Trout Lake Care

Care.TroutLake.org

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Community Survey

We concluded a survey on September 2. The survey was designed to seek input from the community on the best ways for TLC to support our elders and those with disabilities and their families. We also wanted to look to the future and determine if the community desired a gathering place with housing. We sought the assistance from another non-profit, the Oregon Values & Beliefs center (oregonvbc.org), which specializes in community surveys. With this data, obtained from a third-party expert, we will be more successful in obtaining the grants and funding we need to grow the organization and maximize our effectiveness.

Details from the survey are available to the community, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality where necessary. This information will be accessible from the website we are developing. To follow are some of the conclusions from the survey. Note that seniors are defined as 60 years old or above.

A total of 145 residents participated in the survey, 88 seniors, and 57 family and members of the community. From public demographic information, 180 seniors reside in Trout Lake proper, although we plan on serving outlying areas. A majority of seniors plan on staying in the community as they age, only 8% plan on moving. Other notables:

70% of seniors expressed concerned about needing help as they age.
Most live an active lifestyle.
Almost all the respondents are full time residents.
24% of seniors live alone.
15% have a chronic condition and require assistance.
11% qualify for Medicaid. Many didn’t know if they qualified.
From the categories listed most needed, the most cited were snow removal, property/home maintenance, gardening/landscaping, home repair, and social activities.
For those interested in volunteering, most were willing to prepare meals and provide shuttle driving. 36% were willing to donate money.

Regarding a gathering place with housing, about half of the respondents would consider moving into housing near the village. 82% of family and community members are very enthusiastic about the possibility of a gathering place for seniors and those with disabilities. From the survey feedback, we will continue our efforts towards this goal.

About Trout Lake Care Inc.

A local resident, Ray Thygesen, wanted to create an organization to help seniors stay in the community as they age. In June of 2016 Trout Lake Care, founded by Ray, was granted 501c3 nonprofit status by the IRS. He worked with Klickitat County to offer free senior dinners every month at the local school, and also obtained funding from the state Area Agency for Aging and Disabilities to help our aging community members and those with disabilities stay at home instead of leaving Trout Lake. Ray also organized a group of volunteers to help seniors and the disabled by performing small construction projects such as installing wheelchair ramps and grab bars, and by lending medical equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs. Unfortunately, with Ray’s passing and then the pandemic, Trout Lake Care became inactive. In April of 2023 a group of residents got together and decided it was time to continue, and expand, Ray’s vision.

We are a volunteer organization of Trout Lake residents. Our diversity is our strength, which is reflected in our growing number of supporters. We can accomplish our goals if we are unified by a common vision. The help and services we intend to provide will tap into this strong ethic of volunteerism we have in our community. At the same time, we will partner with outside organizations including the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington (AAADSW) and Klickitat County Senior Services, organizations that offer many services and programs to benefit us. Both directors of these agencies have encouraged our efforts.

Our Mission and Vision for the Future

With the support of our community, we not only want to restart the programs that were under Ray’s leadership but explore expanding services in new areas: identify a gathering space for seniors for regular activities such as lectures, exercise classes, celebration gatherings, or a place to find a good book to read or meet friends and neighbors by the fireplace on a snowy day. A community kitchen offering a frozen meals on wheels program, a shuttle into town on a regular schedule, and regular wellness checks by a nurse. Contact board member Margo McGehee-Kelly or Joannie Williams for questions related to health services. We’d like to involve senior students from the Trout Lake school who want to volunteer their time to help and support our programs in different ways.

Looking into the future, we want to explore, along with the community, the feasibility of creating a new activity hub close to town that includes housing. This new center would be designed to fit in with the community architecture and to encourage intergenerational connection and fun, all scaled to fit, and enhance, the scale and feel of our town that we know and love.

Financial Viability

We aim to be as independent as possible, tapping into the great depth of resources in our com-munity. To be successful, we need to not only donate our time and expertise to this effort, but also need to maintain our long-term financial viability. This will depend on donations and endowments from the community at large. Some anticipated help and services will be free of charge, performed by volunteers. However, most of us are able to contribute towards the cost of services we need. Monies TLC receives will be on a suggested donation basis. Some will pay more, some less, based on ability to pay. This income will enable us to offset expenses and operate on a long-term basis.

How to Donate & Volunteer

Please donate to help us fulfill our mission. For now, we can accept tax deductible donations through a non-profit, Community Enrichment for Klickitat/Skamania Counties (CEKC). Donation receipts will be issued with their tax ID number. We have re-applied for 501c3 status from the IRS, which we anticipate will be granted early next year. Contact Dennis Hartley at 541-514-0625 or dennis@troutlakecare.org if you have any questions. You can donate either by going to the CEKC website with PayPal, or by check. If you donate through CEKC, please notify us of the amount at info@troutlakecare.org. Or make your check out to “Trout Lake Care” and mail to: Trout Lake Care, PO Box 224, Trout Lake, WA 98650. Please include your contact information. Or contact us to pick it up.

We need volunteers! If you would like to donate your time for various activities, please contact Glenda Hollenbeck at Brienda3@gmail.com.

Contact Information

We are in the process of creating a TLC website, with the URL troutlakecare.org. Besides this page on our community website, we have a Facebook group Trout Lake Care and will be putting information on activities and meetings in Judy’s newsletter. Community members are encouraged to attend and participate in any of our monthly board meetings. Contact any board member if you have questions or suggestions.

Trout Lake Care Inc.
PO Box 224
Trout Lake, WA 98650
info@troutlakecare.org

Rabbi Rob Abramovitz, President
rabbirob@troutlakecare.org
503-720-7017

Carolyn Wilhelm, Vice President

Bijee Burns, Secretary

Dennis Hartley, Treasurer
dennis@troutlakecare.org
541-514-0625

Glenda Hollenbeck, Volunteer Coordinator
Brienda3@gmail.com

Margo McGehee-Kelly, MD
mmkinfrance@gmail.com

Dennis Anderson
dennisander@gmail.com

Steering Committee, Supporters & Advisors

Rick and Sharon Allen, Dennis Anderson, Pat Arnold, Kimberly Ballard, Debi Budnick, Robert Davidson, Laura Doctor, Jeff and Beki Duke, Kim Gilmer, Deb and Mike Hill, Glenda Hollenbeck, Mike and Johanna Kaufman, Jamie Lee Kate, Barry Jones and Kathy Keller Jones, Margo Kelly, Brian and Ronda King, Page Logan, Lucy Mason, Norbert and Clarissa Miller, Rev. Adam Peck, Monte Pearson, Kozen Sampson, Ingrid Spies, Tom and Bonnie Reynolds, Jana Warner, Mike and Jeannie Wellman, Rev. Warren Williams, and Zoe Wood.