Hi Neighbour! Where there is a will, there is always a way. Our willingness to help lighten a neighbour's burden usually makes seemingly impossible tasks possible.

Last week, Ann Marie's need for a crib for her young child was published in this column. A neighbour from National Commercial Bank (let's call her 'Kind One'), picked up the newspaper, saw the need and emailed us, offering to donate a second-hand crib to Ann Marie. We did our usual link-up.

When our good Samaritan made contact with Ann Marie, who lives in Clarendon, they met upon two roadblocks - distance and transportation. Ann Marie could not afford the cost to transport the crib from Kingston to Clarendon and it would too much to ask the Kingston neighbour to cover the transportation cost.

Still the need for the crib and the desire to donate it remained. They believed that something would be worked out. While travelling along Highway 2000 that same day, our benevolent neighbour ran into her brother who is now travelling around the island weekly! Perfect! During their brief conversation, she discovered that he was scheduled to travel to Clarendon the following day and would be delighted to deliver the crib to Ann Marie free of cost.

Out of nowhere came this solution? Not quite. That, for me, was no mere coincidence. As I have been saying in this column, whenever we truly desire to help a neighbour, there is a Huge Hand ready to guide the process to closure. We should, therefore, not be reluctant to extend ourselves wherever we are to help a neighbour. The opportunity to help has the potential to propel us to the heights of happiness and depths of satisfaction.

I believe it was the same Huge Hand that was guiding Dorcas (not her real name), a mother of two, when she recently decided to take into her care a three-week-old child from a mother with seven small children. Dorcas, who has her own financial challenges, said that when she saw the living conditions of the mother of seven, she instinctively offered to take the youngest one and care for her even though she wasn't quite sure how this would be accomplished.

Again, where there is a will there is a way. On sharing the story with one of our volunteers, he immediately called a former co-worker who rallied support from other colleagues for the cause. The effort brought in a tidy sum which was used to purchase food and diapers for the infant. (If you want to help meet the needs of neighbours like this one who you may never meet, please contact us.)

There is no way we should lose hope because despite the scant regard that the misguided have for life and property, the spirit of neighbourliness is energising and connecting people with people, as they provide solutions in various forms for one another. Think it's gonna be just a matter of time before we all catch on. Never mind, I will continue to be an optimist!

As you prepare to be a good Samaritan today, keep these words from a song in your heart:

If I can help somebody as I pass along

If I can cheer somebody with a word of song

If I can show somebody he is travelling wrong

Then my living shall not be in vain.

Thank you, neighbours

Thanks to these neighbours who have dipped into their coffers to make their neighbours a little happier

1. The neighbour, from Clarendon, who has offered a bed to another neighbour in need.

2. Ms Powell, Manchester, for offering her neighbour clothing for church.

3. Mrs Ramsay, St Catherine, for donating seeds to a neighbour who wants to do a little farming as an income generator.

4. Sister Gwen, St Catherine, for donating adult diapers to a needy senior neighbour.

5. Ernestine for her generous financial contribution towards meetng her neighbour's needs.

6. Christine for her financial contribution to neighbours in need.

7. Sherrine, Ayana and Stephanie for their continued acts of kindness to an unemployed neighbour's child.

Help a neighbour

Here are opportunities to help others. Please call 906-3167, 884-3866 or 373-7745 or email neighbourtoo@yahoo.com and we will make the link. Those who desire to make financial donations to this project may make deposits to Acct # 351 044 276 at the National Commercial Bank. Bank routing #: JNCBJMKX

1. Vivia, whose epileptic son, Kirk, needs to do a CT scan which will cost $30,000. She can only find $15,000.

2. Novelette, Trelawny, an unemployed mother of three kids aged seven, three and one. Sometimes they go to bed without a meal. She is asking neighbours for a little help until she can find her way again.

3. Wendy, Kingston, mother of two-month-old twins. Asking for a second-hand stroller.

4. Sharon, Manchester, mother of five. Lost a hand through unfortunate circumstances, badly needs a bed for children who now sleep on a piece of sponge.

5. Tyrone, St Catherine, was almost on his own since he was a child. He now occupies a room and is in need of second-hand furniture.

6. Neighbour, seven months pregnant and unemployed, whose unborn child's father has died. Needs clothing for baby and self.

7. Mrs Samuels, Manchester, whose adult daughter was born blind. She needs a wheelchair.

8. Juliet, Westmoreland, an unemployed single mother of six, is asking neighbours for assistance to construct a little outdoor kitchen.

9. Neighbour, recovering from major stroke. Needs nutritional products to help him along. Unable to afford at this time.

10. Ms Douglas, Clarendon, is seeking assistance for an elderly widow within her community, who is blind and needs food. Ms Douglas is doing what she can, but it's not enough.

11. Ms Brown, St Catherine, a single mother of three, whose son is barred from sitting final exams due to non-payment of fees. She has already paid part.