Haiti's desperate situation

The scale of the destruction in Haiti from Tuesday’s earthquake is still not known at this time, but it looks like it could easily rival the worst disasters in recent history.

That means our Caribbean neighbor, already noted for its extreme poverty, will be desperate for help in the coming weeks and months. Already the U.S. government has stepped forward with assistance, and the people of this country will be opening their wallets as they always do when help is needed anywhere in the world.

The devastation that has already occurred is nearly unbelievable, but as disease and hunger take their toll, it will only get worse. Relief efforts from abroad will be absolutely vital in keeping the death and despair to a minimum.

In the coming weeks, local churches and other groups will be organizing relief efforts, but in the meantime you can visit the White House Website at www.whitehouse.gov to learn how to pledge assistance immediately.

A LOCAL CHARITY that recently benefited from the kindness of strangers reminds us again that people helping people is really what life is all about.

The Northwest Montana Veterans Stand Down and Food Pantry has been looking to expand from its longtime quarters on Montana 35 for some time, but because the facility operates on a shoestring, there has been no realistic opportunity to fulfill that dream.

Until now.

Just before Christmas, an anonymous benefactor donated a two-story building near Kmart on U.S. 2 to the veterans group.

Allen Erickson, who operates the facility with his wife Linda, said the move came as a total surprise to him. “The good Lord works in small ways and big ways,” he said. “It’s hard to believe, but I’ve got the papers and it says it’s ours.”

Erickson has been a tireless worker for a good cause, and it’s truly gratifying to see him and the veterans he serves being rewarded so generously.