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The Good Neighbor Effect
“Anyone who has ever been able to sustain good work has had at least one person – and often many – who have believed in him or her. We just don’t get to be competent human beings without a lot of different investments from others… From the time you were very little, you’ve had people who have smiled you into smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved you into loving.”
- Fred Rogers
I grew up with Mr. Rogers on TV. His message was a simple one. Be a good neighbor.
But what does that really mean? I believe it means be a good human within your day...in your scope...in your capacity...within your town. Sort of like when a nice word from a stranger makes you smile at someone else and say a nice thing. It's contagious.
In Missoula right now, we have over 600 neighbors (not counting those who have children) who are houseless. They might call home their car or a friend's couch, or even a quiet spot they find outside. Everyone deserves shelter. Shelter is not easy for everyone to find. Not all of us can sustain a hit to the budget. Some of us do not enter this life on level ground. Others suffer unbearable circumstances. None of us is immune to bad times. But those times hopefully become the empathy we carry for others instead of the fear that tends to make us turn our heads.
Mr Rogers also said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors
–in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”
In that spirit, I'm sharing an opportunity to be a giver today.
To support finding housing for all in Missoula,
KAA&D donates a small portion of earnings monthly to the Housing Advocate Network program of the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative. This inclusive organization does not represent any particular faith but rather fosters collaboration of people of all faiths, as well as non-religious individuals and groups, in the simple effort to better understand and help one another. The Housing Advocates specifically work on helping people secure housing by assisting with any barriers to finding an affordable home in our area. Please visit their website at micmt.org for more information or use the button below to make a gift. If you choose to donate, you can select Housing Advocate Network in the drop-down menu on their donation page.
Thanks for considering this opportunity to help a Missoula neighbor
and please spread the word about this important work.