Pay It Forward Stories 2023

Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation,

We sincerely appreciate the generous Pay it Forward Program, which Mr. Matt Mozingo eagerly shared with the Holloway family. My wife and I are enduring through health and financial difficulties because of pinched nerves and herniated discs in both of our spines. A health professional recently recommended fitness equipment that would aid in our recoveries as we continue physical therapy, which the funds helped to purchase. We are grateful for the hand up to help get a family with 4 kids back on our feet.

Thank you tremendously,

The Holloway's

I bought 1 ton of hog grower feed from Dixon Feeds for my daughter's 4H group to be split among them to help with the cost of raising their hogs.

Uptown Hoops is a Nonprofit Corporation founded by a few of my friends from college. Each year they host a 3 on 3 tournament with the proceeds going towards local charitable organizations and sporting programs. I donated the $500 Pay It Forward gift card to their organization to help with the costs of the event.
Thank you, Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, for the Pay It Forward program. I hope this donation helps bring Uptown Hoops closer to their ultimate goal - building a community basketball court in Uptown Butte.

For information regarding the Uptown Hoops 3 on 3 Tournament, visit www.uptownhoops.com.

I was given the card by an employee of Washington Companies. I choose to give it to my school lunchroom to give to students with a negative balance on their account. With the money I helped 7 familes zero out their balance. Students who receive free lunches may eat lunch but if they have a negative balance they cannot eat breakfast. Thank you for the opportunity to help familes.

A friend of mine recently underwent a traumatic medical procedure. My Pay-It-Forward card went to her and her family to help offset a small portion of the related costs they incurred. Thank you, Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, for making this program available to all of us!

The giving card was given to an individual in our community who is struggling with frequent trips to Salt Lake City for medical needs. This individual has a personality as big as our mountains and is taking his medical needs in stride. However he also has a special needs child that requires 24 hour care. This has left his family financially strained as he pursues a needed kidney transplant in Salt Lake City. Our hope is this card will alleviate some of this financial burden so his award winning smile can shine through.

I gave my pay it forward card to someone that was was down on their luck, struggling with being broke and dealing with car problems. This has made a big difference in their life.

I chose to help out a few different friends/group with my card. I have 2 couples who are great family friends. They have been struggling with medical issues and I used the card to buy them dinner out one night. I used the rest of the money to help a non profit club purchase food items that were used in their fundraiser. Thank you for this opportunity to help.

We teamed up with International Organization of Rainbow for Girls Garden City #55 and purchased purses, which we filled with toiletries. The young women from Garden City # 55 then donated to the Women in Distress shelter. Then IORG Garden City # 55 decided to use the rest of the money to supply a meal for the actors, workers and volunteers of the Missoula Community Theater.

I donated the money to my soon to be sister in-law's sister Heather, who is a mother of three. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and receiving treatment for several months. They recently received confirmation that it has begun to spread to her bones. She will use the donation to alleviate the financial burden.

My Giving Card was given to a fellow employee that is in need of a Kidney Transplant. He has to travel to Salt Lake for appointments and, hopefully soon, a transplant. I appreciate the opportunity to Pay it Forward, thank you.

Recipient's story:
About a year ago I was feeling normal and all of a sudden I was feeling really tired and couldn’t get enough rest to overcome the tiredness. I am a very active person. I enjoy outdoor activity and working on some type of project. I went to the doctor to find out why I was feeling bad. They started running tests and found out I was having kidney issues. I am now needing a kidney transplant and am currently on the transplant list and waiting for a live donor or a cadaver donor. I was given a gift card from an MR employee to help with the travel expenses from my hometown to Salt Lake City. This is much appreciated.
Thanks again
Travis Birkenbuel

On behalf of the Washington foundation I donated the card to "shoes for the sole" program. This program through donations purchases shoes, boots, and socks for less fortunate kids in the Butte School district. Shortly after, I received a very nice letter from the School Superintendent expressing appreciation and explaining the immediate impact that this donation would have on the lives of students.

Thank you for the Pay it Forward opportunity.
I used the card to purchase books for the Laurel Schools Graduation Matters Reading Under the Lights event. In September, families in the Laurel community come to the sports complex with their blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. to read and listen to stories. Every child gets a book and every family gets a book that is read aloud over the speaker system. They also get milk and cookies to end the night. Last year over 100 families attended, which means a lot of books are needed!

I donated the pay it forward card to an older lady in the neighborhood on a tight budget that needed eye surgery.

I gave my card to a family of 4 that lost their house and all their belongings to a fire. They were living out of a hotel until they could figure out what to do next and were very appreciative for the help. Thank you Dennis and Phyllis Washington for the opportunity to help.

The Pay it Forward giving card was gifted to the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter and Yellowstone Adult Resource Alliance partnership PALS program. This program provides support to and for homebound elderly with pets that are challenged to provide the care needed for them. This includes transportation to appointments for grooming, veterinary care, pet food and medicine.

I would like to thank the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for selecting me to a be part of this wonderful program. As changes are coming for those of us that work for Montana Rail Link, this is a bittersweet opportunity. This year I have split my donation between Tumbleweed Youth Services, and the Marine Corps Toys For Tots program. Tumbleweed services offers a safe space, meals, counseling, and resources to homeless and at risk youth. They are currently trying to raise funds to have a sprinkler system installed in their shelter, located in Billings, so that they may offer 24 hour lodging. The Marine Corps Toys For Tots drive is always most visible during the holiday season, but their work continues throughout the year. In 2022, they distributed books, gifts, games, and other essential items to 9.9 million children. Many children in receiving homes, foster care, and those less fortunate have had their day made just a bit brighter by the dedicated individuals who give so much effort to this organization. As a father of a United States Marine, I hold this cause very dear, and hope one day my son will have the honor of being chosen to be an ambassador for this program. Thank you again for this opportunity, and may it continue for many years within the Washington Companies.

This is the second time I have been fortunate enough to donate by PIF funds to Animeals No-Kill Adoption Center here in Missoula. I helped restock their current needs for pet food and supplies needed in the center for the animals.

My mother in law works for Head-Start here in Missoula, MT. Head-Start is a Pre-School for low income families. I gave my card to her to pass along to a family of one of her students in need of a break. The card will be used for basic household goods for this family.

I gave the card to my little brothers widow. Jeremy passed away last June unexpectedly at the age of 44 from cancer. His wife was left with nothing but a bunch of bills and a son still in highschool. This is a great program and has helped a lot. Thank you

The Recipient that received the “Giving Card” were individuals that were unable to pay for their prescribed medications

To whom it may concern:

I would like to take a moment and express my gratitude of receiving this “Giving Card”. I have been selected in years past and have been fortunate to see the benefits that this card gives to those less fortunate.

What I have done is given my card to a pharmacy in Butte Montana with instructions to help those individuals who are not able to pay for their essential prescription medications.

I had a conversation with the pharmacist about using this card to help those that are less fortunate and help pay for essential prescription medications. The pharmacist knew the folks that I was wanting to help and agreed to maintain the card and keep balances. The pharmacy staff stated that this donation will help many people that find themselves in unfortunate times. I asked that if an individual were to ask who helped pay for the medication to state that it was a giving card from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. Both the pharmacist and clerk were inspired by the generosity of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation and the pay it forward program.

So again, I would like to thank the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation for starting this act of goodwill. I do believe that this does benefit the community in which my family and I live.

I donated my card to the Missoula Catholic Schools Foundation. Each year the MCS Foundation holds an annual fundraiser where funds are raised to assist in operating the Elementary and High Schools. The Foundation invites all of the MCS staff and covers their cost to attend the event. The Pay It Forward card was donated to help pay for the meals for those MCS staff members that attended the event.

Thank you again for making this possible. I decided to donate my card to Adriana Estrada, a single working mom who is struggling to pay her bills and put food on her table. Every little bit helps - she is very thankful.

This year I decided to send the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation- Pay it Forward giving card to a well deserving family that is also an extended part of the Montana Resources Family (Their Dad works with us).

The following is their statement of appreciation for the Pay it Forward program.

To the strangers who blessed our family,

Liam and I found out we were expecting our little miracle in September 2022, after being told four years ago I would not be able to have a baby. We waited to tell family and friends afraid of something happening, until we were further along. Once we did, we soon after found out we were having a girl and began the planning process! However, the planning was put to a halt and our world stopped on January 19th, 2023.
At our 24-week ultrasound we were told some devastating news that we had pregnancy complications; severely low amniotic fluid, absent blood flow in both arteries, sever IUGR, with a 1/4 chance of survival for our baby girl. Our faith and trust in God was all that we had left. We agreed we would do everything possible to give her a fighting chance.
January 30th we were admitted to Missoula's CMC Hospital, where I was monitored 24/7 and given multiple rounds of medications to help prepare our baby for premature birth, as she was not tolerating being in the womb and would not survive labor.
February 7th 2023 @ 1:04 pm
Emberlyn Mae Doran was born at 1lb 2oz.
Gestational Age was 27 weeks + 1 day,
however she was the size of a 21/22 week old.
She has been in the NICU, and we have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House for the past 57 days. It has been a roller coaster ride, with many ups and downs. Emberlyn is now 2lb 15oz, and is a fighter! We still have a long journey to go, but we continue to hold onto our faith and Gods promise; we believe that Emberlyn will be healed, and she will live, in heaven or on earth. God gave us her to love; we have, we do, and we forever will.

My husband and I would like to thank you for the “pay it forward” gift cards, it was such a tremendous blessing. Moving forward, we would ask that you continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.

I donated the card to Wyoming Basset Hound rescue, to help with vet fees, etc. for all the rescued dogs. WBHR operates on donations and gets very pricey with health visits and operations to ensure the dogs are healthy before the adoption process. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pay it forward for a good cause.