BLOGS

If you want to see an example of a community that is caring for those in need on a miniscule budget, look no further than Entiat.

What is being done in that rural community is nothing short of amazing. With an annual cash budget of roughly $4,000, a committed group of volunteers is running more than two-dozen programs to meet the needs of low-income, elderly and disabled community members among a host of other civic needs. They provide meals, have a food bank, dispense clothing, provide yard maintenance and snow plowing, and a litany of other services.

There is a robust spirit of contribution in the Entiat Valley that inspires people to support neighbors in need. I had the privilege recently of meeting with May Segle, the program director and her husband, John, who is president of the board of Entiat Valley Community Services. The Segles and a team of 30 volunteers have worked together to make the community a better place.

Segle, who had a long career in credit, said she was inspired to give back to the community by the example of individuals she worked for in Wenatchee — Sam Mills of Mills Bros., and Steve Mayo and Don Hendrickson of Shipper’s Choice. In Entiat, she said, “it’s like the whole community stands behind you, especially when children are involved.” When they see a unique need, the organization doesn’t wait for someone else to step up, the leaders go to work figuring how they can make a difference. They’ve taken on troubled kids and made them part of the volunteer effort with great success. Exposing kids to those less fortunate in a helping mode is a powerful lesson. “I think every child should have that experience,” she told me.

There’s something particularly compelling about being a volunteer in a program that meets human needs rather than just doing beautification or maintenance. It creates a human connection and sense of belonging and compassion for fellow human beings.

When I asked Segle to talk about what motivates her to volunteer more than 40 hours a week, she quietly pulled out pictures and showed them to me. There were children wearing clothes they had received from the organization, a single father with his two kids who had received a Christmas basket, and a whole host of kids who wearing hats knitted by community members, a project inspired by The Hat Lady, Aida Bound.

What I hadn’t comprehended was the amount of isolation in a place like the Entiat Valley. “Rural people are isolated from programs and services,” Segle said. The volunteer effort to help those in need brings the community together and reminds people that they are not alone.

The food bank they operate is in a building that once was the office for the local ambulance service. It’s tiny and it forces people to line up outside in the dead of winter. There’s a tremendous need for a building where they can deliver programs, provide services and distribute food and clothing. They’d love to develop a community garden. This organization is a group of individuals who are doers, not talkers. They see a need and they go right after it.

Segle, who said her idol is Mother Theresa, the Catholic nun who gave up a life of wealth to help the poor, talked about how all of us individually can and must take responsibility for people in need. “The need is going to be there,” she said. “The hunger and poverty is never going to go away.” She said it’s a mistake to assume that some agency or organization is going to take care of people in need because “that’s not always the case.”

Segle also talked about the value of partnerships and collaboration to get more things done. In that regard, the organization has developed a partnership with Catholic Family Services in Wenatchee to support their work with the needy. She left me with this thought: “When you help someone in need you have made an impact on a person’s life and that person will never forget it.”

We can learn much from the approach of the Entiat Valley Community Services in order to meet increasing demand for critical services by those in need. Now, more than ever, we need to embrace a sense of responsibility to those less fortunate.

Contributions to EVCS can be sent to PO Box 697, Entiat, Wa 98822-0697.

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rwoods     3 months, 2 weeks ago

Entiat group cares for those in need

Here's some additional perspective that May Segle offered after reading the column.

***Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to tell you about our organization. A couple of things I feel I should have mentioned is that there is no "I" or "Me" in our organization, we all work as a Team. Without our volunteer's dedication and hard work we would not be able to do the programs we do or serve those in need. We rely on volunteers and are in need of them.

As you know the number of people in need of food or who are living at or below the poverty level has increased to over 46%. So has the numbers increased at our food bank, from 1997 to 2500 in two years, and it continues to grow. However, due to the lack of space at a City Building we lease, we are unable to except extra food, clothing donations are stored elsewhere, programs such as Summer Meals, and events Holiday food drive and activities, called the 'Spirit of Giving' are held at other facilities when they are available. Therefore it limits our ability to provide direct-services and programs on a regular basis to help move people from poverty to become self-sufficient. Simply put we are in need of monetary donations to move our food bank and it's 30 direct-services, so that we can also partner with more organizations, such as Catholic Charities to offer more to the needy, such as CHORE, After-school programs and Meals for elderly. A place for a community learning kitchen to teach people and children to cook, and a community garden to provide fresh produce to the food bank and teach children how, where and what to do with food grown there.

Lastly, you asked why we developed these programs and services, I said, that it was because of be aware of our community, but also, because we listen to our clients who we serve, both children, elderly and families, to better understand the issues of hunger and food insecurity and how our organization can address them. By interviewing our people we develop programs and services to better meet their needs. Through interviews, we are aware of the need of a new food bank, learning center to house the 30 direct-services, provide educational social events, a kitchen, after-school programs, a shelter and housing for the elderly and disabled, we hope to achieve our goal this coming year. But we need the support of the community, donors in and beyond our community, monetary donations and many dedicated volunteers to make this become a reality.

I am in hopes that you can mention some of the above, as I do not want us to look like we are doing a better job than other organizations, and I do not want it to look like that "I" or "Me" is the only one involved, it is ALL that achieves the wonderful programs and services, and serves those in Need. Our Board, volunteers, donors and our clients, whom without we would not be able to do what we have done or are doing.***

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