Helen Jewett did not like telling her age, and no wonder. She was like this endless bright, incandescent Fall season, giving us day after day of bright sparkling, invigorating display. Not at all like any almost-94-year-old we have ever known.

She was a big part of our lives at the Memorial Foundation. She was more of a partner than donor, full of ideas and interests, eager to receive good and frequent reports on her investments. She was a frequent visitor, dropping by to drop off a book, ask a question, or just sit and visit. There weren’t very many projects here though the years she was not involved in.

Helen first became interested in Childrens Miracle Network and answered phones in the first Telethon 17 years ago. She was an early supporter of Passport to Health, one of the original donors to Childrens Village, having a full and early grasp of the significance and scale of the project. She became interested in the development of the North Star Lodge, and funded what she called “the Bridge of Tranquility” which connects radiation oncolgy to medical oncology.

She was a passionate part of the bi annual Follies, loving to have everyone come together and have such fun. She was always enthused that so many people got up on the stage, and involved. She gave special support to the first fete held at the Congdon “Castle” and delighted in the vintage cars that brought everyone down the long romantic drive to the party. She then played “Derby Queen’ at the Florence Wight Derby party in 2007.

And finally she was adamant that Yakima have a Hospice Facility. Husband Walt died on a weekend in a nursing home and she vowed that that should “not happen to anyone” She made the remarkable founding gift that enable us to “get started” on building a tranquil place for people to spend their last days, and their families to be with them in comfort. This was a project that captured her heart. I promise Helen, we will seet his through.

Most of all she was a beloved friend, a beautiful big sister to her little sister Betty, and an angel to the needs of this community. I will find it difficult to not have her to check in with, to see if I am on course, to see her smile.

Here are all 31 of our posts:

What does it mean?  Philanthropy?

Tracing back to the origin of this “word” to early 1600’s, in Greek, the meaning:  Love for mankind. 

Such a lengthy word for such a simple philosophy.

To quote another - “Love is the force that makes us fully human.”  So, to be fully human we must love… and, to love humankind fully we must then be philanthropic… 

Generosity in its finest form…  We must encourage philanthropic behavior at all levels…  each of us giving of ourselves, each in different ways with our strengths whether time or money or resources or sharing.

A demonstration of the pure philosophy of philanthropy…  to love altruistically for the greater good, for a better community, to help others in need, creating mutual respect allowing each of us to truly care for each other.

Alice Macias, 10/25/08, dedicated to Helen Jewett (1914 - 2008)

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
George Bernard Shaw

“You know. the economy” Are you scared no one will give?” they say.

I don’t tell them the truth. That I am always scared, that I have been scared every day. That people give each and every day is my amazement. it is my surprise every day. Every gift gives me wonderment, and now, when times are bad, even more so.

These are GIFTS. freely given. This is where my “scared’ turns to “sacred”.  Each sacerd gift adds up to create community accomplishments like Children’s Village. Last week many hundreds of thousands of dollars came in. Contributions from Don and Kathy Moen, Jack and Connie Bloxom, Independent Foods, the Dolsen family, Rich and Ann Speigel, Joe and Connie Farina to name a few.

As long as there are people like these in the world I’m not scared.

Mike from KIT was at the Village, interviewing doctors from both Children’s Village and Seattle Children’s. As we prepared for the interviews, Mike confirmed with the radio station that we had six minutes for each interview.

Six minutes:  That is the amount of time interviewees like Dr. Paul Herndon of Seattle Children’s have to tell about themselves, what they do, why, and why listeners should give.

I listened in on the six minutes of conversation between Mike and Dr. Herndon…

“Why do you do what you do?”

“It is the people, the staff, this incredible organization, and above all the families — for nothing else but a smile and a ‘thank you for being here’.”

“Is it important to give to and support Children’s Miracle Network and Children’s Village?”

“It is not important. It is vital… to the children and families we serve here.”

“Why do this?”

“Because it is our mission…  It is the mission of the visionaries of the partners of Children’s Village.  It is the mission of Seattle Children’s.  It is my mission.”

…and, in those six minutes I was inspired and rejuvenated …and reminded why I do what I do everyday — it is my mission.

Ali Macias

It is like no other…  yet to be replicated, Children’s Village is a partnership of trust between organizations committed to its’ mission:  …Partnering to connect children with special needs and their families to supportive services.  Dedicated to seeing that the original dream of Children’s Village is carried out, and that children with special needs and their families do not have to wait long bouts of time for vital services — these tremendous partners and community members have embarked on the journey of raising $8.1 million to see that the capacity of Children’s Village is doubled to meet the need.

If you have not had a tour of Children’s Village…  you MUST.  Don’t wait.  It takes only 20 minutes.  …And, it will change your life.

Ali Macias

At Children’s Village, it is always the right time to provide an answer to a question about why an infant was born with Downs Syndrome or why a child is unable to walk or talk. It is always the right time to comfort a parent who has just learned that their child has autism or cerebral palsy. It is always the right time to have a painful tooth looked at for a child that is unable to understand how to sit in a dental chair because of a cognitive delay, it is always the right time to have a physical therapist provide key muscle movements that will increase a child’s ability to walk. It is always the right time to have an special teacher come to the home of an infant with developmental delays in order to increase the ability of that infant to interact and enjoy success with others in the future, and it is always the right time for a community to come together and say to families of children with special needs, you are important to us.

Right now families have to wait for many of the services provided at Children’s Village in part because there is not enough space. Please support the Children’s Village “Call to Greatness” Capital Campaign to increase the capacity to serve children with special needs and their families. “It is always the right time for children who are being born and formed in mind, body and spirit every minute as life goes on”.

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