The Camas-Washougal Community Chest is pleased to announce the award of 28 grants totaling $103,500 to local non-profit organizations delivering services, exclusively, to children and families in Camas and Washougal. The grants will fund such diverse services as emergency food assistance, aid to families in crisis or needing emergency services, safe temporary shelter for at-risk youth, a severe weather shelter program at the Washougal Senior Center, a homeless family day center located at Saint Thomas Aquinas in Camas or enhancing the habitat of Gibbons Creek in the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, Campership Awards are being provided to local Camas-Washougal Boy Scout troops to allow families in need to send their scouts to summer camp. Since 1946 the Community Chest has been all about local people helping local people.
Some of the non-profit organizations being funded in 2019 include Inter-Faith Treasure House, Children Home Society’s East County Family Resource Center, Janus Youth Program, ReFuel Washougal, Family Promise of Clark County and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership. For a complete listing of the 2019 grant awards see attached 2019 grant summary.
Thanks to major donations from the GP Foundation, GP employees, Camas School District employees, City of Camas employees, Windermere Foundation and IQ for Kids CWCC is well on the way to funding these grants. To reach its 2019 fundraising goal of $103,500, however, the CWCC needs additional donations from individuals and businesses in Camas and Washougal. More information and donation forms can be found on the CWCC’s website at www.CamasWashougalCommunityChest.org. The CWCC is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization for federal charitable tax deduction purposes. Says CWCC President David Pinkernell, “giving to the Community Chest is an easy and efficient way to help people in need in our home town”.
2019 Grant Program Summary
Total number of grants awarded – 28
Total value of grants awarded – $103,500
Estimated number of individual services funded by grants – more than 18,000
Inter-Faith Treasure House
Helps fund emergency and daily food needs, school backpack food program, emergency utility assistance and person-in-crisis outreach activities.
Children’s Home Society – East County Family Resource Center
Helps fund family educator/case manager position. Helps fund parent education groups, youth support groups, emergency basic assistance, behavioral health services and health care services.
Partners with Camas Parks and Recreation
Helps buy Camtown Youth Festival’s arts and crafts supplies.
Camas School District – Principal’s Checkbook
Helps Camas school principals provide for basic student needs to give these students equal opportunities at school.
Washougal School District – Principal’s Checkbook
Helps Washougal school principals provide for basic student needs to give these students equal opportunities at school.
Janus Youth Programs
Provides funding for overnight facility stays for Camas and Washougal runaway youth at risk for abuse and neglect. Re-introduces kids to safe housing.
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Provides classroom lessons and outdoor applied learning programs for youth, including habitat enhancement projects adjacent to Gibbons Creek in the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Meals on Wheels
Purchases food and food service supplies for Camas and Washougal Meals on Wheels program.
Friends and Foundation of the Camas Library
Supports the Camas Library’s summer reading program for kids and teens.
Fort Vancouver Regional Library – Washougal Branch
Supports the Washougal Library’s summer reading program for kids and teens.
Lifeline Connections
Purchases art therapy materials used in treating people with mental health and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Friends of the Columbia Gorge
Helps fund the Explore the Gorge classroom lessons and outdoor environmental education program for sixth graders in Jemtegaard and Canyon Creek Middle schools in Washougal School District.
REACH Community Development
Funds supplies and materials for Kids Club programs and community building events at REACH’s Gateway Gardens and Town Square Apartment neighborhoods in Washougal. Also funds school supply and gift giveaways programs.
Camas Farmers Market
Helps implement “Produce Pals”, a weekly activities program to educate children about where and how food is produced. Kids completing weekly program receive a $2 token to spend at Camas Farmers Market – grant will buy tokens.
Opera Quest Northwest
Helps to educate, enrich and instill a love of music in children by introducing them to opera through a lively production that blend classic opera excerpts with a humorous, interactive script.
Pathways Pregnancy Clinic
Purchases ultrasound supplies, pregnancy test kits and pregnancy test controls. Also purchases TB screening supplies for testing volunteers and staff.
Camas-Washougal Historical Society
Helps build The Gathering Place at Washuxwal, an open air pavilion next to the Two Rivers Heritage Museum. Specifically the cultural and arts exhibits in the pavilion will educate visitors about native heritage in the Camas and Washougal area.
Evergreen Habitat for Humanity
Helps buy materials for A Brush with Kindness residential fix-up projects in the Camas and Washougal area.
General Federation of Women’s Clubs
Helps buy age appropriate books, backpacks and other learning tools for a Reach for the Stars with Books program at Hathaway Elementary School. Program aimed at youth from birth through age 5 to grow their school readiness skills and strengthen their social interaction skills.
Journey Theater Arts Group
Helps cover a portion of the rental fee to put on a production of Godspell at the Washburn Performing Arts Center in Washougal May 17 – 26, 2019.
TreeSong Nature Awareness and Retreat Center
Helps cover event costs and buys supplies for Run Wild! Nature Adventures Family Fun Day at Fallen Leaf Lake Park in Camas. Run Wild! is a participatory event that immerses attendees in the beauty of nature through nature education, physical activity, storytelling, art, music, and theater.
Teen Reach Adventure Camp (T.R.A.C.)
Purchases camper supplies including archery equipment, T-shirt for campers and staff, headlamps for caving and camper craft supplies. T.R.A.C. is designed specifically to meet the needs of teens in foster care between ages of 12 and 15.
Camas Sister City Organization
Helps buy age appropriate books, backpacks and other learning tools for a Reach for the Stars with Books program at Hathaway Elementary School. Program aimed at youth from birth through age 5 to grow their school readiness skills and strengthen their social interaction skills.
Family Promise of Clark County
Helps cover half the cost for a part-time case manager’s position to be located at a Day Center hosted by St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Camas. Case manager helps homeless families find permanent, affordable housing.
Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group
Purchases plants, potting soil and tools to replant riparian zone along Little Washougal River.
Police Activities League of Vancouver
Buys books and pays for police staff time to present five literacy events for 2nd and 3rd graders in the Camas and Washougal School Districts.
ReFuel Washougal
Buys 20 sleeping cots, food, personal hygiene products and cleaning supplies to support a severe weather shelter (30 degrees or colder) at the Washougal Senior Center.
Boy Scouts of America – Camas/Washougal Troops
Helps fund Campership Awards so that families in need can send their scouts to summer camp.