March 28, 2024

From tragedy to triumph

Editor’s Note: This column originally published Nov. 17, 2014.

A 9-year-old girl with no bed.

A mother evicted following the sudden death of her husband.

A family displaced after a bed bug infestation.

A 61-year-old man living in his car.

A young man, homeless and on the streets in Newton.

It’s hard to consider the realities of these situations, but they are occurring with regularity in our community. The recently organized Friends of Hope group is finding solutions for people in need and has emerged as a bright spot for a growing number of people facing homelessness and other crises.

Operating under the umbrella of the Salvation Army, the group of volunteers looks to help those who may not be utilizing existing programs, or don’t have access to those resources. The idea is to offer hope and encouragement to people who have found themselves in a bind.

I was pleased again to hear more about this group’s effort last week during a presentation in which volunteer Rita Baker outlined the simple mission — help people in need — and also gave an important objective.

“We are not to judge other people for their choices. We all have a different story.”

That statement clearly defined for me what Friends in Hope is about. Despite how any of these people in need wound up in any of these given situations, the bottom line is they are people in need. This group is about offering a helping hand.

Functioning with a pool of volunteer mentors, Friends in Hope offers to help with everything from housing and home furnishing needs to food and clothing. They’ve partnered with the Goodwill Career Center at DMACC for those struggling to find employment. For other needs — transportation and child care, among others — a call for help goes out, oftentimes on its Facebook page.

Baker said there has been times in her life when she’s had a lot, and times when she had a little. Never did she have to worry about whether there was enough to eat or a roof over her head.

That’s probably true for a lot of us.

It hit home for me. It also reminded me that if we have a gift to share with others — time, food, clothing or just an open ear — perhaps we should be sharing that gift.

I’m not sure what I have to offer to people in need in this community, but I’m going to find out. Sometimes all it takes to turn your life around is to know that someone cares. That’s when tragedy turns into triumph.

For more information about Friends in Hope contact the Salvation Army at 641-792-6431.

Contact Abigail Pelzer at
641-792-3121 ext. 6530
or apelzer@newtondailynews.com