Peter's Inspirational Quotes: Helping People Starts Right Where You Stand... "The first thing to do if you want make a difference in the world is to look to what's going on right there where you stand - helping people begins with your neighbors."
Watch the video, read the blog post!
I stopped by Operation Compassion, the soup kitchen where I donate the chicken and beef needed for their soup. Carol, one of the volunteers there, told me about a fire at Mama's daughter's home the night before. Mama is the well-loved cook at Operation Compassion, and so of course we consider her and her relatives to be family.
Luckily no one was hurt by this dangerous accident, but I learned that just about everything of value to the family was lost - clothes, shoes, school books, even their family photos. The family only lives a few blocks from our house, and I had just seen them by the lake a few hours before the fire.
With no place else to go, the family came to the kitchen. When I greeted them I could see that Mama's daughter's youngest child, Mimi, was not wearing any shoes. That's when I knew what had to be done first.
As a homeless family, Mama's daughter Mimi and her three brothers would now have to stay with Mama and her husband, along with Mama's other daughter Estella. That makes 7 people in a tiny house with 2 rooms and 2 beds. I had been to Mama's house last year to fix some leaks in her roof during rainy season, and I could barely walk inside the house. It would definitely be a rough time for all of them.
After talking with the family and making sure everyone knew that help was on its way, I left the kitchen to go shopping. I picked up some shoes and shirts at a local resale shop, then went back to the kitchen to pick the kids up. We loaded everyone into my car and returned to their burned-out house, to see what we could salvage and to get a handle on clean-up.
The place was worse than I imagined. I gave little Mimi her new pink shoes, and she was delighted. I left the family there while I returned to my house to pick up a shovel, broom, buckets and trash bags, and within the hour we were all pitching in to help clean up. Little Mimi turned out to be quite the hard worker! I realized as I watched her work, it was a good thing I got her some shoes, because she needed their protection as she swept up piles of debris.
When the floor was cleared, I had an opportunity to assess the damage. The roof in the bedroom was mostly gone and there were piles of clothes and bedding scattered around. The women went through and salvaged what was still useable and when they were finished, I brought the clothes to the laundry, hauled off some of the debris and took the kids to the store to buy snacks.
I was a little surprised by the upbeat attitude of the children who were always, by nature, happy. Regardless of the tragedy that had just befallen them, they were happy just to be alive, to clean up debris, or just to take a ride in my car and get some snacks.
The landlord ended up fixing the home up and with some contributions from Operation Compassion and others, we were able to help them get back on track to live the best way they know- simply and happily.
I thought back to when I still lived in the States and my own neighbor's house caught fire. The owners were out of town when it happened, so the fire department came to put out the fire and their son came by and salvaged what he could. I offered to help but I was a stranger, and he declined.
I could've gotten to know my neighbors better during the 20 years of living next them, a retired farm hand and his wife. I don't think I' ever entered their home, I never invited them over to mine, and we barely talked. Our only interaction was when I him use my riding mower, and I occasionally mowed their lawn when they didn't seem to be able to, and plowed them out of snow in the winter.
Today I realize how much more I could've done to be a better neighbor; I could have really got to know them. I could have gone beyond being a courteous neighbor, and been a friend.
I suppose that's my lesson for today, here in the village. The first thing to do to make a difference in the world is, perhaps, simply to get to know your neighbor.
Photo of Tom Music, founder of Operation Compassion Ajijic, the main charity of Peter's Doin' Good, with one of the children