In Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, the “Good Neighbor” didn’t judge the man who was beaten and robbed. He didn’t place any expectations on him, nor make his help conditional. He didn’t let prejudice or race or class stop him from doing what he thought was the right thing to do. He simply helped someone who needed help.

For him, it was money well spent.

At MOM, we try to emulate that Good Samaritan. Judging others is not for us. When people are in trouble, there is only one thing to do: Help them. We’ve been doing just that, on your behalf, for 25 years.

One day a young woman named Jane came to us. She didn’t have much. She never did. Her mother had raised Jane and her two sisters on the income of a hotel maid. She never knew her father. The four of them lived in a 1-BR apartment. Her mother slept on the couch. Jane remembered never having enough money, but her mother always made sure they were clothed and fed.

They were homeless only once. That happened when Jane’s mother got sick and couldn’t work. They had to move in with their aunt. They spent over three months there before the landlord got wise and they had to move into a motel. Somehow, after her mother recovered, they got into a new apartment, not that much to look at, but it was home. Jane learned a lot from her experiences. She learned that even though people say money doesn’t bring happiness, you can’t live without it. And as she grew up, she swore she would never be poor again. She didn’t want her children going through what she had to go through. She graduated from high school, but didn’t have the money for college. That was alright with her, because she had a job and a boyfriend. Everything was going to be alright.

Jane moved in with her boyfriend and they planned to get married. But before they could, she became pregnant, and he changed his mind. He said he wasn’t ready to be a father. He left her. He would come back once in awhile to help her when she needed it. But he didn’t have any money. His job didn’t pay him much and neither did hers. She applied for help from the government and the government gave her medical care and food stamps. Nothing else. And her family couldn’t help. They were having trouble supporting themselves. She was on her own.

She got lucky. A friend told her about subsidized housing and she applied and got in. Now she’d pay only 30% of her income towards her rent. When she moved in, she left half her things behind. They weren’t worth the trouble of moving. But she had a bed, a couch and a table and chairs and that was enough for her.

Then she got sick—and she was still pregnant. She had to take some days off work, but because she did, she was fired. The government told her she would receive no financial assistance until after the baby was born. She would have to find another job. But she was very pregnant now, and no one would hire her.

Because her income was zero, her rent was reduced to zero. Still, she didn’t have enough food. She couldn’t pay her bills. She had no way of getting around. The baby was coming, and she had nothing for it. Then the Landlord told her that because she had worked half a month before she was fired, she owed rent on the half month she worked. If she didn’t pay it, she would be evicted.

In a panic, she called everyone she knew. All her relatives. All her friends. Former teachers. Anyone. Finally, someone suggested she should go to MOM. Her boyfriend gave her a ride to the office.

MOM was able to help her with food from the food pantry and clothing for her and her expected child. MOM also gave her a voucher for a crib and some linen from a local non-profit agency. The MOM rent assistance program would cover the back rent and the MOM utility assistance program got her light bill paid off. As a MOM counselor talked with both her and her boyfriend, problems in their relationship came to light. They said they still cared for each other, and they agreed to couples counseling. No promises were made, though. Nothing was asked of them or from each other. They were helped and that was enough.

She has a chance now. They both do. For MOM, it was money well spent.

© 2005 Middleton Outreach Ministry

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