Small gestures of empathy and kindness can go a long way toward improving the quality of life for those finding themselves in hard times. It can even create award winning programs that work to better the quality of life for community members finding themselves in the middle of a whirlwind of expansion and turmoil during the Bakken oil boom.
The Fellowship Baptist Church, Sidney, recently received the “Ready Montana Award” from the Governor’s Office of Community Service, the Montana Commission on Community Service and First Lady Nancy Schweitzer.
The purpose of the award is to recognize people of all ages and backgrounds who, through their dedication and commitment to community service, have greatly enhanced civic life in the area.
“Someone locally nominated us for the humanitarian relief efforts we are doing to help with the influx of people,” said Jordon Hall, pastor and church member.
Several awards are given out in each category. In particular, the Ready Montana Award is for service specifically related to disaster services, emergency preparedness and emergency response.
The church continues to provide showers to those without running water, food to the hungry through its food banks and is serving as an emergency warming station for those left out in the elements without heat.
The warming station provides people who find themselves without heat a place to warm up until their heat is turned on or propane is available.
Brad Moore knows firsthand how important this program is for some community members. In July 2009, he was one of the needy. “I came here to work in the oil field and I was promised the moon. When I got here I couldn’t even find a place to live. I stayed in a tent from July to November and I relied on the church for showering and heat,” he said.
Back in 2008, Moore was driving a long haul load as a truck driver when he was in a severe accident. After surviving, he wanted to get involved with helping others and that was when he found the church.
He was invited to use the church for showering, heat and food. He also found compassion from people who were complete strangers that later became friends. “He was one of our regulars I guess you could say and we decided we would invite him to participate in the program by helping others who needed use of our facilities. He started coming down to unlock the facility for others in need and really got on board with the program,” Hall said.
Through the church’s outreach committee, five or six volunteers collaborate and take turns opening the church up for people in need. Moore is an active member of the outreach committee.
Today, Moore is a jailer at the Richland County Justice Center. When he isn’t working, he’s at the church volunteering his time and helping others who are in situations similar to the one he once experienced.
The humanitarian program originally started as a way to help people who were here working on the beet farms during harvest. But once the oil boom began rapidly impacting Sidney these past several years, it became obvious the need expanded far beyond the short harvest season.
The church uses a mobile six-shower unit they borrow from the Montana Southern Baptist Convention, Billings. The trailer is located on site and only removed when it is needed for disasters. Last spring, it was used during the flooding and taken to the Crow Reservation and Minot. During the winter it can’t be used because of the freezing temperatures and during that time people use the four showers located inside the church.
The mobile showers will return in the spring.
The church is currently feeding between 10 and 15 families each week through food pantry efforts.
This summer, the church has plans to collect totes, blankets and clothing to offer in addition to their other services.
“We do all of this because it’s important. We want the community to know that we love them and we want to be hospitable to people whether they are from Richland County or just traveling through,” Hall said.
If there are clothing items you would like to donate, please call 406-433-4004.
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