needs these dogs require and the dogs they can make as healthy as possible they look for families to adopt them to live out the short time they have left.

My friends live near Whitehall, MT & tragically lost their home in a house fire in the beginning of February 2021. Thankfully they had a place to stay but lost absolutely everything. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me to be able to pass on my Pay If Forward card to them in their time of need.

Help for Homeless Pets was the recipient. My family has been blessed with two dogs we’ve adopted from them. We’re one of “those people” that treat our dogs like family. Help for Homeless Pets takes in pets that would otherwise be put down. We love our Border Collie/Australian Kelpie named Mal that we adopted in June of last year!

Iver Jude Sturm was born to Christy and Leremy Sturm. Their baby boy, has a complex congenital heart condition called unbalanced AV canal with near pulmonary atresia. It is a single ventricle disease that affects a child's physical activity and other body systems, such as the liver and neurodevelopment.

After birth, a baby with this form of heart disease cannot survive without surgery. He will need a series of 3 surgeries during infancy and childhood to ensure enough blood flows to the body and lungs. Surgeries will help manage symptoms but will not cure the original problem. He will need lifelong ongoing cardiology care. For some people, a heart transplant is a possibility but it is not a cure either.

The first surgery, a shunt or stent was done at 5-7 days after his birth. The second surgery will be done at 3-6 months and the third is done at 3-5 years old.
Iver is on the list waiting for a heart transplant at this time. He is with his folks in Texas.

A relative of mine who is in his mid-sixties, retired and on a fixed income fell while out hunting on the first day of hunting season this past fall. The fall resulted in an injury to his ankle. The prognosis was it was broken in two places and he needed surgery. This ended his hunting activities for the season and also the opportunity to get an animal which he relies on to supplement his food stores. I gave him the " Pay It Forward" card so he would not be short on food this winter. Both he and I would like to extend our heart felt gratitude to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for the generous gift.

Thanks again,
Lorelei Williams
Montana Resources

I gave the gift card to Plateau Outreach Ministries in Enumclaw, WA (www.plateauoutreach.org) This organization does great things for our communities out here on the plateau. They have a food pantry, clothing pantry. They will help with rent, utilities and much more. They had some immediate food needs for there pantry once they got that stocked up they were going to use the rest to put towards some school supplies for a recent request from a family in need. Here is a a little more info on POM. POM’s services focus on the following rural communities in King and Pierce counties: Enumclaw, Buckley, Black Diamond, Ravensdale, Greenwater, Wilkeson, Burnett, Carbonado and South Prairie. Residents of these areas have few options for both case management and assistance. Many miles separate these towns from population centers such as Tacoma and Seattle where social service resources are clustered. Public funding cuts have nearly eliminated the sparse bus service to urban areas, making it difficult for those in need to access other sources of help. Plateau Outreach Ministries is the only agency providing comprehensive emergency social services – food, shelter, emergency financial assistance and clothing – to all of these rural areas.

Because of ongoing support from generous donors, local churches, the City of Enumclaw, King County Veterans, Seniors, & Human Services Levy, and local businesses, Plateau Outreach Ministries continues to serve our neighbors in need.

I decided to donate my giving card to the Anaconda snowmobile club. In January 2020 the Anaconda community lost two great guys in a tragic avalanche. The Anaconda snowmobile club stepped up and donated all of proceeds for their annual fun run and fundraising ( over $15,000) to the families of jade and lowell. Now with covid in 2021 the Anaconda snowmobile club was not able to hold a fun run or fundraisers to help pay for the grooming of trails, maintaining the groomer and whatever else exspenses they might have. I feel the Anaconda snowmobile club is an asset to the Anaconda and surrounding areas and i am glad to be able to help them out. Thanks you

I donated my card to Accelerate Anaconda. They are a group that does community enrichment projects in Anaconda where I live. The project they are currently working on is lighting up an alleyway to make it into an art walk.

My support went to a local mother/grand mother, a 4 year breast cancer survivor that has been recently diagnosed with cancer once again. Tami is a wonderful wife and mother of two, grandmother to five! Tami is an active member in the community and a total gym rat when she can be. Recently Tami was diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer and the tumor s have spread throughout her body with the largest ones on her spine. Tami is a fighter not only for her own survival but for her family as well. Treatment for her current condition is costing north of $700.00 every 21 days, even after insurance! On top of the battle for her very life Tami has had to step back from work as her health has declined putting additional financial hardship onto her family. My small but very much appreciated donation will go towards food/medical bills/utilities, whatever the family is in need of at the moment. The community continues to rallie behind Tami and her family thru donations on a Go Fund Me page set up by her local gym my hope as everyone is that Tami can beat cancer back one more time and continue to be the ever present and lover mother/grandmother to her family.

I chose to give the funds to a gofundme campaign for the family of a co-worker who's young son is facing health challenges most us can hardly imagine. I had already given some of my own money to this cause and was glad to be able to contribute some more through this program.

I gave my card to a young family. Mom is late 30's and a 2 time cancer survivor who is at home with 2 young children because of COVID. Dad is a full time college student trying to better himself for the family's future and working part time as a law clerk, and said "it is an answer to prayer". While I don't have specifics as to how they will use the money, the family is so grateful to the Foundation!

Christy and I were pleased to present a Pay It Forward gift card to the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas Texas. We have been so fortunate to be staying at their facility free of charge while our son Iver Jude is hospitalized at Childrens Medical here in Dallas. Their generosity has been such a blessing. We were happy to help especially after the house had been damaged recently due to weather. My family and I are so lucky to be a part of MRL. The Pay It Forward is excellent on so many fronts and we are happy to be a part of the program.

The Ronal McDonald House and the Sturms Thank You!

I chose to donate my Pay It Forward card to The Lifeguard Group based in Missoula, MT. The Lifeguard Group is a non-profit organization committed to the fight against human trafficking. They work with Law Enforcement and other organizations to Respond, Rescue, Restore, and Revive victims of human trafficking. This money went directly towards their new goal of building a Lifehouse which will create a home and atmosphere of healing for those desperately in need of a place of refuge.

For more information please visit: www.thelifeguardgroup.org

First of all, thank you so much for this program! I love working for a company that pays into the communities it operates in. I chose to donate my card to Grove Christian Camp in Cottage Grove, OR. We believe that our children are our future and Grove Christian Camp is a place that builds our kids up to be prepared to step into their destiny. They also offer facilities for retreats and conferences where people of all ages can grow. I'm proud to see them doing such good things in the lives of so many. Established in 1951 they have seen generations of kids and adults make a positive impact in the world around them. Due to the age of the facility, it is in need of repair and upon contacting the Executive Director he had just the right project these funds could be used for! There is a concrete repair project that must be done and these funds will be used toward the $700 needed to complete the repair. I'm glad to be able to partner with them to make a safer facility and a fun experience for our youth.

This opportunity has also helped me in forging a relationship into the future where we will be involved in having our local church's youth group do some service work out at camp. This will teach our kids the value of serving and giving and I'm excited to see how they grow during this experience!

You can check out the camp website at https://www.grovechristiancamp.org/.

Thank you again!
~Amy Hewlett

I used my giving card to help a Missoula student reach their fundraising goals. This student was helping to raise awareness and funds for the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association is working to help provide families access to healthy food. I felt like this was a good opportunity to not only help a student in the school system, but to also help a Non-profit as well. This student was working really hard to fundraise in a COVID impacted world. He did this by making fundraising videos and sending them out rather than going door to door. After this donation he was able to reach his goal (with an end prize of sliming the principal). I remember participating in fundraisers such as these when I was in school and when the principal is so involved it makes these types of events even more memorable.

I would like to thank the Washingtons for giving me the opportunity to help not only a great student, but a great Non-profit organization as well.

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

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!