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Looking Out for ONe Another

A few years ago, a massive holiday snowstorm buried northern Michigan in several feet of snow. My mom, who had been visiting me, returned home to find a cold house and the smell of gas—the furnace had shut down. The problem turned out to be simple: snow had completely blocked an exterior vent. Once the vent was cleared and the house aired out, everything was fine. Still, reaching that side of the house is tough even in an ordinary winter, and the concern about another shutdown lingered. 

Then, during a sunny July conversation, my mom learned that her neighbor, Jill, works from a home office with a window that looks directly onto that very vent. With another record-setting winter on the way, my mom asked if she might keep an eye on it. Jill didn’t hesitate. “Of course. That’s what neighbors are for.” 

In recent months, we’ve seen that same spirit of “looking out for one another” reflected here at the Community Foundation: 

Boyne Area Free Clinic and Good Neighbors Food Pantry share space at a building in Boyne City. They recently embarked on a campaign to raise dollars for the improvement and renovation of that building, so they can serve clients and patients better. Together, they established the Boyne Area Free Clinic/Good Neighbors Food Pantry Special Project Fund here at the Community Foundation to collect contributions to support this joint project.  

Bethany Lutheran Church in Charlevoix dissolved last year, but wanted to support mission work with resources that remained. They established the Bethany Lutheran Church Service to Neighbors Fund that will make an annual distribution to the Charlevoix Ministerial Association to supplement the existing Emergency Assistance Fund for folks facing financial hardship.  

Here at the Community Foundation, we’ve established a reciprocity agreement with other regional foundations so we can support one another if staffing gaps or unexpected disruptions make it hard to maintain essential operations. We hope we never need to use it, but if we do, we’ll count on our neighbors—and be ready to return the favor. 

You probably have your own stories of people stepping in when it mattered. That’s one of the best parts of living here: it’s good to know your neighbors. 

Warmly,  

Sara