To the Editor:

Recently, there have been a few discussions that I have heard around town. They are about greed and desire for more affordable housing for those without high incomes, such as our numerous minimum wage workers who keep our businesses going.

Many commute because of a lack of affordable rentals. The response is often live somewhere else; yet, those suggestions are often for places that have drug addicts hanging around. Even low-income earners have a right to live in a safe town, but Bethel was recently designated the most expensive town in Maine with housing costs having gone up at least 23% in the last three years.

This leads me to remind people that to someone struggling, small things make a big difference. A meal, a way to exchange work for rent, or sometimes just a smile or word of appreciation is enough. No act of kindness is too small.

We are blessed to have our Food Pantry and District Exchange. Many lend a helping hand without any expectation of return. I am grateful if you have extended even a small act of kindness recently.

I will note a couple of examples I noticed in the last 1-2 weeks. Eli Hubble with M&E Roofing and Carpentry has been offering free snow removal for seniors of a certain age, disabled, and those with financial issues; and has teamed with others to service more than just Bethel.

The Sugar Shack now has a pay-it-forward board where you can prepay for items for those in need. John at Holidae House used a translation app to ensure that non-English speaking guests felt welcomed and appreciated.

To someone in need, it takes very little to make life a little better. I hope that we will do more and more of this in our town; for it connects deeply with our roots of self-sufficiency that allowed this town to thrive before Gould, The Bethel Inn, and Sunday River existed. It is the foundation that we were originally built on.

Jesse An Nichols George
Bethel