By MARY NADER
North Kitsap Fishline

“I have never been in a situation like I was put into in November of last year.”

Thus begins a long letter from one of our clients, partially written as a response to our inquiry about their wellbeing and progress, and partially as a heartfelt note of thanks for the role Fishline and our community played in this family’s life for a short time a few months ago.

She then retells her story of her husband’s sudden and catastrophic illness that required life-saving surgery in Seattle, and a months-long and only partial recovery, which resulted in crushing piles of debt. She recalls that all of this was happening to them during the holidays, making a normal Thanksgiving or Christmas out of the question for so many reasons.

Fishline, along with friends and family, did what we could to keep this family safe and stable.

We could assist with rent, utilities and food, even birthday gifts for the kids. Through our Christmas Child program, our client family was connected to the employees of a local business so they could generously help with Christmas gifts and groceries.

When this family needed it more than ever, they could celebrate the holidays together in their home and were profoundly impacted by the kindness they were shown.

“We honestly didn’t know how we could feed our family during this crisis without the help. Our community came through for us when we could not provide for our own.  Thank you!”

At Fishline, our team is mediating a beautiful interchange of need and provision that can go a little unnoticed by those not seeing it every day. The stories we hear, especially after clients have moved past the crisis and can reflect, are remarkable testimonies.  We are reminded that a thousand things come together to help us move beyond a nightmare — but what’s not often forgotten for many years after is the compassion of a community that helped without even knowing your name.

This phenomenon of neighbors helping neighbors cannot always be logically explained but it has power nonetheless. When you have survived thanks to the kindness of strangers, the next crisis won’t be feared as much because the outcome can be so mobilizing and transformative. Asking for help can be a little easier when it is answered with respect and real solutions. And the gift we give to the giver is not to be underestimated. We all know the feeling when we have done something for someone that really helped them. There is no feeling quite like it.

Our client later told us that, while she was writing the letter to Fishline, tears were streaming down her face the entire time.  Remembering the pain, the fear and the sacrifices made her sad, but she was also touched by the realization that her family was not alone and could count on this community during their hardest time.

She ends her letter, “Saying thank you just doesn’t seem like enough.  They are just words. But right now, that is all we have.”

Those words, and the happy ending to this story, are not just enough, they are everything.

— Mary Nader is executive director of North Kitsap Fishline. Contact her at director@nkfishline.org.