PORT ANGELES — United Way of Clallam County started a new program this year to provide job training through certification programs at Peninsula College for those who need it most.
The organization was awarded a $3,000 Peninsula Home Fund grant through a partnership with Olympic View Community Foundation that funded 11 scholarships, United Way CEO Christy Smith said.
“A lot recertification programs don’t qualify for financial aid,” Smith said. “For example, if you want to be a truck driver and you need a CDL, that wouldn’t qualify. If you want to be a hairdresser, that wouldn’t qualify.
“They can provide good jobs for people,” she said.
The Peninsula Home Fund allocated a total of $90,000 this year to 15 nonprofit organizations in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Now in its 36th year, community members have contributed $85,950 since Thanksgiving toward next year’s grant cycle, which will be administered through Olympic View Community Foundation this spring.
Although fundraising occurs throughout the year, a special campaign is conducted annually through the holiday season.
Grant applications will be due in mid-February for the 2025 cycle, and winners will be announced in April.
Donations, along with the names of the donors — should they elect to have them published — will be presented in the Peninsula Daily News throughout the campaign.
Over the years, the Peninsula Home Fund has raised more than $5.05 million for those in need on the Peninsula. Some donate throughout the year while others provide one donation during the campaign months.
From children’s pennies to checks for thousands of dollars, each donation makes a difference, helping people from Port Townsend to Forks, from Quilcene and Brinnon to Sequim, Port Angeles, Joyce and La Push.
All contributions are fully federally tax-deductible for the year in which the check is written.
Those who wish to donate can mail checks to Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA, 98362, or to Olympic View Community Foundation, P.O. Box 3651, Sequim, WA, 98382.
An online option is available at https://ov-cf.org/peninsula-home-fund-donation.
The United Way received 21 total applications for funding and awarded 11 recipients, community impact manager Laurel Shriner wrote in a grant report.
Eight live in Port Angeles while two are from Sequim and one is in Port Townsend, according to the report.
“We utilized our website to create an online application,” Shriner wrote. “As applications came in, our team realized that some individuals with college degrees (either AA or BS) still had a specific need or exceptional circumstance that required additional training.”
To determine eligibility, the United Way used the Student Aid Index, a metric that considers household size and income, Shriner wrote. Seven awardees had the lowest possible number, indicating maximum need, she added.
The financial awards ranged from $99 to $500, and they were paid directly to Community Education at Peninsula College, Shriner wrote.
Five recipients enrolled in flagging certification while two attended a grant writing bootcamp, one received wilderness first responder recertification, and two received bookkeeping or Excel training, Shriner wrote.
“Community Education worked with us to enroll students smoothly and make sure that folks were aware of the available funding,” she wrote.
Smith said at least one person is now employed with Clallam County PUD as a flagger, and United Way plans to follow up with additional students to measure long-term impact.
“We know that it’s super highly needed, and we’re going to leverage the success of this grant to apply for additional funding,” Smith said.
She added that First Fed and Sound Community Bank both have programs suited for community reinvestment, under which the job training programs may qualify.
For the Peninsula Home Fund, the following is a donor list from Dec. 18 through Wednesday:
Name and amount
• Stephanie Ketchum Hilt, Port Angeles, $100, for Gregory Hilt.
• Kalani Dix and Dr. Lindsay Jensen, Port Angeles, $1,030, for Sally Hedwall.
• Loren and Vera Glica, Port Angeles, $100.
• Tony Rumore, Port Angeles, $150, in memory of Casey and Nina Rumore.
• Vicki Adams, Port Townsend, $100.
Name only
• Norma Wiggins, Port Angeles, in memory of Dora Anton.
• Betty Gordon, Sequim, for Michael Moss.
• Diane Jones, Sequim, in memory of Erwin P. Jones, Jr.
• Velma Johnson, Sequim.
• Randy and Cindy Mesenbrink, Forks.
• Lillian Adamson, Port Angeles.
• Phil and Debi Saxton, Port Townsend, in loving memory of Dan and Eileen Garling.
• Elizabeth Geddes, Port Angeles.
• John and Diana Anderson, Sequim.
• Elmer P. Krogue, Port Angeles, in memory of Celia Krogue.
• P. Milliren, Port Angeles.
• Sydna and Barry Baker, Sequim, for Linda Lawrence.
• Dick and Dottie Foster, Port Angeles.
• Dan and Janet Gouin, Port Angeles, in memory of Bjorn Larsen.
• M. Shale, Sequim.
• Charlotte Warren, Sequim.
• Janis Burger, Port Angeles.
• Nancy and Ed Grier, Port Angeles.
• Janet Nickolaus, Port Angeles, in memory of Gary Owen Nickolaus.
• Rosemary Kane, Port Angeles, in memory of Midge Bader.
• Barbara Noble and Joe Floyd, Sequim.
• Donna M. Campbell, Sequim.
• Steve and Linda Bailey, Sequim.
• Laurie D’Alessandro, Sequim.
• Kathleen Ann Young, Port Townsend.
• Shirley Van Riper, Sequim.
Anonymous
• $500, Port Angeles.
• $175, Sequim.
• $100, Sequim.
• $1,000, Sequim.
• $200, Sequim.
• $100, Port Angeles.
• $100, Port Angeles, in memory of Al Main.
• $500, Port Angeles.
• $25.75, Port Townsend.
• $103, Port Angeles.
• $300, Port Angeles.
• $2,500, Port Angeles.
• $100, Sequim.
• $25.75, Sequim.
• $103, Sequim.
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Editor Brian McLean can be reached by email at brian.mclean@peninsuladailynews.com.