Pay It Forward Stories 2023

This Christmas our family was given the honor to have the ability to give Christmas gifts to 27 children who otherwise would not have a Christmas. Family Outreach put a giving tree at my wife's work for their first year. These families are very low income and do not qualify for Mining City Christmas and the non-profit organization tries to make sure each child receives something for Christmas. Receiving this money we have given it to a family to help pay anything they need to help them get by.

I gave the giving card to my girlfriend who is building her full spectrum doula business while also working on her bachelor's degree in midwifery. This money will help her get a website published and attend events to raise awareness of doulas and their significance in helping pregnant, birthing, and postpartum women.

We love babies and chose to support a local Pregnancy Crisis Center here in Spokane, Life Services. The Center’s number one need for their mamas and babies is diapers so we ordered Costco sized boxes of Huggies (baby wipes too) and delivered them to their clinic. Life Services will give the diapers to the mamas who they support through unplanned pregnancies. We’re so thankful to Washington Companies for providing us with the opportunity to gift necessities to an organization who walks side-by-side with mamas through some of their most difficult moments and gives those sweet babies a fighting chance.

The daughter of a family we know was diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing treatment. We gave the gift card for them to use on out-of-town expenses while in treatment.

I gave my card to a childhood friend and his family. He and his family, that included 9 children had made the decision to move from the Seattle area to Eastern Montana, buy a ranch and live a better life two years ago. This past February, their third born child, their oldest son was involved in an accident on the ranch and tragically passed away. I gave my card to them in hopes it would help ease some of the financial burdens that included the long 13 hour drive to Tacoma Washington to have a memorial service for their son in May. As you can imagine, they are an amazing family and such a blessing to everyone they come in contact and I know this was a small way we could all show that we care so much for them. Thank you for the opportunity to continue to pour into our communities.

The Pay It Forward Giving Cards are just amazing! It gives us, the employees, a chance to donate money that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford, to an important cause, close to our hearts. The donation I made this year was very rewarding!

My donation went to Missoula Aging Services in memory of my parents who were blessed with receiving the Meals on Wheels services. My parents loved visiting with the delivery folks, enjoyed the convenience of the meals and appreciated the special gifts they received on holidays and special occasions. Remembering how much these services meant to them, was a catalyst for my donation.

Below is an excerpt from the Thank You card I received:

“…Thanks so much for your gift of $500.00, made in memory of Gordon and Fay Robertson to help others through Missoula Aging Services. Your support is making an impact right now. In the words of one community member:

I don't know how to thank Meals on Wheels enough. We're on a fixed income and I don't know how we would be able to buy groceries or get by without it. It's amazing.

Your contribution joins with others to support our mission to promote the independence, dignity and health of older adults and those who care for them. Thank you for helping empower people from all walks of life to age with confidence."

Thank you to the DPW Foundation and staff for making this donation possible!

May I extend my heart felt gratitude to the Foundation for this amazing opportunity. It was such a pleasure to be able to share the generosity and kindness with our community on behalf of DPWF!

It’s amazing, to me, how things seem to happen for a reason, especially when you least expect it. I felt an overwhelming pressure to ensure the funds I was allocated to share were shared responsibly, and well deserved. While pondering this accountability, I received an email explaining that a local Foundation had a program participant with a need for glasses. Hers had been broken and she was unable to drive or work without them. She had talked to a local optometry store, and they had agreed to move her lenses to a new pair of frames if she purchased new ones. This Mom is a participant in Healthy Foundations, a program that assists new parents adjusting, or coping, with parenthood, amongst other life challenges, so extra funds were not available to replace her frames. Because of the Pay it Forward generosity, she received $250.00 and was able to replace her glasses, and purchase groceries for her family. The remaining $250.00 was donated to Watson Children’s Shelter who were able to purchase supplies for their summer program that they hadn’t been afforded in years prior.

I gave my card to a dear friend, a single mother of two that had recently lost her job at a hospital. She was desperately in need of groceries as she was losing her apartment due to not being able to afford her rent! She was so very grateful and it (The card) all happened at a good time for her, she has recently received another job offer at a different hospital so hopefully things are going to get better for her and her children.

This year I purchased newborn related items for my son and his girlfriend's baby girl. She was born in December and is my first grandchild. They are currently living on a single income and I think this really helped them out a lot. Thank you very much.

Met a family that had a household full and they got sick and could not work. Could not pay her rent or buy groceries for the family. Had them send a grocery list and used walmart.com to buy their groceries from the list. Also talked to an ACE hardware employee at the location where I am currently working, he had just started work and moved here a few months ago but needed money so they didn't shut his power off. Gave the remainder of the card to him to keep his power on.

The Giving Card that was given to me from a great Foundation that cares for ALL people AND recognizes the need to help others when they are hurting.
I had a nephew whose name was Zachariah David Tynan who had acquired in his life a disease at a some what early age called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. This is a rare disease that attacks the liver bile ducts. This past March he was sent to the Liver Transplant Center in Seattle to be ready to receive a liver transplant if one would become available. After arriving, more tests were performed and it was found that his cancer had moved into other organs and there was nothing else at that time they could do for him. They sent him back to the Hospital here in Vancouver, Washington, where he lost his courageous fight. I had planned on giving him the card before he went to Seattle but all of that happened so fast including his death. I gave this card to his wife and 2 little daughters to help with his Memorial Service. Thank you for giving and for giving me the chance to help people that I love and who are a big part of my Life.

I donated my card to the St. Ignatius Volunteer Fire Department.