A grandmother caring for two small children received help with her utility bills.
An out-of-work logger got money to obtain prescribed medicine.
Material was provided to help a volunteer group assist a Jefferson County woman with repairs to her mobile home.
A Forks woman received a load of wood to heat her house.
So far in 2002, almost 650 persons have received about $46,000 in help — the average assistance is about $71 — from the PDN’s Peninsula Home Fund.
From today through Dec. 31, the Peninsula Home Fund — a safety net for residents in Clallam and Jefferson counties when there is nowhere else to turn — is seeking contributions for its annual holiday season fund-raising campaign.
No deductions
The Peninsula Home Fund is used to give families and individuals “a hand up, not a handout” to get through a crisis.
* No money is deducted for administration or other overhead.
* All contributions are fully IRS tax-deductible.
Every dollar contributed to the Peninsula Home Fund goes to making life better for children, teens, families and the elderly across the North Olympic Peninsula — from Port Townsend to Forks, from Quilcene and Brinnon to LaPush.
All the money collected goes — without deductions — to families in Jefferson and Clallam counties for hot meals for seniors, warm winter coats for kids, home repairs for the low income, needed prescription drugs, dental work, safe, drug-free temporary housing, eyeglasses — the list goes on and on.
Spent by Dec. 31
Now in its 14th year, the fund is supported entirely by Jefferson and Clallam residents.
Individuals, couples, businesses and school groups set a new record for contributions in 2001 — $63,777.
All of that money is expected to be spent by Dec. 31.
The fund is managed for the Peninsula Daily News by Olympic Community Action Programs, the No. 1 emergency care agency on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Peninsula Home Fund contributions are often used in conjunction with money from churches, service clubs and other donors, enabling Community Action to stretch the value of the contribution.
‘Most demanding time’
To apply for a grant from the fund, phone Community Action at 360-452-4726 (Clallam County) or 360-385-2571 (Jefferson County).
If you have any questions about the fund, contact John Brewer, Peninsula Daily News editor and publisher, at 360-417-3500.
Said Brewer: “The Peninsula Home Fund was created to supplement the good work of public and private social service agencies by making sure no one falls through the cracks during the most demanding time of the year — winter.”
* Money is usually distributed in small amounts, usually up to $100.
* Assistance is limited to one time in a 12-month period.
Community Action’s Port Angeles office is 505 E. Eighth St.; 360-452-4726.
The Port Townsend office is at 24 Seton Road (P.O. Box 1540, PT 98368); 360-385-2571.
The Forks office is at the community Recreation Center (across from City Hall), 651 E. Division St.; 360-374-6193.
Its Web site: www.olycap.org; e-mail: action@olycap.org. Tim L. Hockett, deputy director, oversees the Peninsula Home Fund.
The fund started in 1989 with $2,000 and has grown every year.
Last year’s record-smashing campaign total of $63,777 was an increase from 2000’s $42,703.
As of Oct. 31, more than half of the money collected in 2001 has been distributed for paying utility bills ($17,452), rent ($14,913) and prescriptions ($4,323).
About $1,130 went for food, and $3,600 paid for transportation.
How to donate
A gift of any size is welcome.
The Peninsula Home Fund has never been a campaign of heavy hitters.
If you can contribute only a few dollars, please don’t hesitate because you think it won’t make a difference.
Every gift makes a difference, regardless of its size.
To donate, write a check to “Peninsula Home Fund” and attach it to the coupon that accompanies this story.
Mail both items to Peninsula Home Fund, Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles 98362.
Or drop them at the newspaper’s offices in Port Townsend, Sequim or Port Angeles (addresses and hours on page 2 of the PDN).
Contributions will be accepted until Dec. 31.
Again, all contributions are fully IRS tax-deductible.
You will receive a written thank you and acknowledgment of your contribution.
The Peninsula Daily News will publish stories every Wednesday and Sunday during the campaign listing contributors and reporting on how the fund works.
