Sony & Cher - The Beat Goes On
Many of your who read my blog know that I am the director of a small nonprofit agency, Good Neighbor that offers financial assistance to people who live in Story County, Iowa. Every day when I walk to my office, this song starts playing in my mind, one beat for every step I take.
I have changed some words:
And the need goes on, the need goes on.
Bah, bah, bah, bah,bah - the need goes on.
Lada lada dee, lada lada da.
Here I come to help you if I can.
For four blocks, this is my mantra. You can imagine how many times I repeat it duing that five minute walk. Sometimes I am sort of whispering it aloud, but most of the time it stays quietly in my mind. I'm not exactly sure when I started doing this, but now I can not stop doing this.
In case you worry about social distancing safety, when I walk to work, I am walking there to be alone in the office, helping people who call or email Good Neighbor. I mail things out to them, or I call on a team of volunteers from a local faith community to deliver papers and other things if USPS will not work. Again, we find a contact-less way for volunteers to make these deliveries.
I want to say more about the people I am helping. I want to talk about the people who have always been poor and struggling to meet their basic needs, the ones whom it hasn't occurred to, that the moratorium on utility disconnections and rental evictions might apply to them as well as to "other people who had good jobs." I want to talk about the people who call in from all over the state and country, disappointed to learn our services can only assist residents of Story County, then asking me what they need to do for me to make an exception. (Nothing, sorry.) I want to talk to all the people who were doing "fine" living paycheck to paycheck, and now with their first missed paycheck can not pay their mortgage, utilities, or car insurance and have no money for groceries or prescriptions. I want to talk about the people who are still working but want to get all the assistance they can now so that they can keep their savings for when they really need it. I want to talk about the people who promise me their $1200 Federal Assistance check if I will only give them $500 now. I want to talk about all the people who have given us donations because they know that there is more need than ever right now.
But, I can't tell you those things. Each call is unique, even when it falls into broad categories. Each call is a plea to be heard. Each call validates the uncertainty the majority of us are living in right now. And each call is confidential.
And now, for the shameless plug - here is our website info. If you, or someone you know in Story County, Iowa, needs help - go to our website. If you want to help Good Neighbor hep others - go to our website. Because, don't ya know? The need goes on, the need goes on . . .
