New foundation to support EMS and volunteers

The Grays River Fire and Ambulance support foundation is off to a great start thanks to a big boost in its initial fundraising efforts from Wahkiakum West.

The locally owned telecommunications company has long been a supporter of Wahkiakum county’s all-volunteer Fire and Emergency Medical Services. When a group of volunteers decided to start a new effort to support services for those volunteers, Wahkiakum West stepped up with a $500 donation.

When added to the individual donations received thus far, the foundation finished 2014 with about $1500 in the bank.

Organizers are still in the process of setting up the foundation. A bank account has been created at Bank of the Pacific in Naselle and applications are being processed so that the new foundation can obtain 501(c)3 tax status -- which ensures that all donations are tax deductable. Unfortunately, there is a fee of $400 just to apply for that tax status.

The foundation was started late last year as a way to channel the donations into supporting specific projects to help the volunteers that provide fire and EMS services. Because Fire District #3 is a government entity, it is limited in what it can spend county tax funds on. Moreover, donations made to the fire district get absorbed into the general fund and can’t be earmarked for specific projects or services.

Creating a foundation allows more freedom to take in donations for support of the EMS volunteer services and allows fundraising for specific pieces of equipment that may not be in the district’s budget. Since volunteers respond to all calls and maintain all the services in the district, the foundation can also be active in supporting those volunteers and helping build morale.

Efforts in 2014 were focused at getting the structure of the foundation in place. Plans are to have a board meeting soon to set goals and specific projects for the foundation to tackle. Ideas so far have included fundraising to help when a volunteer or a member of the community has been dealt a tough blow with a fire, accident or medical emergency.

“Obviously if there is a piece of equipment or program that the district needs help with we can offer an ability to write grants, and disperse funds we have,” said organizer Steve Puddicombe. “We can fundraise, take in bequeaths, write grants and collect funds in any number of ways now.”

Now that the nonprofit status is secured, a meeting in 2015 is in the planning stages to sharpen the bylaws and goals of the organization. However a date for that meeting has not been set.

In the meantime, donations to the foundation can be made at Bank of Pacific in Naselle in care of the Grays River Fire and Ambulance Support Foundation. For more information, contact one of the officers. Joel Fitts is chair, Jon Gudmundsen is vice-chair, Freda Footh is Treasurer and Ed Hunt is Secretary. Kim DeJesus is general director and Steve Puddicombe is the primary instigator of the foundation.