Eye Trouble

It seems like the traffic light is broken and permanently stuck on red. You feel as if your car has been mired in the same place for an eternity as the gentleman standing in the median next to you uncomfortably shifts his gaze from the ground to your window. His sign is worn thin and the message  seems suspect but its difficult to determine what's truth and what is fiction. All you know is that you're beginning to squirm in your seat and fiddle with the radio even though its not on. You maintain a calm exterior but are screaming on the inside for that light to turn. Finally you're absolved by a shade of green that couldn't have arrived any sooner.

I think we've all experienced moments like this. We are confronted by a tenuous situation and we become conflicted regarding how we should respond. What is the right thing to do? Is there a right thing to do? My intention is not to be an advocate for giving money to sign holders. But that feeling that envelopes us in situations like this is an indicator for self-reflection. It's a signal that reminds us that all is not right with the world and things cannot improve until we make a conscious decision to contribute toward a solution.

It doesn't have to be financial either. I won't lie and say that Samaritan House is not interested in monetary contributions. When people give to us, it allows the lights to stay on the heat to keep flowing on these cold February nights. We are a nonprofit and your cash helps in countless ways. But we also value donations of perishable goods and clothing items, too. We have a food pantry that is stocked by donations and a free clothing room for our residents to select what they need to survive in the elements. And we can always use help if people are willing to volunteer their time. Various projects are always cropping up and we seldom have the staff to fulfill all the things we need.

Thanks for remembering us. The next time you want to get involved in addressing the homeless situation in the Flathead Valley, we will be glad to partner with you. Albert Einstein once defined insanity as the process of doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. If you find that you you have a desire to help out but have been unsure about how to contribute, please feel free to call us am we will be honored to let you know what you can do to help out.