FREELAND — People have homes. People need homes.

It’s just that simple.

With the economy and housing markets struggling, people on the south end are likely looking for unique ways to find living arrangements or to help make their mortgage payments.

Enter Whidbey Island Share A Home, which has kicked off its third annual fundraising campaign.

The Hardens of Freeland joined the WISH program in 2004. They weren’t looking for roommates to help with the rent; they just needed help around the house.

“We had the extra room and we could use the extra help,” Marilyn Harden said. “We wanted some extra help around. Those two things prompted us to call WISH and find out about it.”

“The assistance has mostly been yard work and a little bit of maintenance, mostly weeding,” Gary Harden added.

The Hardens provided a room to a couple of different people. And then they met Pat Stowe, who needed a place to live until she was able to move into Brookhaven. Stowe didn’t mind doing chores.

The Hardens and Stowe found much more than their mutual need of a place to stay and handiwork; they found a friendship. Stowe’s relationship with the Hardens grew during the time she lived there and now that she finally got to move into Brookhaven earlier this month, she returns to the Hardens for frequent visits.

“It was very enjoyable for me. I lived here as part of the

family, which doesn’t always happen as I understand. We’ve become friends,” Stowe said.

“If an apartment hadn’t have opened up in Brookhaven, I would still be here. Marilyn and Gary became part of my extended family.”

“Friendship was not our motivation for joining WISH,” Marilyn Harden said.

“With Pat being a part of our family, even though she slept downstairs, it was really wonderful. We were a really good family.”

Gary Harden also liked the fact that he and his wife could go out occasionally, knowing that his mother, who also lives with them, would be safe.

“Security and companionship is another part of this program,” he said. “We could go to breakfast on Sunday together and know there was someone here to watch in case something happened.”

Many people in the program are just looking for company, said Julie Pigott, executive director of WISH.

“For a lot of people, they are looking for companionship,” said Pigott. “The majority of our home providers are over 60 years old. Our goal is to help people find each other, rent and stay on Whidbey Island.”

And in the three years since WISH has operated, more than 75 matches have been made. The nonprofit organization has helped more than 200 people.

“We are making one or two matches per month during the year,” she said.

“Of those 75 matches, 26 of them have been together more than a year. Of those 26, eight of them have been together two years. Two or three have been together three years.”

Help from WISH is free, though the organization accepts a one-time donation for home providers and seekers.

“We don’t charge a fee because we are a nonprofit organization. We ask for a donation,” she said. “But no one is turned away because they didn’t give us a donation.”

WISH uses some of its funds to run criminal background checks on clients and to check on home providers and references from home seekers.

WISH itself has needed some help in the past, and has found it from the Goosefoot Community Fund.

Goosefoot helped established a community fundraiser that brought in thousands of dollars for the organization; the house-shaped banks that gather spare change for WISH are a familiar sight on the front counters of businesses across Whidbey Island.

“They ordered the (fundraising) banks, dreamed up the program for the fundraising campaign and the first year we made $17,000,” Pigott said. “That was the difference between sink or swim, that first year of our fundraiser.”

WISH has also received help from the county.

“We received a grant maybe a year and a half ago, which was awarded from the Island County Board of Commissioners and distributed through the Island County Housing Authority, and that really helps keep us afloat,” Pigott said.

WISH has kicked off its third annual campaign; it will run through Dec. 8.

People on the outh end who are interested in donating to WISH can drop their spare change into a bank at local participating businesses, or write a check to WISH.

For information about WISH, call 800-864-7549 or 331-5910.

Spencer Webster can be reached at 221-5300 or swebster@south

whidbeyrecord.com.