Steve Habeger recently had something wonderful happen. It was one of many good things that have happened since13 he's volunteered to help at Samaritan Ministries, the homeless shelter in Pocomoke City. It was the kind of thing keeps him and his fellow volunteers working there.

Here's what happened. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) overheard Habeger's wife mentioning to someone that Habeger was attending a Samaritan Ministries meeting that night. The CNA excused herself for breaking into the conversation and then said, "The Samaritan Ministries got me where I am today! It gave me a chance to get back on my feet."

The woman went on to explain that 10 years earlier, she had been down and out. She was a single mother with two children, and had developed a crippling alcohol problem. Because of her alcohol addiction, she had lost her job and ended up homeless.

The Samaritan Ministries took her in and he and the staff and volunteers there treated her as they try to treat all who come there, that is with dignity, warmth, and respect. They also tried to give her one of the biggest things that she lacked in her life, structure.

They did it in a tough love kind of way. Each of the 300 or so guests who come each year have to agree before they're accepted that they'll abide by the rules.

These are: no substance abuse, no violence, and the guests have to be in by ten in the evening and out, either working or looking for work, by 8:30 AM. For some of the guests, the requirement about getting out early in the day is a tough one.

"Often," says Habeger, "they've never owned an alarm clock because they've never needed one. They didn't learn from their parents that you get up and go to work even though you may not want to, and you make yourself do it because you have a responsibility to yourself and your family."

The hope of the staff and volunteers who work there is that the people, like the CNA, who come there will no longer engage in the behaviors that brought them there. It's a tall order, because, as Habeger

says, "You don't end up in a homeless shelter by making just one mistake."

Habeger wishes people knew two things about the homeless shelter. "First, you may not hear about the homeless now" he says, "and Hollywood may be off to other causes, but the need for this type of facility continues unabated

. "Second," he continues, "we have a huge diversity of needs. Because we're a business, a home, a shelter, a food bank, and a charity, there's a need for almost everything that a person could offer."

For example, can you teach a 16 year old mother about menu planning? With just a little help, she could spend her money more wisely, and instead of just getting the expensive prepared foods, she could make her budget go further. You don't have to be a PhD to teach a young girl to shop.

Other ways people can help is maintenance of the building or the grounds, or mentoring or driving guests, or best of all, offering them work. The wonderful thing is that, as in the case of the Certified Nursing Assistant, the people at Samaritan Ministries actually can help people get back on their feet.

They're the modern day Good Samaritans.

Samaritan Ministries is a United Way Agency. You can reach them at: Samaritan Ministries P.O. Box 661 Pocomoke City, MD 21851, or call them at: 410 957 4310

Wish list:

• New garage doors
• A working cell phone
• A working copier ("I don't need one that doesn't work: I've got one of those already!" says Rev Tom Wall, Vice Chairman of the Board)
• New living room carpet
• Paper products, such as toilet paper, napkins, Kleenex
• Anti Bacterial Wipes
• A Large Mop
• A working condition lawn mower and weed whacker
• A working electric stove