Goosefoot Community Fund and Whidbey Community Foundation partnered together again to raise over $125,000 for the Essential Needs Program, providing direct assistance to local households struggling to afford basic needs. Because of your generous donations, The Goose Grocer Roundup Program, Cocktails for a Cause at Prima Bistro & Saltwater and initial seed funding, together we have met and surpassed our goal!
Thanks to your contributions, we are able to work with Opportunity Council in disbursing these funds to our community members who are in need of some extra support. Thank you, Whidbey!
Together we can make a difference!
How will my donation help?
Your donations will help fill gaps for Whidbey Island households that aren’t met through existing funding streams.
Examples of assistance include:
• child care subsidies
• utilities
• rental assistance
• transportation
• one-time extraordinary expenses
How DID WE REACH 125K?
Starting in May 2022, the fundraiser was seeded with $50,000 ($25,000 each from Goosefoot and WCF) with a collective goal of $125,000. The Goose Community Grocer again designated the Essential Needs Program as their Roundup for Charity recipient from May through July and alone raised over $25,000. In addition to The Goose Community Grocer’s efforts, Prima Bistro and Saltwater Fish House and Oyster Bar in Langley supported the fundraiser by designating the Essential Needs Program as their June recipient for their Cocktails for a Cause. $2 from each themed cocktail went directly towards the Essential Needs fundraiser. Because of these generous donations and our community partnerships, the fundraiser met and surpassed its goal by July 31, 2022 with a final total of $125,195.06. Thank you, Whidbey!
As funds are raised they will be deployed to Whidbey households directly through The Opportunity Council Island County Service Center.
How can I donate?
Goosefoot and WCF are extremely grateful for all donations thus far, thank you! Every dollar raised goes to help Whidbey Island residents in need.
Donate through:
• Donate here through WCF
• Or at goosefoot.org
“We’re grateful to live in a community where people not only recognize when people are in need, they step up to help!”
– Lisa Clark, Island County Opportunity Council
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Goosefoot Community Fund, who has partnered with us for the second year in a row to create, seed and fundraise for this program. To the Opportunity Council for their dedication to helping our community members directly. And to the entire team at The Goose Grocer for their Roundup for Charity Program (benefitting many different local organizations) and their enthusiastic support of this important cause. We are very grateful to have this amazing community!
Get Assistance
Who is eligible FOR ASSISTANCE?
• Households with a Whidbey zip code
• Household income is no more than 80% of area median income in Island County
• For a Single Household: up to $4,162/mo
• For a Household of 4: up to $5,946/mo
How to access assistance?
Assistance is available!
Contact the Opportunity Council
Island County Service Center:
• Online: reach out through the button below to fill out a form on their website
• Call: 360-679-6577 ext: 2139 or 2141 and please leave a detailed message
• In person: mention the “Essential Needs Program” when working with staff to determine needs and eligibility
“We are honored to be the recipient of this funding in order to assist our community in ways we have never been able to. To date, we have been able to purchase fridges for disabled and elders, assist with homelessness prevention for veterans, purchase home items for those moving out of homelessness, support new moms with car seats, assist with medical bills, car repairs, urgent daycare needs and much more. This means so much to our staff, who often feel frustration not having funds for the extra things that people need assistance with. The program has given us the freedom to help MORE, which is our passion! In this critical time we cannot express just how important these funds are”
– Melissa Frasch-Brown
Island County Service Center, Director
About the Opportunity Council Island County Service Center
The Opportunity Council is a private, nonprofit human services organization that acts as a catalyst for positive change in the community and the lives of the people it serves. Its role is to create awareness of the needs of low-income people, engage the community in responding to those needs, and promote institutional sensitivity. The Opportunity Council provides direct services, including information, education, and access to resources to assist low-income and disadvantaged persons in developing and maintaining self-reliance.
Working closely with Island County Human Services and nonprofits on the island, Opportunity Council of Island County administers programs including: information & referral for basic needs, family services & homeless intervention, energy assistance, and weatherization & home repair.