Caring Neighbors hands out $9,300

RITZVILLE – Caring Neighbors donated over $9,000 to area organizations in their last round of grants, made possible by donations from Big Bend Electric Cooperative members.

The Board chose to donate $2,600 to to Adams County Fair Livestock Sale Association (Othello) to help support the FFA & 4-H youth livestock sales; $2,000 to the Edith Bishel Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired (Kennewick) to help provide low-vision treatment clinics; $2,000 to Service Peace Warriors (Eltopia) to help purchase vests and collars for dogs helping veterans; $1,000 to the Ritzville Volunteer Ambulance to help purchase portable radios; $1,000 to the Ritzville Downtown Development Association to help repair the heating system at the theater; and $500 to the Lind-Ritzville School District to assist the Link Crew mentorship program.

Big Bend Electric Cooperative spokesperson Kelly Haugh said everyone who applied for funding this round received a grant.

The Caring Neighbors is a non-profit entity established by Big Bend Electric Co-op, with funds donated by members of the electric co-op. Haugh said the Caring Neighbors Board is separate from the Big Bend Electric Cooperative Board, with five members on it. Electric customers are automatically enrolled in the program unless they opt out. The program rounds their bills up to the nearest dollar, and the charitable grants are given out quarterly.

“It’s amazing how quick it adds up when people round up to the nearest dollar,” Haugh said. This round of grants totalled $9,300.

The next round of funding will be decided when the board meets March 18, so anyone interesting in applying should send in an application by March 16. Applications are available on the Big Bend Electric Cooperative’s website or by calling 509 659 1700. To be eligible for funding, the organization must have a 501(c)(3) IRS designation, or be a municipal entity.

Service Peace Warriors, located in Eltopia, is a non-profit organization helping honorably discharged American soldiers who are coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms as a result of their service. The organization trains certified Service Dogs for PTSD therapy, then give them to assit veterans, free of charge, for life. All expenses, including medical, training, outfitting and feeding the dogs is provided free of charge by Service Peace Warriors, free to the veterans.

“Our goal each year is to give away nine to 12 dogs,” Kari St. Hilaire, Operations Director, said. “This year we were able to put out 17 dogs, even with the trials and tribulations of COVID.”

St. Hilaire said the organization has dogs placed with veterans in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Veterans in need of a dog travel to Eltopia, to participate in training with the dog before taking the dog home.

“If veterans can make the journey for the training, they can get the dog,” St. Hilaire said, adding they rely on Clover Island Inn of Kennewick, who generously house veterans free of charge for two nights during the training.

St. Hilaire said the organization, founded by Mary Maddox, formed in 2015, and put out their first dogs in 2017.

“It takes two years to raise up the dogs,” St. Hilaire said. “They come from the Mikey Chance K-9 Rescue, a rescue here in Pasco. When they get a litter they think Mary would be interested in, they get a hold of her and let her hand-pick the dogs.”

St. Hilaire said Service Peace Warriors also has their own dog breeding program.

“We have the genetic work-up of the parents, so we are breeding the best of the best,” St. Hilaire said.