Thanks to Weyerhaeuser

Yesterday, two Weyerhaeuser representatives stopped by and presented Big Brothers Big Sisters with a check for $4,000. My thanks for their generous donation which will provide mentoring services for about a half dozen kids in our community for the next 12 months.
The interesting part of our meeting was the subsequent conversation. They were asking all the typical questions about our agency and one lady directed this question to me - "" Is there an increased need in our communities?" She really caught me off guard because I was typically focused on selling our services and "increased need" would only mean "more kids". We always have kids on a waiting list, so I never notice an "increased need".

I spoke of the family crisis in Lewis County due to the Trans Alta closure and a few other things, but I could tell that wasn't answering her question, so I let her speak to the issue.
"I live out by Capital Forest and I've seen an increase in the number of families that have taken up residence by camping near my home," she said. The lights went on in the tunnel and I was then able to address one of our programs that serve a school where there is a high ratio of children without permanent addresses.

Her words are echoing in my head. I need to share this, not so much with those people that understand the plight of people without permanent homes, but for those that think that homelessness equates to "drunks, druggies, sexual perverts" and whatever other negative comment they can spew. Families are without permanent addresses and are not in Downtown Olympia.

The hidden needy.