For the third consecutive year, Lower Columbia CAP has secured a commitment from Tim Welch and Lee Hutton-Welch for a dollar-for-dollar match on the next $35,000 donated to the organization’s current fundraising campaign.
The ultimate goal of CAP’s “One in Three” campaign is to raise $1 million for the CAP Foundation’s endowment. The start date for the Welch Family Challenge is Sunday, with the close on Sept. 30.
CAP is about three-quarters of the way to the $1 million mark if all donations and pledges are tallied, foundation Treasurer Ben Coombs said in a press release.
Coombs said building an endowment appeals to donors who prefer their contributions not be spent but “invested — so their money keeps on working for the community.” Coombs compared the foundation’s endowment to a savings account, where only the interest is spent to support CAP programs such as Help Warehouse or Meals on Wheels with the endowment nest egg left intact.
A change for this year is that $50,000 has been earmarked for immediate support of Meals on Wheels, which delivers hot and frozen meals to recipients who have difficulty leaving their homes to obtain food. Meals on Wheels has become so well-subscribed that Lisa Chavez, CAP’s director for the program, reports that 50 local seniors are now on a waiting list to participate.
“The need is greater than … our budget can provide,” Chavez said. “(The) $50,000 will really help reduce the waiting list and let us serve more seniors who need this daily nutrition.”
For more information about Meals on Wheels, call Chavez at (360) 425-3430, ext. 259.
