My late husband Tim and I have been aware of the needs of children and young adults due to my career in education and Tim's connections with young families through his real estate business.

Several years ago, he and I sold a home to a young woman with two children on a land contract. She was unable to get a bank loan because of an earlier bankruptcy. Just a few years into the contract, she called and said she could not make the payments and would have to leave the house. She received a paycheck every two weeks and could not seem to save half of the monthly payment from the second check of the month. My husband asked her if it would help if she paid twice a month-half from each check. She thought that might help, and it did. He said she just needed a hand up. Today that woman owns her home-free and clear.

I have thought a lot about those three words, "a hand up." Most of us give a hand up on a weekly basis. We make calls, send cards, make a hot dish or cookies for a sick neighbor or friend, visit friends in nursing homes, and attend funerals to show respect. We check on our neighbors if their window shades don't go up and down.

Some of us have an opportunity to try and make a difference in other ways. Working in education my entire career, I think especially about children and teens whose lives are dark and/or threatened. Children and teens need a safe place to hang out and learn after school and during the summer months. They need to be protected from unsafe homes, they need a place to get a wholesome meal, and they need to be introduced to the arts. Special needs teens need tutoring. Both children and teens need a vibrant library with special programs.

Working with the Community Foundation of Chippewa County gives my late husband and me an opportunity to work toward these goals in a small way-by giving "a hand up."