My fellow islanders, I have a problem. I care about homeless people. I see them here, wandering around the streets of Eastsound. They come into the co-op, where I work. They buy small amounts of food. I am usually shocked when I see them. They are usually so debilitated. I know one of them pretty well. I have known him for quite a while. He is kind, meek and unassuming. Lately, I have been bringing him food after work. I told him the other day that I would have some food for him that night. He looked at me with such ego-less, meek gratitude in his eyes. I had never seen that before. God, he could be a Buddhist saint. I was taken back by what I saw. His heart is pure, it is his body that has become deranged. Has this ostracized suffering purified him? Perhaps so …

I created a GoFundMe account specifically for my friend, to get him off the street, to house him for this winter. I have opened up to him, and his suffering is my suffering now. I believe we can easily solve this homeless problem here!! This island can raise the money for a homeless shelter. We have shown it before, this kind of generosity in giving.

So, I am putting out the call: Turn your attention to your fellow human being. They are suffering also. Ultimately, their suffering is your suffering too. We are All One, and ultimately, we feel the background suffering and pleasure of all of life, whether we realize it or not.

There is a website below for donations to my friend, to help him find shelter. I will steward these funds well: https://www.gofundme.com/end-homelessness-on-orcas-fund. Larger donations, made in pursuit of helping the homeless situation on Orcas Island, can be made to the Orcas Community Resource Center: 360-376-3184. I find them to be really excellent and dedicated people. Tell them what you want your money to do, and they will direct it in that way. Let’s come together.

Domenic Verbano

Orcas Island