Marathoner invites donations for St. James

To The Eagle:

A couple of years ago, in honor of St. James Family Center's 25th anniversary, I ran the Portland Marathon in tribute to them and invited people to donate to SJFC in celebration of their quarter-century of service.The generosity of the community overwhelmed me: More than $800 was donated to this essential, local institution.

I was thrilled at this response, but I shouldn't have been surprised: SJFC is extraordinary.For 27 years, now, SJFC has been providing a safe place for children to learn, stay, and grow.My own children, now teenagers,were nurtured by the preschool program.Other children find a safe haven in daily childcare.Families benefit from classes and family activities.The impact that St. James has made on this community has been immeasurable.

Equally extraordinary is the way that SJFC continues to provide services despite limited resources. A syndicated article in The Eagle earlier this year rated Washington counties by affordability of living.Wahkiakum ranked number one; it is the least expensive county in which to live. One of the expenses considered was that of childcare; my husband and I remarked on how SJFC surely was the reason for keeping this figure so low.Our family benefitted from SJFC's utilization of ECEAP funding, only one of the array of grants and programs used to meet the needs of our community's children.While most of us in Wahkiakum County are not wealthy, the resources provided by SJFC are abundant, forming a substantial contribution to our wellbeing.

While SJFC is extraordinary in a variety of ways, perhaps the only extraordinary thing about me is the amount of miles I run. I run because I enjoy it; it's largely a selfish pursuit.I hope to make my last marathon this year a little less selfish by repeating my fundraiser for SJFC.On 7 October, I will run the Portland Marathon in tribute to this organization that continues to enrich our lives in Wahkiakum County so greatly: 26.2 miles in honor of their 27th year! I will donate the equivalent of my race fee to SJFC and invite you to join me in donating to this worthy organization.Contributions may be sent directly to SJFC: St. James Family Center, 1134 Columbia St, Cathlamet, WA, 98612.

Increments of $26.20 or $27.00 are especially appropriate, but any contribution will be well used!

Let's thank SJFC, once again, for going the "extra mile" for our community and our children.

Audrey Petterson

Skamokawa