Snow "pro" saves MLK service day

Retha Porter and her 10-year-old neighbor had been looking forward to helping at the St. Vincent de Paul center in Vancouver, Washington on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

But icy conditions dashed their hopes.

“My spirit was downcast at the thought of missing the opportunity to serve with my coworkers,” Retha said.

“I was literally praying about navigating safely down my steep hill in the ice, when it came to me, ‘Ask Debbie,’” she said.

Debbie Sidwell, from the same PeaceHealth communications team and a nearby community, was planning to participate in the service project. With her family’s love of snow camping, she has had plenty of experience driving in winter weather. Retha knew her “positive and upbeat” friend would be undaunted by the road conditions.

In much higher spirits, Retha and her young charge carefully hoofed it down the hill to meet their ride.

At St. Vincent dePaul's, the threesome joined 20 other team members and a few regular volunteers—to honor MLK’s legacy by serving clients, sorting clothes and stocking pantry shelves at the warehouse.

Nonprofits rely on volunteers throughout the year to serve people in need—more than 50,000 in the case of St. Vincent dePaul. In this case, two eager volunteers counted on the willingness of a friend to “go the extra mile.”

St. Vincent de Paul’s mission in Vancouver, Washington is to serve the community and provide food, clothing, rental and utility assistance at no cost to those in need.