Peninsula Home Fund: A whole lot of love to go around for Schauer family

PORT ANGELES — For Lynette and Ken Schauer, the idea of family is bigger than themselves.

They consider the entire community to be their family.

With four children and 13 grandchildren, the couple keeps busy with all the things families deal with every day. They’ve created a strong support network for one another and focus on making life the best it can be.

However, their family grows depending on who needs help in the community.

“We have an open door policy,” says Ken, known as PaPa; Lynette is MeMa. They reach out and share their knowledge and encouragement to an extended network of inter-generational friends and neighbors.

Ken and Lynette have lived in the Port Angeles community for 15 years; they’ve been married for 34 years and experienced life from both sides.

“Life has been both good and not so good, depending on many factors,” Ken said. “Between health issues and the economy, we’ve been there, like most folks these days.”

“With Ken’s retirement and my paycheck, we can afford the place we’re in,” Lynette said.” But we can’t always afford all the other stuff we need. We give a lot to help our kids and others who need it.

“It makes the money kind of limited, but we get by.”

Through the Peninsula Home Fund, Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCap) has helped the couple with their power bills and given them bus passes.

“We can’t afford to buy a car right now, so the passes get us through until we’re able. We walk everywhere. I walk to my job,” Lynette said.

It isn’t about taking. For the couple, volunteering is closing the circle.

“We didn’t want to just contribute funds when we’re able. We’ve done a lot of volunteer work and met a lot of awesome people. We got to be part of that giving back that’s so important,” Ken said.

He has plans to help out at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula and teach video production.

“We are private people,” Lynette admitted. “But one of the reasons we wanted to share our story is to bring light to the needs of this community and let people know there’s help.”

She believes that the things that are happening today, like homelessness, need to be understood and addressed in a fresh way.

“Organizations are busy and understaffed and sometimes don’t realize what each other are doing,” she said.

“For example, even if you’re pre-qualified, a rent voucher can’t be used because landlords don’t want to wait to be paid. This causes delays and missed opportunities and starts the process all over again. Each application costs money, money that isn’t always available.

“There must be a way to fix this.”

“Everyone is doing their best to solve the issues, but small adjustments in the system might really make a difference,” Lynette said.

Said Ken: “Without OlyCap to help give a quick boost up, it would be a lot harder for many people to move forward.”

“It’s hard to admit you need help. These programs are there to help you. That’s what keeps us positive.

“Get strong and keep going,” he said. “Then pay it back. Many hands make the work easier.”

“And a hug always helps.”

Peninsula’s safety net

The Peninsula Home Fund — a safety net for local residents when they suddenly face an emergency situation and can’t find help elsewhere — is seeking contributions for its annual holiday season fundraising campaign.

From Port Townsend to Forks, from Quilcene and Brinnon to Sequim and LaPush, money from the fund is used for hot meals for seniors; warm winter coats for kids; home repairs for a low-income family; needed prescription drugs; dental work; safe, drug-free temporary housing; eyeglasses — the list goes on and on.

• Assistance usually averages less than $100. The average amount of help this year has been $62 per person.

The maximum allowance per year is $350 per household.

• All instances of help are designed to get an individual or family through a crisis — and back on the path to self-sufficiency.

Home Fund case managers often work with each individual or family to develop a plan to become financially stable — and avoid a recurrence of the emergency that prompted aid from the fund.

As needed, Peninsula Home Fund contributions are often used in conjunction with money from churches, service clubs and other donors, enabling OlyCAP to stretch the value of the contribution.

The goal again: “a hand up, not a handout.”

• No money is deducted by the Peninsula Daily News for administration fees or any other overhead.

Every penny goes to OlyCAP.

The money goes to help the most vulnerable members of our community, from infants to families to seniors.

Please note: Because of heavy community demands, the loss of grants because of the economy and recent cuts in government funding, OlyCAP beginning in 2012 was permitted to use 10 percent — 10 cents of every dollar donated — to pay for the vital programs and services for Home Fund clients. (Previously there were no deductions.)

• All contributions are IRS tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law for the year in which the check is written.

Your personal information is kept confidential.

PDN and OlyCAP do not rent, sell, give or otherwise share your address or other information with anyone or make any other use of it.

Since its beginning in 1989, the fund has relied on the support of Jefferson and Clallam residents.

Using the $264,486 contributed to the Peninsula Home Fund in 2016, OlyCAP had helped 3,400 people from Jan. 1 to Nov. 9.

The remaining funding of f $26,402 will continue to help your friends and neighbors on the Peninsula through the middle of January — when 2017 donations will begin to offer a lifeline in 2018.

How to apply for a Home Fund grant

To apply for a Peninsula Home Fund grant, contact one of the three OlyCAP offices:

• OlyCAP’s Port Angeles office is at 228 W. First St., Suite J (Armory Square Mall); 360-452-4726. For Port Angeles- and Sequim-area residents.

• Its Port Townsend office is at 823 Commerce Loop; 360-385-2571. For Jefferson County residents.

• The Forks office is at 421 Fifth Ave.; 360-374-6193. For West End ­residents.

Leave a message in the voice mail box at any of the three numbers, and a Home Fund caseworker will phone you back.

OlyCAP’s website: www.olycap.org; email: action@olycap.org.

Contributions so far

A number of generous individuals and organizations have been donating money to the Peninsula Home Fund since the first of the year. So far, this year, $45,910 already has been donated for the 2018 fund.

While most of the money is raised between Thanksgiving and Dec. 31, the fund itself never closes.

Donations of any amount are always welcome.

To donate online by credit card, click on https://secure.peninsuladailynews.com/homefund.

Here is a list of donors whose contributions were processed between the end of last year’s Home Fund campaign and Nov. 20:

NAME AND AMOUNT:

• Mary Lee Long, Port Angeles, $100.

• South Dakota Foundation, Pierre, S.D., $1,000. In honor of Don, Helen and Elonor Naddy.

• Robert and Virginia Kuhn, Port Angeles, $100.

NAME ONLY:

• Loren and Vera Glica, Port Angeles.

• Gary Fredrick, Port Townsend.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Tara Andrews, Sequim. In memory of Teresa Sparkman.

• James K. Mann, Sequim. In memory of Elvira “Billie” Mann.

• PJM Interconnection, Audubon, Penn. In honor of our employees.

• Irma Stennes, Port Angeles.

• Jeff and Barbara Carlson, Port Angeles.

• Bernt and Marlene Ericsen, Port Townsend.

• Jim’s Pharmacy, Port Angeles. Thank you to the community for donating to the monthly charity, “Shop with Loyalty, Shop Locally.”

• Irene Irvine and Dick Goodman, Port Angeles.

• Carol Clark, Port Angeles. In honor of Janet Kruse.

• Nadine Fuller, Forks. In memory of Isaac Ward.

• Ed Chadd, Port Angeles.

• Charles R. Williams, Port Angeles.

• Hendrika Molenkamp, Sequim. In honor of Marge Steward.

• Dan and Janet Gouin, Port Angeles.

• Florence Bucierka, Sequim.

• Cathy Mundy, Colorado Springs, Colo. In honor of Mary Kelsoe’s birthday.

• Joe and Colleen Clark, The Dalles, Ore. In memory of Jean McElroy.

• Myrtle and Jon Gossett Charitable Foundation, Port Angeles.

• Joel and Mary Winborn, Port Angeles.

• Queen of Angels Church, Port Angeles.

• Mad Maggi Boutique & Salon, Sequim.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• L.H. Stelljes, Fort Worth, Texas. In honor of Mary Kelsoe’s birthday.

• Shannon Rowan, Colorado Springs, Colo. In honor of Mary Kelsoe’s birthday. Happy Birthday to my great friend and sister, Mary Kelsoe.

• Alan and Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Robert B. Sheridan, Sequim.

• Center for Spiritual Living Port Angeles, Port Angeles. Our center gives back 5 percent of the conscious giving we receive each month to a local nonprofit that is in line with our vision.

• Una Walker, Vancouver, Wash.

• Theresa Hollman, Oregon City, Ore.

• Barbara J. Priest, Brinnon.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• William C. Haffey, Missoula, Mont. In honor of Mary Kelsoe.

• Carol Earl, Port Angeles. In memory of Jean McElroy.

• Clallam Transit Employee Association, Port Angeles. In memory of Jean McElroy.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Rick and Jana West, Bozeman, Mont.

• Peter Bahnsen, Sequim.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• K-G Trust, Seattle.

• Doug Platten, Port Angeles.

• Lois Bellamy and John Silver, Port Angeles. In memory of Susan Selig.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Just Dolls of Washington, Port Angeles.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• Deborah Pedersen and Bruce Cowan, Port Townsend.

• Joe Cammack, Port Angeles.

• Savannah, Port Angeles.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Stanley R. Johann, Sequim.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Laura J. Dubois, Sequim.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• Olympic Springs Inc., Carlsborg.

• Michaelle and Alan Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Elsbeth Switzer, Sequim.

• Roy and Marilyn Brown, Marquette, Mich.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Michaelle Barnard, Port Angeles.

• Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and The 7 Cedars Casino Resort, Sequim.

AMOUNT ONLY:

• Sequim, $10.

• Sequim, $400.

• Sequim, $85.

• Sequim, $30.

• Port Angeles, $35.

• Sequim, $25. In memory of Charlie and Sophie.

• Port Townsend, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Sequim, $100.

• Port Angeles, $10.

• Port Angeles, $300.

• Port Angeles, $25. In honor of the Baha’i celebration of Ayyam-i-Ha, a time of hospitality, charity and gift-giving.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

• Port Angeles, $100.

Even the best handwriting can be hard to decipher at times.

Please report any errors in this list to 360-452-2345. We’ll rerun the listing correctly. Our sincerest appreciation again to our donors.

If you have any questions about the fund, phone Terry R. Ward, PDN publisher, at 360-417-3500.