Shawn Vestal: ‘That’s what life is all about. You’re supposed to be a good neighbor’

When Laura Fish-Leat saw the images of empty shelves everywhere, she thought of her neighbors.

Many of the people in her Chief Garry Park neighborhood are older and have health conditions that make life difficult in the best of times. Fish-Leat, who works at a Rite-Aid store, imagined them taking the time and effort to go to the store and walk to the toilet paper section, or to seek out the hand sanitizer – only to be greeted with empty shelves.

And then trying another store ….

“A lot of my neighbors are elderly,” she said. “A lot of my neighbors are sick. … No matter whether it’s the flu season or something else, they need help.”

In the days since the coronavirus shutdowns have been in effect, Fish-Leat has purchased toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizer and other goods and given them to her neighbors. Her mother, Liz Fish, said it’s nothing new.

“She does it all the time,” Fish said. “She’s very considerate. Always looking out for her neighbors.”

Fish-Leat’s next-door neighbor, Ralph Brown, seconded that notion. Brown is a 77-year-old who’s lived in Spokane since 1965. Retired from a career with the Boilermakers Union, he doesn’t have family around. He suffers a variety of health problems, and Fish-Leat, who often makes sure he’s gotten dinner and anything else he needs, recently spent the better part of the day with him at the hospital.

As Brown puts it, “She looks out for me a little bit.”

The conventional wisdom is that times of crisis bring out the best (and worst) in people. It’s certainly brought out the best in many people in our region over the past two weeks. People are giving their time and energy to good causes. Businesses and individuals are donating money, and charitable folks are starting up projects from scratch. You may have read about some of them in previous columns.

Many, many people are doing what Fish-Leat is doing, as well – taking care of her neighbors, just as she always does, outside the spotlight.

“That’s what life is all about,” Brown said. “You’re supposed to be a good neighbor to your neighbors.”

Grab and go

Shalom Ministries has worked long and hard in service of Spokane’s homeless population, providing regular breakfasts and dinners in the basement at 518 W. Third Ave. If you spend much time downtown, you’ve seen the lines of people outside the New Community Church, awaiting what might be their only meal of the day.

It’s sobering, because it’s a reminder of the deep, intense need that exists in this community. But it’s heartening, too, because it’s a sign that people are responding with compassion.

Of course, the coronavirus – and the crucial public health measures necessary to slow and limit its spread – has upended services for the homeless all over the city. Preparing and serving meals has become exponentially more difficult, when it’s possible at all, because organizations have to take extra time and effort to sanitize everything in sight, and to serve smaller groups at a time.

“Shalom Ministries has chosen to close their inside dining room to help protect our guests and volunteers,” the organization’s executive director, Tim Swartout, wrote in an email message. “A difficult choice indeed; no place to wash their hands, sit and rest or just to warm up while eating their freshly prepared food.

“The good news is that Shalom did not close their doors altogether. (On Monday) Shalom began providing meals outside their facility on the public sidewalk. Six times per week as many as 150-200 people line up to receive hot food to go.”

If you’d like to help the effort, you can donate at shalommeal.org, or send a check to P.O. Box 4684, Spokane, WA 99220.