Pay It Forward Stories 2021

Floral Park Baptist church received this PIF card from Brian Rambo. We are so grateful for this giving program and your generosity. The card came at a perfect time to help a family in Butte that has been struggling financially. They were very grateful and surprised by the gift from you, and they will be using it to buy basic necessities to help get them back on their feet.

I divided my card up and gave it 5 different non kill pet rescue establishments in Idaho.

My giving card went to Help For Homeless Pets which is a no-kill animal shelter in Billings. HHP provides shelter at their facility or in foster homes until a homeless pet finds its permanent home. They have been helping homeless pets since1998, and they can house up to 100 cats and 40 dogs at their facility. Thank you to The Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation for the opportunity to participate in this program!

What joy it was to hand over a needed "blessing in disguise" to my recipient, a young social worker in the Mineral County of MT. Just prior to having my name chosen, I had visited with her and learned of such great needs within her circle of clients. There are numerous times, where she cannot turn a blind eye to a child or a family in need and she takes it upon herself to personally provide clothing or groceries. She told of one story where a family had absolutely no heat for their mobile home this winter. When I saw that my name had been one of many selected, I knew exactly who I could bless from this wonderful Pay it Forward Program!

The response I got when I handed this gift card over to this courageous social worker was priceless! She was in tears and could hardly believe it; texting me soon after saying she literally had her breath taken away. She has since paid for someone's propane for the rest of the season and was able to purchase wardrobes for two entire families with money to spare for upcoming needs! She is beyond grateful and in turn, so are hurting families.

Thank you Dennis & Phyllis for this wonderful program that truly does Pay it Forward; hearts are touched and encouraged.

A young family in our church recently got some bad news. Although overjoyed at learning they would would be having their second child, the doctors had some bad news. Their unborn daughter had 2 heart defects that will need to be repaired upon delivery. She has truncus arteriosus (the blood vessels coming out of the developing heart fails to separate leaving a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery). Also she has VSD (a joke in her heart). The family will have to stay in Denver near the children's hospital and the baby will likely be hospitalized for 4 to 6 months.

I decided to help out a AniMeals No-Kill Adoption Center and Food Bank, here in Missoula. They are collecting donations for their BFF Project, Building for our Friends. Here is their mission from their website.
Our Mission:
To save the hungry, the helpless, the lost, and the little ones just struggling to survive; to house and feed as many animals as possible and to ease the suffering of the weak and unloved.

At AniMeals No Kill Adoption Center we care for many special needs cats, considered to be unadoptable due to physical disabilities, behavioral issues, emotional distress and the aged. We offer sanctuary for the blind, those with serious injuries, neurological disorders, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, and Feline Leukemia while actively seeking permanent loving homes.
Rescue is a big part of what we do; whether it is a case of hoarding, abandonment or death of a guardian; when an innocent life hangs in the balance we respond.
We also provide assistance to home bound & disabled individuals, families in crisis and 71 rescues and shelters through our animal food bank.

The Need:
We currently reside in a building which is up for sale. While it is a great warehouse space, it is not conducive to animal sheltering. As with any warehouse, there are concrete floors, no windows, and no cooling or air exchange systems. We have no isolation/observation/quarantine/receiving room for animals coming into the shelter. Our 10 day quarantine period is done in the kitchen which doubles as our Intensive Care Unit, intake room, food preparation area, shelter food storage, and grooming facility. With no ventilation this area is a potential breeding ground for bacteria and air borne viruses which could possibly infect the entire population of the shelter. Our cat housing consists of 10x10x6 foot dog kennels that we have topped with deer wire. We also house kittens in ferret cages due to lack of space. Opportunities for community engagement/education are lost because we have no place to meet or sit down.

I want to thank the Foundation for the opportunity to give to such a worthy cause.

I was so happy to receive a Pay It Forward card this year. My daughter and I have really enjoyed the opportunity to "pay it forward" when I have been chosen in previous years.
This year my daughter was excited to help out some of her favorite teachers from Central School. We were able to fill the teachers' wish lists with items such as crayons, markers, colored pencils, watercolor paper, stock paper, glue sticks, poster boards, scissors, and masks.
We were also excited to purchase many needed items for our local Food Share. There are so many families in our community facing "food insecurity" at this time. What a great feeling to be able to help out so many families in need.
In addition to donating to Central School and Food Share, we were able to send off care packages to some of our local National Guard service members who are currently deployed. We sent over some of their favorite snacks and personal care items.
Lastly, we have a PTI driver whose grandson was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We found out the grandson is a huge train enthusiast. So with the remaining funds, we were able to purchase several Thomas The Train toys. Also, sending a shout out and big thank you to Devin Clary for providing the little guy with some awesome MRL gear!
Thank you to the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for allowing us the wonderful opportunity to "Pay It Forward" in our community.

Over the last year, during COVID, pet ownership has increased 4%. With jobs being lost and/or hours being cut, families are having to make hard choices when taking their pets to a vet. Do they get the test done that is needed, when they can't afford it?

To help in these situations, I chose to give my card this year, to a local vet. I asked that it be used in $100 dollar increments to help families pay for those services and/or tests when the family could not afford to do so.

I have not heard, but am hopeful that we helped those "other" family members get what they needed.

Thank you to Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation for choosing me to participate in the pay it forward program. This year the Butte community,like so many others in the state, was hit hard during the covid 19 pandemic. So for that reason i chose the Butte food bank as the recipient of my $500. Im sure the reserves in our food bank took a big hit and hopefully this will be a help to start replenishing the inventories. Thank you again. Mike Merrick Montana Resources

I’d like to donate the money to nonprofit organization called, “NEW LIFE U.S.A”. It is a rehab center that has two locations around the U.S. They lead people to freedom from substance abuse including alcohol and drug dependency. They believe in God’s power to break the chains and give a new life in any situation that they may face. The center helps people to develop a variety of practical skills such as skills in farming, construction with special expertise in stonework/masonry, automotive servicing and auto repair. They prepare their clients as missionaries for the future, teaching them to apply their knowledge and skills to assist other people in recovery from substance abuse addiction.

I gave this card to a young lady I know, who had lost four jobs during this Covid pandemic. She had lost these jobs due to hour shortages and closures of establishments and still continued to try to overcome her situation with a positive attitude and was willing to do whatever it took to pay her bills. Her attitude is infectious and I was happy to be able to help make things a little easier for her, during these hard times. This is a wonderful program that really helps people out. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

It was my pleasure to be able to give this card to two different people I knew who, had lost their jobs and had families they are trying to support. I split the card into two and gave each family $250. They were both very shocked and appreciative of such a program. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this program this year.

My family gave the pay it forward gift card to the Ronald McDonald House in Missoula, MT. The Ronald McDonald House strives to provide a warm, comfortable place to stay for out-of-town families with children receiving medical care at Missoula hospitals. We choose the Ronald McDonald house because their organization provided support to our family when our son was receiving medical treatment at the Seattle Children's Hospital many years ago. It is a great organization that supports families during difficult times.

I decided to give $500 giving card to a family friend who has been struggling with health issues for a long time. Although Theresa Albrecht's story is very personal she has shared it with us so we can understand what she has been struggling with.

“You have a hill to climb.” Those are the words I heard three and a half years ago. I am a wife and mom of 6 kids who were homeschooled and I was a very busy person. I love being outdoors, hiking, camping, swimming, riding horses, spending time with my family. At that time, it was believed to be caused from anxiety. All I know was that when I was up too long I would notice a strange pressure in my head, and my heart would race. Any type of stress would exacerbate the symptoms. My journey took me to many healthcare providers; from the ER, Urgent Care, OBGYN, neurology, endocrinology, internal medicine specialists, to naturopathic, chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, dentistry, and counseling.

My symptoms would improve for a while, but they would always return. My symptoms included not being able to stand or sit upright, throbbing headaches, nausea, eye sensitivity, unimaginable fatigue, body aches, muscle pain, headaches, dizziness, neck pain, and back pain. I pretty much had to lay flat all day long which severely limited my ability to function and my ability to take care of my children, husband, and house. Since I’ve been to the doctors in 2017, they’ve discovered bacterial infections, abscessed root canal, POTS, and Bartonella.

Currently, I am able to sit for short amounts of time, but the majority of my day I spend lying down. I do feel like I am slowly regaining my health and strength after this long and tiring journey. Through this journey, my faith has deepened, healing has been brought to broken relationships, I’ve learned about letting go, and have also learned many things about myself that I may not have learned otherwise. I have a long way to go, but I’ve come so far. Even though I am able to do bead work for a local company because I can lay down while working, which helps me earn a little income, the medical bills have been very high since I first became ill. I am so thankful for Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation’s Pay It Forward, as the gift will go toward paying down medical bills.
Sincerely,
Theresa Albrecht

We have an employee who has been battling cancer for several years. His positive attitude is incredible. He is truly an inspiration to those around him. He certainly needs some financial help and I could not think of a more deserving person.

i gave my pay it forward card to my local community public broadcasting radio station. they broadcast in lane county Oregon and online. there station is owned by a lane county school district. but they receive no funding from the school district. all funding comes from listeners and business underwriters.
they are the oldest public radio station in the state of Oregon first words were spoken in 1947. As fm krvm 91.9 and online.
krvm is only a hand full of radio stations in the hole country that provide a hands on training in broadcasting to high school and middle school students.
all DJs select there on music 24-7.
i have been a supporter of there's for years in there fund drives two times a year.

My wife and I always appreciates Dennis & Phyllis Washington for allowing us to pay it forward to those in need. We decided to give the pay it forward card to a co-worker of my wife, Frenisha Adams. My wife has worked with Frenisha for a couple of years and knows of the family's financial struggles. Frenisha and her family are originally from New Orleans, LA and was displaced due to Hurricane Katrina. She is a mother of two and her husband, a truck driver, who works away from home the majority of the time. Her husband was in an auto accident about a year ago and was unable to work and her wages were not sufficient to support the household. Her husband was recently able to go back to work, but now they have to pay off medical bills as well. Recently, her car broke down and was unable to afford the car battery that she needed. She is a strong willed mother and wife and doesn't want to ask for help when she needs it. We chose her to receive the card to be able to pay off some bills and get her car properly fixed, so she can continue to support her family.

We found a single mom with an 11 year old daughter locally that was going through a hard time. This gal had set up a Gofundme but was also willing to work off any donations with offers to clean and organize for anyone that needed it. It was clear she wasn't looking for a hand out but a hand up. The Pay It Forward program was a perfect fit. This mom not only suffered a pulmonary embolism and had 3 blood clots in her lung, she and her daughter contracted Covid which was emotionally and financially crippling. She was in the process of graduating and becoming a certified CNA and had a job lined up ready to start the next day. She noted in her request that her car was breaking down and needed some repairs. How can you get to work to earn money to pay your bills if you don't have the means to get there? Fixing her car seemed like a good place to start. We contacted Slater Automotive in Lolo to help us accomplish our goal. Slater Automotive also felt compelled to help in the situation so we were able to get the much needed repairs completed with the Pay It Forward money, our personal family donation and Slater Auto donating time and parts. It was definitely a community effort and was very much appreciated by this mother.

The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department is greatly honored to be recipients of a Montana Rail Link Pay it Forward gift card. The gift card was used to purchase supplies to prepare for another uncertain year of wildfires. Need supplies included drinking water, Gatorade, and materials to modify our brush trucks to aid in the rehab and readiness to respond.

The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department responds to wildfires throughout Yellowstone, Stillwater and Carbon Counties during the long wildland season.

We would like to say thank MRL for your support in helping to keep our department safe, reliable, and functional to respond.

Hey Mark, thanks again for the card. Here is my story.

Initially I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma about three years ago. It had turned into a rumor in my maxillary sinus. By the time they found it the tumor had destroyed my eye socket bone and was growing towards the back of my eye. I went through 6 rounds of chemotherapy then had multiple surgeries to remove the remains of the tumor and also graft bone from my forward to make a new eye socket. I then went through a month and a half of radiation treatment 5 days a week to ensure that all the cancer cells were gone.

In November of 2020 I started having serious pain in my chest on the left side. My breathing was getting harder too. I mentioned it to my doctor on a routine cancer check up and within a month they determined that I had cancer tumors growing in my left lung. The pain was from approximately half a gallon of blood that had collected between my lung and rib cage. In January of 2021 they came up with a diagnosis and a treatment plan. They found that the cancer had spread from my sinus area and deposited in my lung. At that point it became Stage 4 “non curable” cancer. I was given an estimate of less than six months to live at that time. I started chemo again on a 21-day cycle and as of April the doctors have told me that my cancer is in remission and although it is still Stage 4, my prognosis is a heck of a lot better! The doctors said they couldn’t believe the chemo worked due to the aggressive nature of the cancer, but it is working and I am back to work in between chemotherapy rounds!

I gave my card to a fellow worker on the crew who is going through cancer treatment. This is his second time fighting cancer since he has worked with us. He always has a positive attitude whenever you talk to him. I wish him and his family nothing but the best.

First I want to say thank you so much for giving the employees the opportunity to donate to their favorite organizations. I chose to use my card for a non-profit rescue for senior /disabled dogs. What Shannon does at Green Heart Rescue is near and dear to my heart as I have (2) older dogs one being disabled that I love dearly! Here is a message from Shannon.....

One of our followers works for a company that offers their employees a “giving card”, letting the employee spend a certain amount of money to spend on a nonprofit of their choice.
Kerrie S. is one of those employees and she chose Green Heart Rescue.
When I arrived home yesterday, my front porch was stacked with packages from our Amazon wishlist!
Her donation included eight packs of 100 potty pads/pack (we are ALWAYS in need of these), two packs of reusable potty pads, two water proof blankets (which are really helpful for our dogs with incontinence issues), two gallons of the best disinfectant for a multi-dog house hold, two containers of RESCUE disinfectant wipes, and two soft fuzzy beds that are supposed to be great for dogs with anxiety.
We are so appreciative of such a generous donation!!! Thank you so much, Kerrie, for thinking of us and thank you to your company that offers such a generous program.
Not only will the donations make a great difference for our rescue, but they also really made my day.
Don’t forget, when you support a nonprofit organization, there are people behind the scenes continually working toward the nonprofit’s mission. When we receive support in any form, it goes a long way, always to the dogs but also uplifts the spirits of the humans behind the dogs.😊💚
In photo from left to right include: Moose (the biggest Moose in Idaho), Auggie, Ellie (in front) and Spike😘

I chose to "Pay it Forward" by giving the funds to the Montana Tech Food Pantry. I was touched that students were willing to help students in such a discreet and caring way.

It can be unsettling to think that a student sitting in a college classroom is doing so on an empty stomach – not because they chose to skip breakfast or lunch, but because they simply didn’t have enough food to eat. But this is the reality for many college students, and the problem has been getting worse in recent years. As recent as Spring 2020 a poll reflected that 40% of Montana Tech students have some sort of food insecurity.

Conceived as an idea by the Associated Students of Montana Tech the purpose of the Montana Tech Food Pantry is to support Montana Tech students facing food insecurity. The food pantry helps relieve the stress of students and of the Butte Food Bank. The Montana Tech Food Pantry is anonymous, and the students are able to take products as they need them.

Thank you Dennis & Phyllis Washington and the Foundation, your generous spirit truly makes a difference in our communities!!!

Wayne Wagner, his house burnt down in Cardwell MT this winter with everything he owned in it. He is struggling to be able to get back to normal life and get some necessities that he had lost in the fire. He is an older gentleman that has had 5 strokes, so has limited functions of the whole left side of his body; as a result making everything for him harder.

This year I chose to help an old high school friend, with my Pay It Forward. Jenny has been fighting cancer for over 10 years. She has treatments at the hospital every week. These treatments make her very sick and make it very difficult to keep a job. Which in turn makes it hard for her to pay her bills. This money was used for her Power, Water and other bills she fell behind on.
Jenny is one of the toughest and strongest people I know. On May 22, 2011 Jenny was at the St Johns Hospital, in Joplin Missouri. When the infamous EF5 tornado destroyed the building she was in. Jenny is a fighter and a survivor, I am proud to know her and call her a friend, and feel very honored to be able to help her in her time of need.