When the folks at Paul S. Ely Insurance Agency in Chehalis learned the Centralia School District was in search of a new building project for its high school construction class, they knew two things: No. 1, they didn’t need anything built.
And, No. 2, they wanted to help in the effort to assist the class in any way they could. Candice Richards, associate agent at the business, reached out to Centralia wood arts teacher Mitchell Smith to see what the needs of the students were, aside from a new project to work on.
In the soggy Pacific Northwest in the midst of the winter rainy season, the answer was clear: rain gear. Working with Lincoln Creek Lumber to purchase the weather-resistant clothing and Huckleberry LLC for the printing, Paul Ely and company came through for the students, who are now well-protected against the elements as they work on their latest project at the Shalom Village transitional housing project in Centralia . Students have already worked on one structure on the property and will soon construct the village’s community building.
The contribution by the Chehalis business wasn’t a one-off. In fact, it’s just the latest in a growing list of ways Paul S. Ely Insurance Agency Inc.
of Country Financial has been pitching in to fill unmet needs at local schools. Ely, who has worked in Chehalis for 30 years and is a graduate of Centralia High School, said the donated rain gear is an example of his business’s approach to advertising and philanthropy. “Our co.
