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A few days ago while down at the Public Safety Center, I met a woman who presently is incarcerated at the facility. She said she remembered me. I kept thinking she looked familiar, but I couldn't remember where I had met her or the circumstances.

She said, "You gave me some food."

Since I help with the SHARE Craig program, I assumed that perhaps she purchased some food or through donations that we delivered a box to her at Thanksgiving or Christmas. She told me how her circumstances had continued to spiral downward from our first meeting, until the situations was out of control and she was arrested.

I thought, "What did I not recognize about her original situation that could have prevented her present condition?" I thought to myself, "Had she given up? Did she not know where else to turn? Was there an addiction problem?"

Serving God in a church setting provides many opportunities for awareness about which nonprofit agencies or church is best equipped for helping people with life's challenges. Catherine Keller, in her book "On the Mystery, Discerning Divinity in Process," defines compassion as "literally passion - with the other." Compassion is a big factor that drives the many nonprofit agencies and churches in our community. They want to help people.

If you need help, if you need someone to talk to, if you need food, if you are lonely and don't know where to turn, if you need someone to pray with or for you, there is help available in this valley, and especially in Craig.

But keep in mind you may have to persevere. Don't give up until you find the agency, church or person who can help you.

You may need to try a second place if the first one is unable to meet your needs. From Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable about the widow and the unjust judge who got tired of the widow pestering him, and the judge said, "'yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming,'" Luke 18:5, NRSV. Jesus told his disciples this parable to help them understand about "their need to pray and not to lose heart," Luke 18:1.

If you have questions about where to get help, I invite you to consider the church directory on this page to get started. They can help or can tell you who else can. Just don't give up, persevere.

Karen Gibson is co-pastor at Friendship United Methodist Church.