“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

— Edith Sitwell

For the first three decades of my life I lived in a region that celebrates the sun. It is for this reason that I have, for the last 23 years, celebrated snow in the Pacific Northwest with the enthusiasm of a kid. If I learn that it might snow overnight, I leave the back porch light on so I can easily make my way to a bedroom window to conduct snow checks throughout the night.

When my husband and I were in the throes of raising our children, snow days were joyous surprises, but not peaceful. There was rummaging through cold weather clothing, phone calls to nearby neighbor children, incessant snacking and scattered boots creating indoor puddles. There were piles of blankets with kids and pillows underneath, snoozing pets and non-stop chatter.

I loved it all. Having never experienced a snow day growing up, I relished the task of waking them with the news that school was canceled and the day was theirs, however they wanted to spend it.

This week, with our kids all grown up, the joyous hubbub was absent, replaced by sheer beauty, calm, a glorious fire and attention paid to a ragtag group of animals needing additional care. Butch and Sundance, our Nubian goat brothers, faced the cold with new winter blankets and a hut warmed by fresh bedding and a warming light. The hens, still committed to daily laying beautiful brown eggs, were gifted with liberal amounts of cracked corn, laying mash and kitchen scraps.

Snow, however, is not a happy experience for everyone living here. I see it firsthand in the growing number of community members — our neighbors in transition — who regularly make their way to my church and other local congregations. Their needs? Vouchers to help pay for a home heating bill, gas for their vehicle, a night in a local hotel, or a trip to the grocery store for basic foodstuffs. It’s work that’s done quietly and in response to God’s call for us to serve those in need.

A very public response can be seen today, Jan. 21, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the corner of the old Berg Ford car lot on Highway 20 as the Interfaith Coalition of Whidbey Island (IcoWI) holds a “Feed the Need” canned and dry goods drive to help resupply the Help House. The coalition is comprised of heart-driven community members, local churches and officials who work to meet real needs, especially at a time when social service agencies face budget cuts. IcoWI is a 501 C(3) nonprofit organization. If you prefer to make a cash donation, all monetary gifts are tax deductible. The coalition currently partners with local landlords to provide rental assistance and hopes to raise funds for future housing projects.

It’s time to offer comfort and the touch of a friendly hand.