The Renton Ecumenical Association of Churches (REACH) has been awarded an initial $10,000 from Boeing Employee Credit Union’s “People Helping People Award” program and is in the running for two more awards of $20,000 each.
The People Helping People Awards program is designed to recognize local non-profit organizations to which members belong or donate time and money. The awards fulfill BECU’s principle of ‘people helping people,’ according to the company’s website.
REACH has already received a $10,000 “Community Benefit Award” and now BECU members and employees will vote on the People’s Choice and Employee’s Choice Awards, valued at $20,000 each.
Karen Wimberly, retired Boeing employee, volunteer, and REACH board member, nominated REACH in this years award cycle. She described how REACH creates a safe environment for people to help people:
“REACH provides me with a variety of opportunities to offer the intangibles of compassion, companionship, respect and dignity to the homeless of Renton along with the tangibles of food, toiletries and a warm place to stay,” she said in a press release. “What I love most about working with REACH is that we are serving our Renton neighbors. For me to walk into the downtown Renton Library to check out a book and see at least five or six of the people I have seen at the dinner program reminds me that they really are my neighbors.”
In Wimberly’s submission, she shared the extent of REACH’s service to Renton residents:
“Twenty-nine families were helped to find permanent housing and another three families were helped into temporary housing. The Meal Program offers a Warm Up breakfast on weekday mornings and Community dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (when other Renton agency programs do not operate) to all who wish to come.” Up to 80 or more individuals are served at each of the meals. To continue REACH’s people helping people efforts, Wimberly documented the people helping people award would be put to use:
“The REACH Meal Program desperately needs a permanent site to better meet the needs of our clients. Our current rent-free location will no longer be available to us very soon. A People Helping People Award would enable REACH to lease a building and to make any necessary upgrades to the building. With a stable location, we could consolidate our breakfast and dinner programs, storing and cooking the food on site and move toward our future vision for a day center/hygiene center for homeless men in Renton.”
To vote for the People’s Choice Award, go to: http://www.becu.org/awards
Voting ends May 2.
