Mutual of Enumclaw recently received a 2010 Community Service Award for “Helping People in Need” from the Association of Washington Business. The awards ceremony was in conjunction with AWB’s annual meeting in Spokane.

Mutual of Enumclaw has long been committed to helping people in need in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. In 1996 the Public Service Advisory Committee was founded, charged with reviewing donation requests from charitable organizations and helping community nonprofit organizations that effectively and efficiently improve communities. Recent projects include:

When inclement weather hits the Enumclaw Plateau area causing power outages, Mutual opens its doors to local communities as a shelter that provides a warm, safe place to stay and a hot bowl of soup.

Another favorite has been a “Transitional Housing Project” through the King County Housing Authority. Apartment units are made available as transitional housing for homeless families in the community; the units are available for a period of up to 24 months. During this time a case manager works with the families on emotional, financial and job training issues with the goal of having self-sufficient families at the end of their stay in the transitional units. Mutual of Enumclaw is responsible for donating new and gently-used items to fill an apartment to make it a home.

Mutual of Enumclaw also donated toys collected by employees and $200 cash to Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. This is a nonprofit organization in the Spokane area that helps young children who have difficult circumstances in their family homes and need a temporary shelter.