“The love of our neighbor hath its bounds in each man’s love of himself.” – St. Augustine
In our fast-paced world, many people find themselves disconnected from their communities. But this wasn’t the case for Linda Taylor, a beloved member of her small Minneapolis neighborhood.
Linda Taylor was known as the “bright star” of the neighborhood. A volunteer helping the homeless and the needy, she had been renting a small house in the Powderhorn Park district since arriving in the area 19 years prior.
When her landlord informed her that he decided to sell her property and that she was to vacate the property within two months, she was at a loss and confided in a neighbor. Little did she know that her neighbor recognized how much good Linda had done for the community throughout the years and vowed to find a way to help.
He spread the word around the community and soon all the neighbors rallied to find a solution. First, they struck a deal with the landlord to get a bit more time before Linda would have to evict. Then they put their fundraising efforts into overdrive to raise money to help Linda buy the home.
Although times were tough and not everyone had extra cash to spare, the community got creative because they knew that every effort would make a difference. Many small donations, an art show, a bake sale, a real estate agent’s pro-bono work, and other community-led drives later allowed the neighbors to collect enough money to allow Linda to buy her house.
Even after giving her time, money, and energy to the community for 19 years, Linda felt overwhelmed with joy and expressed her desire to give back to the community. “It makes me feel so good, everything that I have given, it’s coming back to me, and I want to continue to give. I love this neighborhood.”
To celebrate the win, the neighborhood held a block party, and every attendee was brimming with joy.
Everyone can feel alone at times and being in a dire financial situation is distressing and scary. Having an incredible community makes each person feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. More importantly, helping others in a time of need is what makes each of us human.
As for Linda Taylor, she is a proud homeowner continuing to volunteer and running a free library on her lawn.
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At Sheltering Grace, we realize the importance of being a part of a community and helping people in their time of need. Our great team of like-minded people is passionate about helping homeless mothers and babies end their devastating cycle of homelessness. Please contact us at 678-337-7858 to learn how you can help. Your one act of kindness can make all the difference to mothers and babies in need.
