Minty is a Wheeling native who has struggled with her mental health, addiction and homelessness. She went on to get sober, compete in the Special Olympics, and become a pillar of our local NAMI chapter. She is working on a book to share her story and show others that recovery is possible. Here is an excerpt from her writings.

My name is Father Andy Switzer, and Bishop Evelio has appointed me the Delegate for Social Justice and Ecumenism and the Liaison for the Catholic Community of Appalachia.

Mourning our dead is one of the oldest and most important functions of a society; but it is one that tragically too many members of our overlooked communities miss out on - either the opportunity to do so for their friends and family, or at their own passing. We offer this section - with as much information as possible and certainly in the Dorothy Day spirit that “anything worth doing is worth doing poorly” - to try our meager best to show our friends and neighbors the dignity in death that we know every person possesses.

Although commonplace for many of us, having an ID is truly a precious commodity. It is like holding a set of keys that can get you into places and give you access to the things you need and want. It’s easy to take for granted when we have a driver’s license or state ID in our wallet. To get it, all we had to do was upload our information to the DMV website with our payment information and it was delivered right to our mailbox. The worst-case scenario is we had to take that undesirable trip to the DMV. But for some people, especially for someone experiencing homelessness or other poverty issues, obtaining an ID can seem like an insurmountable barrier.

Acts of kindness come in many forms. Whether it’s delivering clothing, water, shoes, and other necessities or helping connect individuals to services and resources, Susan Brossman and Lynn Kettler—better known as Street Moms—are always willing to lend a hand. They remind us that no act of kindness is ever too big or too small when it comes to helping someone in need.