The Temporary Orphanage

When did the notion begin that helping out someone in need was too financially or emotionally expensive? A little over a year ago our house/property had the population of: five adults, three kids, eight dogs, four cats, seven horses, four goats, one sheep and one turtle (RIP Tiny Tim).

A single mom friend of mine needed a place for her and her daughter to stay, this was a no-brainer. I won’t go into the reasons she was in need of a place, it’s not my story to tell.  She stayed for about eight months in our basement, gave us a few bucks when she could and since I cook as if I am feeding the fucking Brady Bunch no matter who is coming to dinner she and her daughter cost us nothing.

A few months after my friend moved into the basement our neighbors across the street lost everything. A middle aged couple who struggled most of their lives to make ends meet, the husband’s trade was seasonal and the wife was unable to work. When the husband lost his job they became instantly homeless and had no idea what to do with themselves and the only things they had acquired that gave them any joy: their animals. I had got to know the couple and all their animals because the wife and I were both housewives, smokers and talkative.

When our neighbors lost everything they said they would have to sell all the animals and live in a RV camper trailer on a campsite somewhere. They didn’t know how they were going to do it, but they had no choice. Our house sits on 20 acres that my city-born husband and my city-born self have no idea or no intention of doing anything with. We offered them a place to put their animals and the trailer. They plugged into our electricity and paid for what was used, and although the husband was sometimes headache-inducing and not my favorite person they cost us nothing. After almost a year they were able to save enough to find a place for them and their animals.

We literally didn’t do anything but offer, nothing.  Helping isn’t a burden. We were in the right place at the right time and knew what we could do. It is wrong to think that donating to charities is the only way to help someone in need. Charities are amazing, but our economy has made it impossible for the middle class to donate. We need to stop thinking that this is the only way, just know what you can do and be open to it. You will be amazed how easy it is!