PORT TOWNSEND — A hand up from the Peninsula Home Fund through Olympic Community Action Programs helped a family pay a large medical bill.
Half of a bill of more than $6,000 was paid through the fund, said Lori McKenzie of Port Townsend. That allowed the family to have funds to replace their roof and help their son, who just graduated from Port Townsend High School and aims to become a teacher, with college expenses.
The family had medical insurance, but also had a high deductible, so after the insurance company provided what it would pay for her February surgery in Seattle, thousands more were left to be paid.
McKenzie couldn’t work for a couple of months because of the surgery and the family was low on funds.
The hospital “wanted $800 a month,” she said Thursday. “We couldn’t do it.”
The family applied for financial assistance but didn’t qualify in Seattle, although they did in Jefferson County and for Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles.
She said the family asked if OlyCAP could pay some on the bill or on the roof replacement.
“They were able to pay for half of the medical bill,” which cut the monthly payment, beginning in the spring.
“I’ll be paying the final payment next month,” she said.
“It was a huge blessing to our family,” she added. “When it paid half, it was quite amazing.”
This was the first time the McKenzie family asked for help from OlyCAP, which distributes vouchers to help people in need using money donated to the Peninsula Home Fund.
“We’re thankful that people are willing to donate and help out other people in the area who are in need,” McKenzie said.
As of Wednesday, in the week before Christmas, Home Fund donations had reached $98,528.51 for this year.
The annual campaign begins on Thanksgiving and extends through the holiday season. All contributions are federally tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law for the year in which the check is written.
Donations to the Home Fund are neighbors helping neighbors.
The money is used to give people living in Clallam and Jefferson counties “a hand up, not a handout.”
Funds allow case workers with OlyCAP to disperse vouchers to North Olympic Peninsula residents from Port Townsend to Forks, from Quilcene and Brinnon to Sequim, Joyce and La Push who are in need.
Donations are for unexpected, emergency expenses that don’t necessarily fit into a category. It can help bridge the gap between making it this month and going under for people who can then continue being or becoming productive members of society.
The donations fund needs ranging from gasoline to get to work, school or medical appointments; rent or utilities; food, clothing or other shortfalls.
Donors can give by mailing checks to the Peninsula Home Fund along with the coupon attached to this story.
They can donate with a credit card online by clicking on the Peninsula Home Fund button on the peninsula dailynews.com homepage. (Scroll way down). Donations also can be made to the Peninsula Home Fund account at any First Fed branch.
Donors are listed in updates published in Peninsula Daily News throughout the campaign, which ends in January. Gifts can be listed anonymously, by name only, by name and amount, or in honor of or in the memory of another.
The only money ever taken from the fund is 10 percent to assist OlyCAP with administrative costs. The rest is for those in need.
How to apply
The best way to request assistance from the Peninsula Home Fund is to fill out an online inquiry.
The “Ask for General Assistance” button at www.olycap.org will take you to the request form.
If you are unable to access the internet, you may call OlyCAP offices in Port Angeles — 360-452-4726 — or Port Townsend — 360-385-2571, regardless of which county you reside in, and the front desk staff will fill it out on your behalf over the phone.
Cherish Cronmiller, OlyCAP’s executive director, oversees disbursements from the Peninsula Home Fund.
Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference. It creates a safety net for Peninsula residents when there is nowhere else to turn.
From children’s pennies to checks for thousands of dollars, the generosity of Peninsula Daily News readers makes a positive difference.
Donor list for week ending Dec. 19, 2023.
NAME ONLY
• Shirley and Steve Clark, Port Angeles, in memory of Sister Suzanne.
• Randy and Cindy Mesenbrink, Forks.
• Eva Levy, Port Angeles.
• Ann Weinmann, Port Townsend.
• Brando Blore and Christina Nyhus, Port Angeles.
NAME AND AMOUNT
• John and Mary Wegmann, Port Angeles, $100, in memory of Orville Campbell.
• George and Jolie Will, Sequim, $100.
• Darryl and Joan Walker, Sequim, $50.
• Smith Parkers, Port Angeles, $100, in memory of Daniel Holmquist.
• Sandra and M.J. Reabold, Sequim, $200.
• Marilyn Perkins, Port Angeles, $102.53.
• Patriciat Waite, Sequim, $500.
• Judith Carlson, Port Angeles, $100.
• Thomas Robbins, Port Angeles, $102.53.
ANONYMOUS
• Sequim, $250.
• Port Angeles, $150.
• Lewes, Delaware, $51.52, on behalf of Wanda Synnestvedt and Greg Miller.
• Sequim, $102.53.
• Port Angeles, $500.
• Sequim, $350.46.
• Sequim, $50.
• Port Angeles, $51.52.
• Port Angeles, $20.91.
• Port Angeles, $200.
• Sequim, $204.56.
• Temecula, Calif., $102.53, in memory of dear Carl Hill.
• Sequim, $51.52.
• Sequim, $50.
• Sequim, $1,000.
• Sequim, $750.
• Sequim, $510.65.
• Fresno, Calif., $500.
• Sequim, $510.65.
