Jill Watts

Volunteering brings great joy and sometimes surprises. St. Francis Soup Kitchen in Portland, Oregon was a great life lesson in giving to others and taught us life surprises too.

In the 1990's I was a Catholic youth minister for ten years at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Camas, WA and led many social justice projects. Social justice is a big part of my inner core. I had the best job in the world...helping teens get involved in serving others just for the joy of it. We had fun, laughed, played and learned about real life through volunteering.


We worked once a month for two years at St. Francis Soup Kitchen in Portland. We served meals and helped in the kitchen. Unexptectedly, there were surprises that we learned as we volunteered: 1. Looking into the eyes of the homeless people coming down your food line was a big surprise. You could see all kinds of things in their eyes including happiness, gratefulness and hopelessness too. 2. We were told at our first training that sometime there are fights between the homeless during mealtime. Our instructions were to back up against the wall and wait for instructions. 3. We served soup and also did fundraisers back at our church in order to help furnish the "family" dining room at St. Francis. We provided a carpet for the floor and a vaccuum cleaner. The surprise there for us was that there are many, many families that are homeless and come for meals. 4. Some of the homeless walk many miles a day just to come get a good meal.

St. Francis's mission is to create a safe and healing environment, a transition for individuals into new lives including education, recovery skills and spiritual grace. And hope.

Their address is 111 W Burnside St., Portland OR 97209 and their phone number is: 503-227-0421

Have you had life surprises?? Or volunteered for the joy of it?

Jill Watts, Keller Williams
MY MOST IMPORTANT HOME SALE IS YOURS!
360-852-1689 office
jillwatts@kw.com


I'd love to assist you in finding that dream home whether it is for investment in a custom home, short sale, relocation, rental, bank owned sale...quick, smooth sales and purchases are managed for you, contract to close.
Maximize your profits in real estate in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington today! (Don't forget the $8,000 tax credit amd that interest rates are at an all time low!)

I am also connected to our new Keller Williams Commercial group, so give me a call today to get hooked up with a dynamic possibility for your investment future.

Romping! Jumping! Fetching a tennis ball! Do you own a dog? Do you live near Washougal, WA?

Guess what! We're getting a new 7 acre dog park! This is a great move for Washougal town. It's going to be located right off of Highway 14 and west of Bi-Mart between Main and Addy streets.

Landowner D.M. Stevenson Ranch of Hood River, OR is giving a long-term lease agreement for the use of the property. The park construction should begin soon and be finished by late summer or early fall. It would be named for benefactors Donald and Angeline Stevenson. This will be a great addition to our community and way of life. We need a good off-leash dog park for our pets. Now...where are those tennis balls?

Don't forget the Southwest Humane Society is located nearby and you can volunteer to take the dogs for walks...you could bring them to the new dog park too!

Vancouver's well kept secret...$2 a carload of excited kids headed for Klineline Swim/Spray Park! It's located near Salmon Creek/Hazel Dell.

We "discovered" Klineline Park this summer. Bring your picnic basket, sunscreen and a few sand toys and you're set for a fun afternoon. Click here for a Klineline Park webpage from Clark County:

http://www.co.clark.wa.us/parks-trails/salmoncreek.html

And here's a link if you'd like to plan a special event there: "Contact information
To get information about holding a special event at this park (family reunion, wedding, corporate event, etc.), please call Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation at (360) 619-1123."

There are lifeguards in the summer time, theres a sandy beach, the swimming areas are divided into sections, there's plenty of play ground equipment and a few picnic tables. Get there early and enjoy all the fun options available at Klineline.






Jill Watts, Keller Williams
360-693-3336 office
jillwatts@kw.com
Search the MLS: http://www.jillwatts.yourkwagent.com

What is your home worth in today's market? Call me! I can research it for you! I will happily give you more specific neighborhood values if you are interested. FREE!

I love assisting clients to find their dream home whether it is for investment in a custom home, short sale, relocation, rental, bank owned sale...quick, smooth sales and purchases are managed for you, contract to close. Maximize your profits in real estate in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington today!
I am also connected to our new Keller Williams Commercial group, so give me a call today to get hooked up with a dynamic possibility for your investment future.

Have You Visited the Washougal River to Raft or Swim on a Hot Day?
With these hot days, escape to the Washougal River located off of Highway 14. There are plenty of areas where you can park your car and find easy access to the cool, tumbling waters.

Here is how Wikipedia describes this great get-away place right here in the back yard of Camas and Vancouver and Portland:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Washougal River is a shallow tributary of the Columbia River. Its mouth is located near the towns of Washougal and Camas, Washington. The river is a popular site for fishing, swimming, and tubing. It has been speculated that D. B. Cooper's ransom money found on the bank of the Columbia River might have been carried to the beach via the Washougal River.^[1][2]

But I can speak from actual experience since I've lived in our home along the banks of the Washougal for ten years. I live several miles up the river and I enjoy the drive home from work every day. It is so relaxing to admire the water tumbling, the big fir trees lining the banks and sometimes even the gorgeous blue sky draped overhead. There are several public parking pull-out areas such as the three mile marker and the eight mile marker.

The three mile marker has a beautiful waterfall adjacent to the parking area and it has a small area of rapids that can be enjoyed by rafters and innertubes. This is a great place to bring the family and play in the cool waters.

The eight mile marker has a name..."The Big Eddy" and many people go there to sunbathe, picnic, swim, raft, fish and meet friends. It has a huge round "lake-like" area to float around in. But I must put in my own personal opinion here, our family and friends have had serious problems rafting through "the Slot" at the Big Eddy. The Slot is a divide created by huge boulders pushing the river water even faster through the "slot." It really depends on the time of year you attempt it. We have had friends injured there from bumping the big boulders. The newspapers have featured stories about other sad events there: one young person was drowned on an innertube and pushed up under some huge out croppings. One fisherman slipped into the water there with his waders on and drown and was carried down river a couple of miles. Safety and reason are important for enjoying this part of the river.

I will happily give you more specific neighborhood values if you are interested. FREE!

I love assisting clients to find their dream home whether it is for investment in a custom home, short sale, relocation, rental, bank owned sale...quick, smooth sales and purchases are managed for you, contract to close. Maximize your profits in real estate in Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver, Washington today!

I am also connected to our new Keller Williams Commercial group, so give me a call today to get hooked up with a dynamic possibility for your investment future.

FUN FOR YOU! Camas Days Festival This Weekend July 23 Wine/Brew and Vendors Galore! Come and join the fun in the lively Camas Days Festival!

Please forward this to your friends and family ~thank you, CW Chamber of Commerce For more information go to www.cwchamber.com and visit the Camas Days Page!
Friday Vendor Booths from 10 am - 8 pm Food Booths from 10 am - 8 pm Kids Street from 10 am - 8 pm Kids Parade Begins @ 11:30 am Wine & Microbrew Street from 5 pm - 11 pm ($4 admission) Saturday Vendor Booths from 10 am - 8 pm Food Booths from 10 am - 8 pm Kids Street from 10 am - 8 pm Main GRAND Parade Begins @ 11:00 am "Pirates Play" Stage Show Begins @ 1 pm Bathtub Races Begin @ 2 pm
Wine & Microbrew Street from 5 pm - 11 pm ($4 admission)