Extend-a-Hand donations help low-income Whatcom residents

More than 200 households avoided eviction or received other rental help this year, and more than 300 people received help with their prescriptions, thanks to donations to Extend-a-Hand, The Bellingham’s Herald’s charity.

Last holiday season, community members donated $46,225 to Extend-a-Hand. The charity also received an unexpected $50,000 bequest from an out-of-state resident. All of that money has been spent this year helping needy people in Whatcom County.

Extend-a-Hand helps low-income residents find and keep rental housing through the Opportunity Council, a nonprofit community agency. It also helps patients with their medications at Unity Care NW, formerly Interfaith Community Health Center.

The Herald covers the charity’s administrative costs for up to $50,000 in donations, so gifts directly support people in need. Donations are tax-deductible.

At the Opportunity Council, 251 households (a mix of families and individuals) received rental assistance to prevent evictions. Additionally, 61 families with children who were experiencing homelessness received emergency shelter assistance or move-in assistance.

One family included a mother who was caring for her four children and her medically fragile mother. The family fell behind on their rent last winter after a severe burn left the mother unable to work. Fortunately, their risk of becoming homeless faded after a case worker used Extend-a-Hand money to cover their rent. The case worker also connected the family with other resources, which gave the mother time to recover and return to work.

In another case, a pregnant woman and her partner had been sleeping in a building without heat or water but needed better housing once the baby arrived. With help from Extend-A-Hand, they were able to stay in a motel room the week the baby was born, and then found an apartment with the help of a case worker. The parents now participate in Early Head Start, have re-enrolled in school and are working part time.

At Unity Care, 314 patients received Extend-a-Hand support. Most were helped with their medications; a few received socks.

While more low-income people now have health insurance, patients still can need help with prescriptions if their coverage has high deductibles, if a prescription or pharmacy co-pay isn’t covered by their insurance, or if they need temporary help with medications while they are arranging insurance.

In one case, a person living on a fixed income from Social Security lacked the money for new medications after being released from the hospital. Extend-a-Hand paid for the prescriptions.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Extend-a-Hand donations help low-income Whatcom residents."