One of the joys of living and working in a small community is that we can often see the impact of our work in the lives around us. A few months ago, I was visiting with my hair dresser, whose family was having housing challenges, as they recently left a job that provided housing as a benefit. Unable to find a rental, they secured a small piece of property thanks to family and plan to put a prefabricated home on it. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for a traditional mortgage, as the bank wanted the house on the property before making a loan. This caused great stress and concern for this young family, who began contemplating moving off the rock.
This past week, I went in for a trim and found my gal in much better spirits. She had just learned that they qualified for a Community Loan Fund Loan through OPAL and they were signing papers for their new abode. Yippie! It was so gratifying to know that the money that OICF and others have invested in the Loan Fund is having an immediate impact and helping to keep working families in this community.
Once again, I need to thank Bob Henigson, whose legacy gift made our investment in the Loan Fund possible. Bob gained a great deal from living in this community and decided to invest in it’s future as part of his legacy. Orcas gives so much to each of us and we all have opportunities to pay it forward. What do you hope your legacy will be?
Wishing you a great weekend. I am off to visit son Ry in Connecticut for a few days. So excited!
All the best, Hilary