The Ecumenical Christian Helping Hands Organization (ECHHO) celebrated 20 years of existence Nov. 9 at Port Townsend Vineyards.

ECHHO was founded in 1997 to help the elderly, low-income and disabled of East Jefferson County, and since then has helped more than 7,500 individuals. The organization’s volunteers have driven more than 850,000 miles and contributed more than 67,000 hours of service.

During its catered soiree, ECHHO named Hank Hazen as its Volunteer of the Year. Hazen has volunteered with the organization almost since its beginning.

Hazen was credited by ECHHO members with serving as a conduit between their organization and local church congregations, specifically Community United Methodist Church in Port Hadlock.

Hazen was also singled out for first joining, then chairing the governing body of ECHHO, in addition to volunteering for regular and special events, including managing the organization’s Rhododendron Festival parade float.

“His steady presence allowed Bruce and me to step back,” said Jeanette Travis, who cofounded ECHHO with her husband. “With 19 years of volunteering, 300 assignments, 13,000 miles driven and the generous donation of his handyman skills, Hank Hazen is high on my list of heroes.”

During the celebratory dinner, The Leader spoke with some folks who have both contributed to and benefited from the programs offered by ECHHO.

In 2012, Kathy Shipman experienced complications in the wake of a knee replacement surgery, which led several medical professionals to tell her she would never walk again.

Although she managed to beat those odds after five weeks in Jefferson Healthcare, Shipman’s post-hospitalization recuperation still left her with relatively limited mobility.

Shipman credited ECHHO with supplying her first with an electric wheelchair, and then a walker. It also gave her a chair for her shower, after her husband, Phil, and their friends had installed support bars to help her enter and exit the shower. They also built a ramp to enable Shipman to enter and exit the house.

“I just can’t say enough about ECHHO,” said Shipman, who followed her retired husband’s lead in becoming a volunteer for the organization after her own recuperation. “The other night, a friend mentioned her father was being released from Swedish Medical Center. When I told her, ‘You’ve got to call ECHHO,’ she said to me, ‘We already have.’”

When Shipman’s husband became a volunteer driver for the organization, it was because his wife could personally attest to the value of continued mobility.

“I just wish every community had an organization like this, for people who need help, not just getting out of the house, but getting out of bed,” Shipman said. “I’m an independent person, and I treasure the fact that they’ve supplied me with equipment that suits my needs.”

Linda James described herself as both a driver for and “a grateful recipient” of ECHHO services.

Over the course of three hip surgeries, James has been furnished with a customized bed and commode, a walker and a gripper wand, all thanks to ECHHO.

“I needed to be hospitalized after my first hip surgery, five years ago, so I appreciated having all this equipment at no cost,” James said. “It was amazing, and then I found out they needed drivers, so I wanted to pay them back for the benefits I’d received.”

James gushed over all the “wonderful, interesting people” she’s met by giving them a ride.

“Nothing makes me feel better than giving to those in need,” James said. “It was certainly hard for me when I lost my freedom of movement.”

James estimated that at least half of her riders ask for her by name.

“A lot of times, they could just use someone to talk to,” James said. “They say, ‘I don’t want to inconvenience you, but could we go to the grocery store?’ It’s not inconvenient at all! Driving them is like a gift back to me.”

Francesca Franklin has volunteered with ECHHO for 18 years as a driver, taking people with limited mobility to medical appointments, shopping for groceries and household goods, and picking up prescriptions and medical supplies.

“Along the way, I help them do some light housekeeping,” Franklin said. “I’ve always been a helper. It’s in my nature.”

Before she retired from her job with the City of Port Townsend in 2010, Franklin would help folks run their errands during her lunch breaks and after work, since her shift ran from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“I checked into this organization before I joined it,” Franklin said. “Everyone loved being part of it, and I loved that they didn’t charge for their services. I love that I can serve others, even if it’s just an hour at a time. I love to hear about their lives, and to meet their families.”