Mary Rose and the Vashon Resettlement Committee have done a stellar thing bringing Syrian refugees to the island. They need many things.

Years ago I was living in a tiny town in Northern California working at the high school there. The town had a small campground which I passed every day on my way home from work. Walking home one afternoon I came across an old man living in a bread truck. His name was Curley. He was a WWII vet who was disabled with many war wounds. He lived on donuts. Many times he couldn’t get out of his bed at night to use the restroom, so the truck reeked and the rug on the floor was wet with urine. He could easily have gone to the veterans hospital, but he was fiercely independent.

We talked a long time and I came to like him very much. On my way home I was crying as I thought of his hard condition. At the time I was religious and I prayed: “Oh God please take care of Curley.” To my trembling surprise, a voice said to me: “No way. You take care of Curley, I’ll take care of you.”

It was not a voice I could possibly ignore and I did take care of Curley (long story and one that changed my entire life).

At this point I might lift my hands to the sky and pray: “Oh God help Mary Rose, the committee and the refugees,” but I think I know what the answer would be.

— Lawrence Dean