Pay It Forward Stories 2015

The family who we discussed giving financial assistance to through the debit card from Dennis and Phyllis Washington would use the debit card to get basic needs met. The family consists of a single mother with two school-aged children who have been homeless for two months due to personal safety issues. The family struggles to get their basic needs of food, shelter, transportation, and activities for the children met. The children’s mother has shared that the lack of a food preparation area has made their food expenses increase. She will use the money for gas, food, and shoes. As we discussed, I encouraged the mother to plan a few special outings that the children usually do not get to do, such as go to the movies or have a sit down dinner in a restaurant. When discussing this with the mother, she became tearful and sent great appreciation for the donor.

This year I have given my Pay It Forward award to Jim Davidson. Jim lives in Butte. He is going through cancer treatment and could use help paying his bills. He was very appreciative. Thank you for this program.

I chose to use my card for rezq dogs, which is similar to the humane society. The reason I chose this particular place is a friend of ours takes in foster dogs and receives a fair amount from rezq dogs. One dog in particular was named Simon, he was born with no eyes and left abandoned in a field. Our friend volunteered to take Simon and during that time he had several play dates with our kids. As you can imagine Simon’s medical bills were quite large. Rezq dogs pays for all bills for dogs like Simon from donations and from their foster family’s and having seen first hand what they go through I felt it was very important help them out in any way I could.

I received the following thank you letter from the Women’s & Children’s Alliance after purchasing $500 worth of donations with 2015 Pay it Forward funds on behalf of the organization:

“Dear Darren “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another” -Charles Dickens. Thank you for your recent donation of four sets of sheets, two crockpots, twelve bath towels, four 20 piece dish sets, two 120 piece silverware sets, baking dishes and feminine products to the Women’s and Children’s Alliance. Our clients carry heavy burdens. Many of them need safe shelter, advocacy services in the courtroom, counseling, child care and ongoing case management which help them as they work to create an independent life for themselves and their loved ones. Your gift helps ease their burdens on the journey and allows us to continue to meet the growing need in our community. Thank you for helping to carry the load with our clients and for making our community a better place for everyone. Thanks for thinking of our clients. Sincerely, Beatrice Black Executive Director”

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute two consecutive years to the Women & Children’s Alliance. Thank you Dennis & Phyllis for this wonderful program.

I used my card to sponsor a girls youth softball team.

I gave my pay it forward gift card to the Boys and Girls Club in Missoula. They were very exited about getting the gift card for the kids. I think it was more fun for me to be able to give a gift like that. Thank you Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for the great experience!

Thanks to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and the “Pay it Forward” program. The $500.00 Gift Card I received was donated to Messiah Lutheran Church in Missoula. The Money benefited the Day Care program along with the Church in general which is involved in several charitable programs such as Habitat for Humanity and the local 211 program to name a few.
Thank you for the opportunity to help make a positive impact in the community.

Mount Sentinel Little League (MSLL) received the Pay It Forward charitable gift. MSLL has been providing our community’s children quality baseball experiences for years. This year MSLL used the Pay It Forward gift to purchase items that would on any normal year would come out of their yearly budget. This freed money to be used in other ways. The money created a positive ripple effect. MSLL was grateful for the Pay it Forward gift. Thank you for your Pay It Forward donation.

My name is Dan Nowak and I’m a locomotive engineer for Montana Rail Link. I decided to donate the Pay It Forward money to two girls from my home town of Joliet, MT. They had registered and got accepted to the Davidson Honors College in Missoula this past June. The girls go to school with my daughter and had a hard time coming up with the tuition. To help fund the trip, I purchased a gas card and Walmart card to help pay for their travel and food expenses. They were in Missoula for two weeks and this helped tremendously. They were able to use the 500.00 donation and didn’t have to purchase any gas or food for their trip. They enjoyed their first college experience in Missoula. They are incoming juniors to Joliet high school this fall, and are very thankful for this great program. Thank you again for the chance to help people in our small community. This is a great and helpful program.

I donated my card to my ex husband. He lost his job June of 2014 and was dealing with some health issues so he wasn’t able to do much as far as finding work. In February of 2015 he had to have hip replacement surgery. So the Pay it Forward card was a blessing to him. He was able to pay his bills and not have to worry as much. The surgery was a success now he awaits another hip surgery for the other side.

Thanks to Roger Olson for giving me a Pay it Forward card. I work at Skyway VFW 9430 in Seattle. For over 12 years I’ve been buying toys for an annual toy run. With your donation, I as able to buy more toys and will make a lot of kids without a Christmas happy. I’m 76 years old and don’t have a computer so I had someone else print some pictures from last year. I shopped 49 times last year getting 50% – 60% off everything. Thank you again, Pat Borland.

Thank you for your contribution to our primary veterinary service with your Pay it Forward card. We are so thankful for your friendship and hope that you have a wonderful year. Thanks again, Bannock Humane Society, Inc. Pocatello, ID.

I stopped by Four Georgians Elementary School and asked to speak to a school counselor. I was referred to Mrs. Elizabeth Marshall. I told her I had a Pay it Forward Card that I wanted to give to a student that in her opinion had medical bills that the family couldn’t afford to pay. Below is the content of a thank you from Mrs. Marshall. Thank you for allowing me to share your generosity by giving this Pay it Forward Card to a family for medical bills.”On behalf of Four Georgians school and the family of a student of ours, we thank you for selecting us for the 2015 Pay it Forward Program. We supplied the entire $500 donation to a $30,000 medical bill one our families owes to St. Peter’s hospital. They feel completely overwhelmed and so appreciate this assistance.”

Thank you so much for this opportunity to pay it forward. Our family used this money to help a dear friend Midge Hunter who had lost her husband of 47 years and then was diagnosed with bladder cancer two days later. Midge and Bob had planned for years to fix up their living room but never got the chance due to Bob’s illness. Instead their living room became Bob’s hospital room for the past year until his death. But thanks to the Washington Foundation we were able to help fix up her living room. Now she has a peaceful relaxing room where she can recovery from her surgeries and treatments. So it is with a humble heart Kristine and I along with Midge Hunter thank you for your generosity.

I gave my card to the Patriot Guard of Montana to use as they see fit. I believe the family of every fallen hero should be able to mourn their loss in private and without outside protesters involved. The Patriot Guard shields the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters. Thank you Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for giving me the opportunity to help a cause that I believe will put the money to good use.

Alpine ski teams across the Northern Division of the USSA are organized as non-profits and operated as foundations – for example the Missoula Ski Education Foundation. My daughters were active in MSEF from an early age. A little over a year ago, one of their coaches, Peter Maxwell, was killed in an avalanche in the Flint Range near Phillipsburg. My youngest daughter chose to establish an avalanche awareness/safety program for Northern Division ski teams. With the blessing of Northern Division officials, she established a curriculum for race athletes by working with avalanche organizations in Whitefish, Bozeman and Missoula. This curriculum will be presented annually to several hundred young athletes. The program will also serve as a fundraiser for race teams as presentations will be open to the public. Earnings will be used to continue the program in subsequent years. The Washington Foundation Pay-It-Forward dollars will be used to promote and advertise the program, serving as seed money for this educational campaign. As a result, safety will become a larger component within Montana’s ski education foundations and the ski community as a whole.

The $500 Gift given to the Thompson River Animal Care Shelter in Thompson Falls was so very much appreciated by all, but especially by little Pebbles, the brown and white 5 year old Chihuahua that came to TRACS from California. This poor girl and her son, Poptart, were saved from a high kill municipal shelter in California at the very last minute before they were to meet their maker. They traveled the long distance to TRACS via car, and when they arrived they were so scared! But they eventually became best friends with a number of shelter staff and began going for nice long walks on the property to get exercise and fresh air. That is when it was noticed that Pebbles had bilateral luxating patellas in her knees. To put this in lay terms, her knee caps moved around and made walking difficult for her. So she was scheduled for knee surgery with the Thompson Falls Veterinarian, Dr. Abby Ingram. She received this valuable and costly surgery and was then adopted by a nice family in Kalispell. Her son, Poptart, remains at the shelter due to his seizure condition but will soon be adopted by a family in Billings. We receive reports that Pebbles is doing just fine and she owes her new knees and her new live to the kindness of Carter Meyer and the Washington Foundation.

But that’s not all!! Also in this same period of time TRACS brought into their no kill sanctuary and shelter several other dogs who needed lots of medical help. Poor Bear, the huge 170 pound Malamute that TRACS took in from an elderly local owner was sorely in need of repair!! The Washington Foundation Gift Card was also responsible for helping out this large and very needy dog. He had lived in a 10 by 20 wire enclosure all of his life. He had only dirt to lay on and received food when the neighbors came down to check on him. The TRACS staff all cried when we saw him. He could hardly walk, had never been neutered and the resultant testosterone in his body became the reason for two very large anal gland tumors. He was neutered first, and almost got to his foster home to await the second surgery on his anal area when the anal gland tumors decided to burst and gush blood everywhere. He was taken in for immediate surgery to Dr. Ingram. All went well and the large boy is now with a new and much more caring owner who just loves the big guy. He has his new life thanks to the kindness of Carter Meyer and the Washington Foundation as well!!

The animals at TRACS always receive the medical attention they need to become adoptable into new homes and this medical care is so very expensive. We thank the Washington Foundation for allowing Mr. Carter Meyer to “pay it Forward” and provide this wonderful financial assistance to the Thompson River Animal Care shelter and the homeless pets that come through our doors for help.

Thanks so very much!!

Manna Basket Ministries is a local non-profit established about 5 years ago. They are a tiny group of individuals that want to serve their communities whether that be by sending aid across the sea or here in our USA/Montana. Every dime they receive in donations is given away in one way or another. If travel is involved they pay for their own expenses from their personal finances in order to give a donation from MBM to the very organization they are volunteering at. Some examples of past MBM giving are: 1) providing a trundle sewing machine to ladies connected with an Orphanage in Africa which enabled them to make uniforms that are required for the children to attend school. 2) giving a $500.00 donation to a homeless shelter in Jerusalem, while volunteering to fold and sort clothes that had been sent from other countries. 3) traveling to Costa Rica and becoming involved in a project of paying for the installation of first-time windows in the Pastor’s house and paying to have their son’s car fixed so he could continue with his Taxi business. 4) books/supplies have been sent to the East Coast 5) Coats and winter items sent to the reservation in Eastern Montana. I could go on and on as there are so many more stories.

This $500.00 went toward a trip to Wolf Point. The Lord’s Table is part of Overcomer’s Church Pastored by Danny Lindsey. They run a soup kitchen 5 days a week with an average of 60 people per day being served. Additionally, $200.00 was given to Mountain Family Fellowship in Helena to help with their Rise & Grind Coffee Shack run by the youth. Their goal is raise money for missions in the US and overseas.

Although MBM is small, I do believe that are making a difference and you have, through your generosity come along side a group of people who are making a difference! Thank you!!

Nate Stott with Modern gave Heritage Health the gift card to use for patient care. Heritage Health is the Federal Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides medical, dental, and counseling to the underinsured or uninsured in Kootenai and Shoshone County. As the FQHC we have 21 program requirements we have to follow to receive our funding. One of them is that we have to charge the patients for a medical visit. 98% of our patient fall in the federal poverty guidelines, many of them cannot afford the visit even if it is only $25, $50 or 1/2 off all dental services.

We have a patient named Michael D. who was 54. Michael is a disabled vet who receives $9876 annually to support himself. He does have medical benefits from serving our country but does not have dental. Michael was diagnosed with a rare bone disease in both knees, because of the pain he was practically bed ridden and wheel chair bond. Michael was unable to get the knees replaced because of the high probability of mass infection in his mouth from needing to have 10 teeth extracted. The treatment was going to cost $720.50 to have all of the teeth extracted and the after care. With the limited income Michael was unable to come up with the money to have the procedure done. We used the $500 gift card to pay for the majority of his procedure so he can get the infection out of his mouth and get in for the knee surgery.
Heritage Health has a scholarship fund to help patients with co-pays, lab work and dental work. The need is great than the fund can provide. Receiving this gift card was a wonderful surprise to help a specific patient of ours in need.

A close family friend (M.S.), who is a veteran of the USAF, has a amazing wife and three wonderful kids, was diagnosed with Acinic Cell Carcinoma in 2012 at age 38. The diagnosis came after seeking medical attention for swelling in his neck and on his jawline. The “cancer” wasn’t discovered until after several surgeries to remove the mass, with one of the surgeries leaving half of his face paralyzed. Following the surgeries came several months of radiation and chemotherapy. After a brief time in remission, cancer had been discovered again in late 2013, this time in his bronchial trunk. M.S. underwent vigorous radiation treatment again. Summer of 2014 M.S. was diagnosed with active cancer in both lungs. M.S. is now traveling to Denver, CO just about every week for treatment and testing he is receiving in a trial study he has been accepted into. This study is hopefully the cure that M.S. and his family are looking for. I donated all $500 of the Pay It Forward money to M.S. and his family in the way of a Visa OneVanilla card. I chose this method to allow M.S. to use the money to help cover the travel costs that he will incur in the weeks of treatments to follow. I am grateful for the generosity of the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation and the chance they have given me to help relieve some of the burden that the cancer demon has put on this family. Thank you Dennis and Phyllis!

On behalf of the Eagle Mount participants, volunteers, staff and Board of Directors, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for your donation of $500 through the Pay it Forward Program. Because of organizations like yours, people with disabilities and children fighting cancer are able to have a better quality of life and realize their potential. We feel so blessed to have you part of making this possible. Warmest Regards, Mary Peterson with Eagle Mount Bozeman

I am the recipient of a Pay it Forward donation. I was standing in my yard wondering what to do and where do we go from here. It was day 3 of my house burning; my husband was dealing with the insurance adjusters and investigators. I stood looking at the remains of our whole life laying in shambles of ashes and debris. A young man named Reginald walked up to me and explained that he had received the card and was to Pay it Forward. He said he had the card for awhile now and never was sure what he was to use it for but after watching our house burn off and on for 3 days he had saw our need and knew what he was to do with the card. Words can not express the gratitude that my husband and I felt at that moment. We are thankful for Reginald and the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation. God used you all to meet our need at one of the worst times in our life and we pray that God blesses you all in all that you do.
Sally McClenahan from Rosiclare, IL

Thanks to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and the “Pay It Forward” program. The $500.00 “Giving Card” I received kicked-off a day of fundraising, that raised $12,450.00. On February 26, 2015, our small town of Winlock, Washington suffered a horrible tragedy. A house fire took the lives of three people. A father an his two sons, ages 7 and 9 escaped the blaze, however the mother and her two daughters, ages, 2 and 4 failed to make it only feet from the front door before being over come by an explosion and flames. We received a phone call from the Elementary School that morning, since our daughter is in the same class as one of the surviving boys. It was at that very moment that we knew to whom we were giving this cash card. We became so inspired by this act of giving and kindness that it became the driving force behind us wanting to do even more to help them. My wife then brought the idea of a benefit fundraiser to the school administrators and soon after that she and three other classmate mothers organized a day of events which included: A benefit lunch, rummage sale, silent auction and motorcycle poker ride. When news of this event got out, the donations poured in from small and large businesses in the community. All food, beverages, auction items and prizes were all donated, allowing us to give 100 % of the money raises directly to this family. This family has since re-established a home and both boys are back in their same classrooms doing well. The “Pay It Forward” program has brought our community together and has forever touched the lives of this family. I am so very grateful!

I would like to thank Dennis and Phyllis Washington for giving me this opportunity to pay it forward. My family and I had many discussions on where we would like to give this money. We took our time and prayed about it, hoping that something would just stand out to us. One day my wife was on Facebook when a very close childhood friend of her’s had a gofundme account set up trying to raise $12,000.00 for medical costs. This was the something we had prayed about. He was having a spinal fusion surgery with a very large out of pocket cost. They were going in through his back with 2 metal plates and 6 screws and then through his stomach with 2 more plates and 6 more screws. Joe had his back on April 15, 2015. Surgery was a success and he is now up to 15-20 minutes of mobility twice a day. He has a long road of recovery ahead, but is very thankful for the $500.00 donation.

First off I would like to thank Dennis and Phyllis Washington for the Pay It Forward program which enables us to give back to the communities in which we live in. Once I received my card my family and I sat down and discussed which charities we felt could use the donation the most. After much discussion we chose Tumbleweed. This non profit helps at risk youth with the basic necessities they need to keep their lives on the path to righteousness.

We contacted Tumbleweed to see what they are in need of the most and they informed us that they were in desperate need of personal hygiene items for the children. They only had 5 bottles of shampoo left for they hundreds of teens they help. We were glad to go out and purchase these hygiene item they needed and promptly delivered them. Tumbleweed was very gracious for the donation which helped them to stock their shelves. My family will stay in touch and continue to donate to this charitable organization.

It was a privilege being part of the “Pay it Forward” program and getting the opportunity to donate $500 to a friend in need. My wife and I had been debating where to donate the money, considering Missoula Hospice, Missoula Aging Services, or Mountain Home Montana, but when we became aware of a friend’s health crisis it was very clear where the money should go. Last summer, Kim Yarrow, who had been a nurse previously at St. Patrick’s hospital in Missoula, but had since moved to Florida, went in for a routine hysterectomy to remove a fibroid from her uterine wall. Morcellation, the procedure the doctor elected to use, cuts the fibroid up into small pieces to allow it to be removed without creating a large scar. However, using this procedure if in fact the person has cancer and not benign fibroids, releases the cancer cells into the body, allowing t hem to spread and reassert themselves elsewhere. That is what happened to Kim. Kim’s post-op pathology showed endometrial stromal sarcoma, a form of uterine cancer that is extremely rare and aggressive. Kim will be undergoing another surgery to remove the tumor and have other areas of concern examined.
Kim has now moved back to the Missoula area to be close to her family, taken time off from work so she can heal, but will also need to undergo more necessary and expensive medical treatment. The financial burden that comes with such a battle will be crushing. My wife and I understood it to be a no brainer to help Kim. We thank Washington Corp for giving us this opportunity to help a friend, a good person, and a fighter.

We were so pleased that Kevin Corbit donated the $500 Giving Card to the Butte Emergency Food Bank. What a nice surprise and it came at a perfect time. Our Empty Bowl fundraising event is March 25th and with the card we purchased stainless steel pots to hold, warm and serve the soup from. What a wonderful program. We all need to “pay it forward.” Thanks for all you do for so many. Kathy Griffith, Director – Butte Emergency Food Bank

On behalf of all people touched by cystic fibrosis, I want to thank you for your support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Your generous gift will help us to continue to blaze new trails in CF drug development and research, and fund the search for a cure. Gifts like yours are essential as we work to sustain the momentum of recent advances in CF research and care, and accelerate our efforts to reach our ultimate goal. Through our efforts, the life expectancy of a child with CF has doubled in the last 30 years. For the first time ever, a drug is now available to treat the underlying cause of CF in a small group of people who have the disease. While we have made real progress, our work is not yet done. The lives of people with CF are still cut far too short every day. We will not rest until we find a cure. Thank you for your commitment to our mission. With your help, we can add more tomorrow for all people with cystic fibrosis. Maureen Fraser, Vice President of Field Management – Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

As a recipient of the Washington Companies ‘ Pay it Forward Program, Doug Benson of Montana Resources has donated his Giving Card to us at Granite County Food Bank. We would like to thank you for making this donation possible. It has been hard for many people to make ends meet, sot his community service has been very meaningful to them. We couldn’t do it without people like you who care about helping others!!! Thank you so much for this wonderful program! Yours truly, Rachael Barsotti Granite County Food Bank

We would like to express our appreciation for the generous gift of a $5000 gift card that was presented to us by employee Saul Villanueva. Your generous gift will benefit 65 children who will be attending Messiah Lutheran Preschool in the Fall. Thank you again for your generous gift! Messiah Lutheran Preschool Board, Staff and Students

I was so excited to receive the $500 gift card! After a lot of searching for the right cause I decided to donate it to FUN for Fast fundraiser A dear friend of mine has an adorable, fun loving son Ridge who has Angelman Syndrome. (FAST) The Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (or FAST) is an organization of families and professionals dedicated to finding a cure for Angelman Syndrome and related disorders through the funding of an aggressive research agenda, education, and advocacy. The Foundation is committed to assisting individuals living with Angelman Syndrome to realize their full potential and quality of life.

It really feels great to help out a very deserving family and an amazing little boy. The money will be used to continue to spread awareness, because awareness leads to funding and funding to a cure. Thank you Dennis & Phyliss Washington for enabling your employees to continue to make a difference with the Pay It Forward Program.

http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/fun-for-fast/333941
http://www.cureangelman.org/

Thanks to Susan Twiford and the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for the Pay it Forward gift to benefit the Farmer’s Market Coupon Program for Seniors! You are having a positive impact in the lives of those in need! We were thankful to receive your generous donation to help others through our many programs for older adults in Missoula County. Your contribution is helping to advance Missoula Aging Services’ mission of promoting the independence, dignity and health of older adults and those who care for them. You make a difference here. Thank you again. – Susan Kohler, Missoula Aging Services CEO

I decided to donate my gift to a Western Washington charity called Sports in Schools. Sports in Schools was founded by a husband and wife team, one a former soccer player and coach and the other a former player and school sports referee. Both would go to sports events in the poorer areas of Seattle and Tacoma and find that many players on teams could not afford the essentials for playing organized games; uniforms, shoes, balls, etc. After finding this common thread in many areas, they created Sports in Schools to provide items to fill this need. The charity would then seek out sports programs in need and would offer grants that would help provide items to kids that showed a financial need and a strong desire to play. In one instance, Sports in Schools offered a grant to Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle to cater a pregame dinner for the team all sea son after it had become evident that due to financial hardships that some player’s families could not have one provided a pregame meal on their own. Scholastic sports (football, basketball, baseball, and track) were a very important part of my growth as a youth, and I’d like for my donation on behalf of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation to go toward something that was important to me.

I donated my card to Joining Community Forces, Missoula Region for their annual Hero’s at Home BBQ happening on May 30th. This is a VERY worthwhile organization committed to assisting service members, vets and their families in so many ways. There is so much need – physically, emotionally and financially. Sadly after giving more of themselves than any of us can imagine, they often fall through the cracks or they are unable to obtain the assistance they desperately need in a timely manner. The Hero’s at Home BBQ is a fun / family-friendly event put together for these individuals and their families so they can connect with the community. This event represents the organizations community-covenant to support and recognize these amazing individuals. We should all be part of the solution to support these selfless men and women. Come out and join the fun on May 30 th from 12pm to 6pm at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula.

I used the PIF card this year to help a family with funeral expenses. My brother had a very close friend pass away unexpectedly. His mother was a single parent and this was her only child. Her son worked two jobs to help his mom and he paid more than half of his share of the bills. He was a good kid that loved life and stayed clear of trouble. After talking with my family we felt this was a way we could help someone who needed it most. This PIF card made and immediate impact to the mother. My family and I are thankful to have had this opportunity to help someone in need. This came totally unexpected to the mother and she was more than grateful.

My wife and I have been going to Elmer’s Pancake House for years on Saturday mornings for breakfast and have become friends with the waitresses there. One of them, Ingrid Nettles, has a son in his twenties with a young family. He developed kidney disease and has been struggling with dialysis and is on a donor wait list. He can’t work any longer and his wife works hard to support them and their two children. I gave the gift card to him and his family to help them with expenses. His name is Bryant Nettles.

I divided my card up two fold. The first $200 was given to the American Heart Association to go for a school sponsored fundraiser for my son. The remaining $300 was given to a disabled gentleman at the gym I attend to purchase a handicapped accessible van. Over the Spring Break week, donations were accepted and donated to Tim and almost $400 was raised. Adding the additional $300 from the Pay It Forward card nearly doubles that amount to almost $700 for Tim to use toward the purchase of his van.

I donated the Pay it Forward Card to the Nathan Yip Foundation founded in 2002 by Denver residents Jimmy and Linda Yip after they tragically lost their only Child, Nathan, in an automobile accident. Nathan, then just 19 years old, was a freshman at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. As a high school student, Nathan was involved in many philanthropic projects who’s mission was to encourage young people to help others through philanthropic efforts.
He started a foundation to fund educational opportunities for impoverished children worldwide. Jimmy and Linda have dedicate the past 13 years to making Nathan’s dream his legacy. “We have allocated $450 of the donation to the sponsorship of three children in China. For $150 each, ZiWei Li, who is currently in first grade, Yan Xu, also in first grade, and JinWang Ye, third grade, are all able to attend a full year of school. The remaining $50 had been put in our general fund and may be allocated to Nate’s Pass for Denver’s East High School students or providing books for Cherrelyn Elementary School students in Englewood, CO.”

I donated my card to the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department. They said they would use it for wildland land equipment. They were very appreciative to get the money.

We were excited to be participants in this program. As we considered how to best use this gift we chose to help as many as possible. We used the $500.00 to purchase three Walmart gift cards (250.00, 100.00 & 50.00) and sent them in the name of the Washington Foundation to people we felt were in need. The last $100.00 was gifted to the Boy Scouts of America in the name of the Washington Foundation. We hope the recipients were grateful and will use the gifts wisely.

I am so grateful to the The Washington Family for being able to be a part of the “Pay it Forward” program this year. It came at a perfect time as we were having our third child and wanting to show our gratitude to our health care provider in the community. There was a story published in the Portneuf Medical Center’s “The Beat”, an company weekly newsletter. The story and pictures speak for themselves. If you can’t read the little note we left on the Peanut M & M’s it says, “Thank You for Helping With our Little Peanut.” We will also be a part of a photo op when they have used the donation for the purpose we intended it for. What a wonderful experience this was. Thanks.

After my father sustained a major brain injury and stroke, he spent twenty one days in ICU and another three weeks re-learning to breathe on his own without a ventilator. Once he was medically stable, he was transferred to Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado. After several very difficult weeks of just hoping he’d make it through, his transfer to Craig Hospital gave our family hope that he could finally begin the process of improvement. From the first moment he arrived at Craig Hospital, the staff, doctors and nurses were friendly, encouraging and all very positive. Hospitals can tend to be sad places without much hope sometimes. Craig Hospital was different. Every single person who works there has a positive attitude that radiates to each of their patients and families. You can tell that their focus is on healing and improvement. They work miracles every single day and it’s clear they love what they do.

In my father’s case, they worked with him every day toward improvement. Between speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychiatric care and even coaching through day-to-day activities, they worked with him constantly. Their work, and their encouragement of his work, paid dividends on a daily basis. From the nurses and therapists to the doctors, counselors and staff, everyone was supportive of him and his efforts, and supportive of our family throughout his stay. The people at Craig Hospital really do make miracles happen. There are a few in particular I’d like to mention who were especially helpful to my dad and family (in no particular order): Kent Newmyer, Justin Grant, Charlie Roberts, Holly Anderson, Barbara Hickey, Karen Engstrom, Dr. Michael Makley and Dr. James Schraa – Thank you for everything you did for my dad, and for our family!

I am donating my Pay it Forward giving card to Craig Hospital so they can continue to make miracles happen for others with traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries. We truly appreciate all they do!

I’m very grateful for the Pay It Forward card from the DPW Foundation. I was able to donate to a couple of charities I strongly care about. The first charity I donated to is Wimler. Wimler is a small non-profit in the Philippines where I am originally from, that sends underprivileged children to school. For just $235, I was able to sponsor two students, one elementary and one high school, to school for the whole year. The other non-profit I supported is the Technovation Challenge. Technovation Challenge is an international competition for young girls age 10-18. Their mission is to design, invent and build an “app” that will solve a real problem in their community. Since February of this year, I’ve been coaching a group of 4 girls here in Missoula. We used the funds to buy competition tshirts and snacks for our workshops every Monday nights.

Thank you for the Pay-It-Forward Program! I appreciate being able to contribute to our community on behalf of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.
I chose the Park City PTA as the organization in which I would pay it forward. Our local PTA works with the students, teachers and school administrators on projects throughout the year. They work with the school to help create a successful learning environment for the students in our community. They will be using the money to purchase two printers for the Google Chrome carts that they have. Currently, students are not able to print off research or complete work on the chrome tablets without the printers.
Thank you again for the opportunity to pay it forward. It was greatly appreciated by me and the Park City PTA and Park City School.

We donated $425 to Community Cancer Services in Sandpoint, ID. Community Cancer Services is dedicated to providing information as well as emotional and financial support to members of our community affected by the diagnosis of cancer. Through our programs we strive to improve both the comfort and quality of life for those diagnosed with cancer and to educate the community on all aspects of cancer from prevention to end of life issues.

We donated $75 to participants to walk in Couer D Alene, ID on April 25th for the Walk MS: Coeur d’Alene 2015. When you participate in Walk MS, the funds you raise give hope to nearly 15,000 people living with MS in our community. The dollars raised support life-changing programs and cutting-edge research. Every connection counts.

My name is Elton Roberts and I work for Montana Resources in Butte. I was randomly selected to participate in the Pay it Forward program.

I thought long and hard about who this gift could benefit and I decided on the Special Olympics in Virginia. The photo attached is of my great niece Madison Dalton who lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is 15 years old, has Down Syndrome and is absolutely AMAZING! According to her mom, Madison loves to play basketball and her favorite band is One Direction. She can be just as stubborn as any other 15 year old but she has a smile that lights up the room. It is through Area 11 Special Olympics that Madison is able to be part of a team and enjoy things like opening ceremonies and tournaments. Without the dedicated parents and financial supporters these things would not be possible. My niece Charnell assures me that she and Madison are going to participate in the Polar Plunge next year no matter how cold it is! All proceeds go to the Special Olympics in Virginia.

Firstly, I thought of the animals and people with animals that needed help, so I went to Missoula Animeals with some dog food and cat food, but checking with their management I knew their biggest need was cat litter. This is used mostly for people who can’t afford to keep their animals without help. $100 was used for Missoula Animeals.

The remaining $400 was given to the Clark Fork City Church Food Bank. The number of people needing just the basics of life, here in Missoula, is staggering! Point of fact, the day the money was delivered was the same day as people come to the Food Bank to pick up what is available to them. We witnessed an entire BIG room filled with needy people. One mother led her small daughter up when they were called and she was so excited. She asked her mother, in a voice filled with the excitement that should be heard only on holidays like Christmas and Birthdays, “Oh boy mommy, what did we get this time?” It is heart wrenching to witness this kind of need in our own community. As we move through our daily routines, we miss so much!

I wish to thank The Foundation for choosing me for this honor. You have opened my eyes to so many ways I, on my own, can “Pay It Forward”!

As someone who enjoys riding bicycles in my free time and commuting to work by bicycle I chose to give my “Pay it Forward” card to Free Cycles. Free Cycles is a non-profit community bike shop that runs off donations of bicycles and volunteers time. They provide a workplace and tools people can use to maintain and repair their bikes. There are “Bike Well” classes put on to teach people the basics of bike maintenance and the “rules of the road” for riding around town. They also have a “Free Build-a-Bike” program when a person can build a bike for free after taking the “Bike Well” class and performing 4 hours of volunteer service in the community bike shop. This organization is truly an asset to a bicycle friendly town like Missoula.

Big Brother Big Sisters of Butte has been helping children since 1967. I will donate this giving card to them. The direct impact in my life is profound. I was the poor single mom of two children. This organization matched my daughter right away, but my son had to wait two years before he was matched. The positive impact helped both children, but especially my son. We didn’t know about mental health or depression in children back then. The poor little boy was a sad, he wondered why his dad never called or spent time with him. He was matched with an undertaker! They spent time mowing lawns at the cemetery. But the time was QUALITY and had a huge impact in this little boy’s life.
When my children “got better” I got better. I graduated college the year my daughter graduated High School. The impact of Big Brothers Big Sisters is positive and long lasting. The children now have jobs with benefits and children of their own. AND!! My daughter is now a BIG, improving another life by providing her Little that faces adversity with a strong and enduring, professionally supported, one-to-one relationship that will change her life for the better, forever.

My “Pay It Forward” gift card was given to Tana Waddell at 15 year old sophomore at Helena High. Tana was diagnosed when she was six years old with hypothyroidism. She spent the next nine years seeing specialists at least twice each year, but grew and thrived, participating in competitive swim, traveling volleyball, horse showing, barrel racing and 4-H. However, after her mother, Kea, had a thyroid tumor removed in May of 2014, Tana began to articulate that she too had been noticing swallowing problems and her neck was growing larger. With such specific feedback to her doctors, Tana had an ultrasound conducted on her neck in June of 2014. Her Missoula specialists wanted her to have a biopsy done to confirm what they were seeing on the ultrasound. In the middle of August, two weeks before her 15th birthday, Tana was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Tana had surgery in Missoula under the care of surgeon, Dr Haller and Dr Corsci , her thyroid specialist. It was a 3.5 hour surgery removing all of her thyroid [as there was a smaller tumor in the right side also] and 14 lymph nodes. We were lucky she had noticed the changes and the cancer was caught at a Stage 2 level. Prognosis is positive for a full recovery.
All of this happened around her 15th birthday, and the starting of her sophomore year at Helena High School. Tana was determined to recover and strove to ride in at least two of her high school rodeos before the fall season ended. She did compete and has qualified for 2015 State in Pole Bending.
The recovery journey has not been without challenges. Impacts of the total thyroid removal on a growing 15 year olds body presents new hurdles, including extreme and worsening migraine headaches, nausea and joint pain on a nearly daily basis with considerable impacts on her school work and attendance. In the past 4 weeks, moles have been removed that have noted bad cells and consideration are underway with the St Peter’s Cancer Center for a course of radiation.
Though presented with numerous and continuing medical issues, Tana continues to be as active as she can. She competed in the first spring high school rodeo in Kalispell earning a 5th place in the average. Other medical complications make it unlikely that she will compete in her home town rodeo at the end of March and it’s likely she won’t return to riding until the middle of May. Though challenged, Tana is a fighter and is committed to work through her health complications. She’s making plans for her future, including, checking out colleges over the next few months with majors in education as she wants to be a teacher.
Tana will be medically monitored for the next several years. She’s determined to have a ‘normal’ high school experience and is looking forward to her many horse projects and her 4-H steer. Her mom, Kea, and sister, TateLynne are her best and constant support system. Including exercising her horses on those bad days when she can’t.
Tana has appreciated the “Pay It Forward” gift. It has given her control to think of a few things for herself and not how her wishes might impact her family. She has several ideas about its use, with most of the ideas related to her horse activities.

I donated my Pay It Forward gift card to the Anaconda Fire Department. The fire department along with the local police started Operation warm coats for kids. They go around the elementary schools in Anaconda and hand out coats to kids in need.

I work in the Missoula Mechanical Department for MRL. I chose to give my 2015 Pay It Forward card to Sheries Kidney Fund at US Bank. The fund belongs to a co-worker, Shane Arneson’s wife who is in stage 5 kidney failure. Sherie suffers from a rare genetic kidney disease called Alports Syndrome. She has been on a kidney transplant list for three years. Shane and Sherie are hopeful that this will be the year that she receives her transplant as the waiting list average is three years due to her blood type. Sheries Kidney Fund will be used to cover out-of-pocket transplant expenses not covered by our health insurance.

I gave the card to Make-A-Wish in Billings. The money will be used for four children, a five year old, two seven year olds and a fifteen year old. Looks like a few lego sets, some pjs, cd player and some xbox games are part of what the money is going for.

Your employee Randall Soria picked the Oregon City Police Department K9 Program to be the recipient of the $500.00 gift card that he received. Our K9 Unit currently has two handlers and their K9’s Flint and Mac. The budget for our K9 program is very limited so we donations like these are very exciting for our department to receive. At this time I do not know exactly what the funds will go toward but I will share that information with your Foundation when they do.

On behalf of the Oregon City Police Department and K9 Unit thank you for the generous contribution. “Thank you, Chris Wadsworth with Community Outreach & Crime Prevention of the Oregon City Police Department”

I chose to give my “Pay It Forward” card to the Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter located in Butte.

When I received the card I knew I wanted to give it to an animal shelter though I wasn’t sure of which one. My husband and I have adopted before from the shelter in Anaconda, but I also wanted to keep the money local. So I began researching the two shelters.

While doing my research, I decided to take a look at what animals were currently in the shelter. I found an 11 year old black lab who had come from a bad situation. I couldn’t take my eyes off of his picture. And I knew I had to donate the money to the Butte shelter.

On Thursday, March 12th, I presented the Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter with the card. Jacki, the gal in charge of the shelter was so happy she was almost in tears. She told me that the money will go to buy some much needed supplies and then what is left will go into Albert’s Angel fund. Albert’s Angel fund pays for life saving medical treatments for the animals in the shelter.

This money will not only help save the lives of many animals that come through the shelter, it saved one special boy in particular. Brutus, the 11 year old black lab now has a home where he can spend the rest of his years taking naps on the couch and playing ball with my boys. If it wasn’t for your generous program, I would have never stumbled across his profile. Thank you!

“Thank you so much for your extremely generous contribution to the Missoula Senior Center via the Pay it Forward gift card. We offer many programs and services including a nutrition program where seniors age 60 or over and a Missoula county resident can receive a healthy meal for $4. We also offer a semi-annual health fair, health related educational seminars, an Alzheimer’s support group, a Thrift Store and currently, AARP free tax help. The Senior Center does not receive any direct support from the City/County so your gift is greatly appreciated. Thank you again, Michelle Hastings with the Missoula Senior Center.

I chose to use my Pay It Forward card to help the next generation learn to Pay It Forward. I gave it to a group of teenagers from Florence Carlton Community Church to help them with a trip they will be taking in June to New York City to volunteer at the Bowery Mission. I hope that helping them will encourage them to continue to look for ways to help others.

I wanted to help out more than just one individual. Although it took more effort than just handing out the card to someone I enjoyed being able to spread the kindness. I donated $100.00 to Caden’s fund. He is a young boy from Butte who has been fighting cancer for some time now. I also wanted to help out the locals in the town that we are currently working in (St. Maries, ID) I attended the Bingo night that our client was sponsoring at the local Eagles club. The funds raised that night went to pay for the local lady senior citizens that are in the nursing home and can’t pay their monthly dues. I donated $100.00 to that too. I also went to the local gas station and spoke with the owner about wanting to help some needy families with a tank of gas. I purchased 5 $20.00 ($100.00 worth) gas cards that the owner will hand out to families or individuals whom need a little extra help. The local Bingo ladies and the local gas station owner were vary happy with the donations and thought is was great that we were helping out their community. The card was then sent with the remaining $200.00 to a woman who was in a wreck sometime back and is living on disability. She has had to move in with her daughter and put all of her stuff in storage. Her and her daughter had some other bills come up and she was unable to pay her storage. She was about to lose everything she had in there. She is very grateful for the help. I thank you for the pay if forward card that has given me the opportunity to be able to help all of these individuals.

I donated my gift card to the Corvallis Backpack Program. The program provides over 60 kids with meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner for weekends.

I have decided to give my gift card to the Butte Amateur Hockey Association. This is a nonprofit organization that puts every effort forward to provide a wonderful place for kids to come learn how to skates and play hockey. The building is very old was the old MEPS military building converted into the ice rink. This building needs a lot of work and is completely done by the volunteers of the hockey organization. The hallways and rooms need to have rubber matting so the skaters can walk with the skates on to the rink. So I thought this was a great place to pay it forward so they could purchase more mats to protect the skates for all groups that use the rink. Hockey, Figure skaters and the general public utilize the rink. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this pay it forward with such a great place in our community.

I decided to give the Pay it Forward card to the American Legion Post 131 in Alberton Montana. I have seen this post help local families in time of disasters, injured service members, military families with children in need through the American Legion Family programs. Post 131 is one of the smallest posts in the state of Montana and struggles with fundraisers throughout the year. The Pay it Forward card will give Post 131 a little boost so they can keep doing great things for the community of Alberton.

Thank You for keeping the Pay it Forward program going. I have talked with my fellow employees that have received the card before me and it sounds like the Pay it Forward program is helping out a lot of people in need. Thanks again.

I gave my pay it forward card Animeals. They are a non profit animal shelter in Missoula, Mt. They shelter homeless animals and provide food and assistance to needy animals and pet owners.

Our family moved here to the Missoula area in the spring of 1980 and settled in up the Blackfoot River Hwy about 7 miles above the town of Bonner. Back then the lumber mill was going great guns & the Bonner School was growing rapidly. Fast forward to starting my job at Envirocon in the fall of 2007 and the SuperFund on-going cleanup of the Clark Fork River & taking out of the Milltown Dam. I was very interested in all aspects due to the potential impacts it might have on the Bonner/Milltown communities and was proud of the professionalism at which Envirocon & supporting companies had in the entire process!

I chose to give my giving card to “Friends of 2 Rivers” which is a community non-profit organization with the following Mission Statement:
“The mission of Friends of Two Rivers is to promote a safe, healthy and enriching environment for the communities at the confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers.” Their mission matches many of Envirocon’s core beliefs and so it seemed fitting to help them continue with their efforts to develop a park at the confluence & document the continuing history of the area for posterity.

The 2015 gift card from the Washington Foundation will be used to purchase raffle tickets, t-shirts, and ball caps with the Sister City logo. Raffle tickets are used for multiple functions and will assist fundraising activities for the Program. T-shirts and caps are used to identify Livingston Sister City Program members during fundraising activities and to give as gifts to students, chaperones, and city officials from our Sister City in Naganohara, Japan.
More information and pictures are available on our web site at: www.livingstonsistercities.org/

Thank you, Dennis & Phyllis Washington foundation. My card went to the Humane Society of Park County/Stafford Animal Shelter. They are a nonprofit animal care facility that accepts all lost and unwanted pets. They receive no federal, state government or national organization support and are funded almost entirely by small local donations.

I matched this donation and I also have a pet adopted from them.

“Stafford Animal Shelter is so grateful to Montana Rail Link and the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation for their Pay It Forward program and to supporters Monty and Mary Holliday who have chosen to help the hurt, lost and homeless pets brought to Stafford Animal Shelter in Livingston for years. This generous donation will help the Shelter keep their doors open to all pets in need – small pets like hamsters and rabbits, or exotics like parrots, pythons and pot bellied pigs, in addition to a thousand dogs and cats a year – as the only Shelter in the region to serve each displaced pet. Stafford Animal Shelter’s comprehensive animal health program, with preventative care and extensive treatment of illnesses and injury, means more healthy pets find forever homes: compared to national averages, Stafford Animal Shelter adopts or reunites triple the percentage of pets in homes and their euthanasia rate is three times lower than the national average. Community support from caring folks like the Hollidays, who are also wonderful adopters, makes happily ever after stories possible for pets and the people who love them. A big Woof and Meow of thanks from all the Critters here! Kris King with Stafford Animal Shelter”

My mother has breast cancer (in remission) she is using the gift by helping her to pay for cancer meds. Thank You so very much.

I gave to the Montana Veterans Foundation, Willis Cruse Transitional Living Facility in Helena, Montana. The Willis Cruse House, a 12 bed Transitional Living Facility for Homeless Veteran Men. Veterans receive room and board at no cost to them. In addition they receive access to a variety of rehabilitation services, including diagnosis and treatment of mental illness by qualified mental health professionals, addiction recovery services, and general medical attention. As part of their recovery program, veterans are provided with continuing education opportunities, employment training services, and applied work experience. There is a standing zero tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol and all veterans are required to offer their free time to community service efforts.