Parenting Matters: Giving is thanking

Published 5:03 pm Saturday, November 21, 2015

First, let me wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully, you are one of the fortunate people who can afford a turkey and the special items that go with it. Hopefully, you are one of the working class who has a job and one that pays enough to take care of your family. But many others may not be so lucky. For them, Thanksgiving can be a tough time.

It is interesting that this is the time of the year when many nonprofits ask you to donate to help them continue to help others. There are agencies in our community that provide help to pay utility bills, provide free food, give legal help, provide free medical help and information, and help parents do a better job of raising young children. This is just a tip of what is available in our community thanks to the many people volunteering to help others.

All of this community assistance comes with a price tag. Even in agencies which are run primarily by volunteers, providing services still costs money.

The nonprofit I volunteer to work with, Parenting Matters Foundation, is a good example. Without help from groups like United Way we would have difficulties reaching out to the 85 percent of families in Clallam County who have children from 0-5. We strongly believe that the service we provide to the many families with young children helps them be better parents. When parents write to us and say they didn’t know they were so important until they began receiving First Teacher newsletters, we know we are providing a valuable service.

When you contribute to United Way, you can specify which agency you want to have receive your donation. If you don’t have a preference, let the United Way Board of Directors distribute the money to one of their many agencies. They do this very carefully and thoughtfully. In order to receive funding through United Way, each agency must give a careful accounting of its budget and exactly how it intends to use each dollar it is given by United Way. The board has the ability to basically make sure the funds are used in a legitimate manner. The board makes sure there is a fair distribution to a variety of agencies so that it truly reaches the people throughout the county who need help.

Local support, needs

If enough people say, “Thank You” for this effort by contributing to United Way, all of the 24 agencies who belong to United Way receive a certain amount. If fewer people donate, all of the agencies receive less.

Just look at the agencies you are supporting when you donate to United Way. They include the American Red Cross, Clallam Mosaic, Boys & Girls Clubs, Peninsula Dispute Resolution, St. Andrew’s Place, Serenity House, First Step Family Support, Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic, Forks Abuse Program, Olympic Community Action, Pro Bono Lawyers, Forks Food Bank, Healthy Families, Concerned Citizens, Clallam Bay/Sekiu Crisis Center, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, Peninsula Behavioral Health, Salvation Army, West End Club, Volunteer Chore Services, Lutheran Community Services, Olympic Peninsula YMCA, Volunteers in Medicine and the Parenting Matters Foundation.

This list represents a lot of help in our community. To make these agencies effective, it takes a lot of contributions from the fortunate people we have in our community. Think about what you can contribute. Give as much as you can to help the many people who are less fortunate than you. Look over the list.

Remember you can specify which agency you want to help or you can let your contribution reach out to all of the agencies.

Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which publishes newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents. Reach Martin at pmf@olypen.com or at 681-2250.