Health issues force the suspension of two vital South Lincoln Resources program until new volunteers step up

By CHERYL ROMANO/Lincoln Chronicle

WALDPORT — People in need have found help for years inside two warehouses on Crestline Drive — free furniture and medical equipment and help buying special home goods in a re-sale program that helped support the whole complex.

Now, however, the furniture and medical warehouse and the Unexpected Elephant re-sale programs are suspended indefinitely while its leaders navigate health issues.

Tonner Hays and Kitty Bone are Seal Rock residents, both in their 70s and familiar faces around the buildings. He’s president of nonprofit South Lincoln Resources, the umbrella group of the Crestline complex, and she heads up Unexpected Elephant. They’ve been volunteer leaders for some 25 years.

That came to a halt last month as the husband-and-wife duo each faced serious heart issues.

“We do everything together,” jokes Bone, who in early June spent several days in an intensive care unit due to a heart issue. Just days later, Hays was airlifted to Corvallis for triple bypass surgery.

Both are back home, serving as each other’s caregivers, and both are passionate about finding successors to lead their programs.

Although Bone says they intend to return “We need people to take our places. We’re looking for younger people — in their 50s or 60s or younger — to learn the spirit of the program.”

Hays, who heads the furniture/medical devices division, is quick to note that “We have terrific volunteers; we miss working with them; our programs and community benefit tremendously by their efforts.” However, she said the extra commitment to take charge “is a step this group is not prepared to make.”

In general, Bone says, South Lincoln Resources volunteers are “a pretty old group; a lot of us are in our 70s, and starting to age out.” As soon as Hays is recovered sufficiently to be left on his own, Bone intends to check back in on Unexpected Elephant and “put it to bed.”

Several times a year, Unexpected Elephant staged upscale sales of higher-quality donated goods, using the proceeds to help support other South Lincoln Resource programs. The giveaways of furniture, appliances and medical devices were offered each Tuesday.

The couple stresses that the other programs on Crestline — Waldport FoodShare and Adventist Clothing Share — continue to operate as usual.

South Lincoln Resources is an all-volunteer, non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation that’s been around since 1983. It was created to not only provide service programs for low-income residents, but also to coordinate the work of other service groups in south Lincoln County

Looking for volunteer leaders

While Hays and Bone recover, former South Lincoln Resources president Rick Booth and his wife, Sue, are filling in. Both are also long-time volunteers and head up the holiday food basket programs.

Now, the push is on to find people to head up the furniture and medical equipment program. Or, jobs could be split up depending on volunteers’ backgrounds and interest.

“Durable medical equipment has to be handled right,” says Hays, referring to the wheelchairs, walkers and blood glucose monitors that are given to people in need. “If we can work it out, we’d ideally find someone who knows something about medical equipment. Then we could get that program back up.”

Bone also says South Lincoln Resources could also use the talent of someone experienced in public relations and marketing.

The free furniture and appliance program is also targeted to low-income people and runs the proverbial gamut from end tables to beds, washer, dryers to refrigerators. Hays says that involves taking in and distributing donated goods, some telephone work, and managing pickups and deliveries.

“We have all the procedures in place to run these programs,” says Hays. “We’re passionate about the work we do, and hope to find other people to step up.”

“Neighbor helping neighbor” has long been the motto of South Lincoln Resources and Bone, who created Unexpected Elephant in 2014, reinforces that mission.

“It’s a good thing to do in our community, and for our community,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun, and very rewarding.”

As former Waldport mayor Greg Holland said in a past Lincoln Chronicle article “Without them, I don’t know what so many people would do. They’re such a giving group, helping people with utility bills, clothing, food — just non-stop helping the people in our community. They’re such a gift.”

A big part of that gift could be in jeopardy if Hayes and Bone are unable to find successors. “We’re not planning on going anywhere,” she says, “but if something happens to Tonner and me, we want to make sure there are people to carry on for our community.”

Those interested in helping make that continuity happen are urged to call South Lincoln Resources at 541-563-3710 and leave a message.

• Cheryl Romano is a Yachats freelance reporter who contributes regularly to Lincoln Chronicle. She can be reached at [email protected]