COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • MARCH 1, 2019 •
Pet tips
‘n’ Tales
Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox
At U.S.-Mexico border: The needy, the helpers and the guards
Betty Kaiser
C
hris Heritage is one
busy lady. I first got to
know her as the tal-
ented bell choir director at 1st
Presbyterian Church. She’s also
a loving wife, mother, grand-
mother, sister and friend. Plus,
as a PeaceHealth Certified Mid-
wife, she has felt a call to help
refugees around the world.
Most of the places she hoped to
go were too far away.
Then she heard about the
Humanitarian Respite Center
run by Catholic Charities of the
Rio Grande Valley in McAllen,
Texas — across from Reynosa,
Mexico. The Center was started
in 2014 in response to exhaust-
ed Central America refugees
arriving in the U.S. to escape vi-
olence and poverty. They were
alone and bewildered upon ar-
rival.
Enter the church nuns.
Their missions statement says
in part: “We believe that human
beings who have no food, no
security, no access to shower,
etc. are people in crisis.
We will continue respond-
ing to the needs of these fami-
lies in crisis as long as there is
a need.”
Last year a request went out
from the clinic for help from
Spanish speaking medical vol-
unteers. Dr. Lauren Herbert,
M.D., a PeaceHealth pediatri-
cian, answered the call and in-
vited Chris to come along. This
was an opportunity not to be
missed.
Travel to a crisis at our own
border was reasonable, peo-
ple were suffering, she speaks
Spanish and the timing was
good. She thought, “I can do
this.”
Another nurse from Bell-
ingham, Wash., joined them.
Upon arrival at the clinic on
Jan. 13, they were put to work
immediately. Buses arrive daily
from the ICE detention facility
with several hundred refugees
who have been released to enter
the country.
Now, they are greeted by
the volunteers with smiles and
given help in connecting with
their U.S. sponsors, a hot meal,
warm showers and bathrooms,
beds, clothing, shoes, medical
help, phone services and safety
courses.
Chris says, “Most of them
are headed east. They stay for
a day or two before continuing
on their journey. People who
felt especially sick came right
away to the clinic for medical
help. There was usually a surge
of children and adults needing
our help in the afternoon and
into the evening. We would go
to bed and the next morning
there was a line again.
We took care of everything
from minor colds to bruises,
scrapes, headaches, stomach
aches, athletes’ foot and occa-
sionally more serious illnesses.
People with life threatening
problems are sent to the local
hospital ER.
“They have so much hope,”
she says. “Even the ones with
ankle monitors who would like-
ly be sent back to the dangerous
situations they are trying to
escape. I have met and worked
with similar families here in
Oregon. They are hardworking,
kind, hopeful. They have strong
family values, are attentive to
their children. So happy to be
here.
“Now, having worked in
Texas, I have a new respect for
their struggles.”
The volunteers occasion-
ally had opportunities to take
a break around lunch time to
learn firsthand about the bor-
der situation.
“One day we visited La
Posada, a place where Catholic
nuns provide longer term hous-
ing and support for refuges that
don’t have an immediate place
to go.
Another time we visited a
19th century chapel that will be
torn down if the wall is built.
Then, the next group would ar-
rive, and the work would start
again until the early evening.”
Chris’ stories about the
common humanity of the peo-
ple she encountered are heart-
warming. There were the needy,
the helpers and the guards. The
needy, of course, were the most
obvious. There was a 12-year-
old boy, separated (and later
united) with his father on a
truck where people were killed
crossing the border. Another
boy had an infected leg from
the wreck.
A woman who was 6-1/2
months pregnant fell in the Rio
Grande River and was tossed
about by the current. She was
worried about her baby.
Chris got out her stetho-
scope and they both laughed
out loud as they heard the ba-
by’s heartbeat. There were tears
of happiness.
People from all walks of
life come to help. There are
clothes to be sorted, floors to be
mopped, meals to be prepared
and cleaning of all kinds to be
done. A group of Mennonite
men and women come regular-
ly and prepare the soup of the
day.
A local church group comes
often as does a church from
Iowa. A Facebook group helps
people in the McAllen area to
donate pizza dinners to the Re-
spite Center.
One day, Chris observed
some official looking men with
clipboards watching the chil-
dren play. She was suspicious.
Turns out they were sketching
plans to build a playground.
Kindness abounds.
And then there was an hour-
long discussion with a border
guard. The government was
shut down, but this man was
working without a paycheck for
his family.
Chris began their conversa-
tion by thanking him.
The guard’s response was,
“If I was not working, people
would die. I could not live with
myself if that happened.”
So, what can we do? These
were legal immigrants. Not il-
legals. They had a destination.
Still, they were needy. Getting
from their country to ours is
not easy even when they’ve
done the paperwork.
Of course, the easiest way
to help is by direct donations to
organizations like the Catholic
Charities of the Rio Grande.
Advocating for just treat-
ment of the immigrants is an-
other way to help. Sometimes
government needs a little nudge
to tell them that what they’re
doing is kinda crazy.
Here’s an example from
Chris:
“When people cross the
border and turn themselves
into the border patrol, they are
sent to ICE detention. Their
shoelaces are removed and tak-
en away. Everyone needs a new
pair of shoelaces when they ar-
rive at the Center.
“One of the volunteers tried
to get the shoelaces back from
ICE, but so far, ‘NO’ is the an-
swer. There may be a logical
reason for this, but to have
them replaced days later by do-
nations and volunteers seems
pretty inefficient.”
Betty says, “That’s govern-
ment for you.”
Many thanks to Chris for
sharing her story and to all who
care for these newcomers with
open minds, hearts and exper-
tise.
God bless them all and the
USA!
Contact Betty Kaiser’s Chat-
terbox at 942-1317 or email
bchatty@bettykaiser.com
Opal Center to present Pultizer Prize-winning play
The Opal Center for Arts
and Education, Cottage Grove’s
Black Box Theater, will present
“‘night, Mother,” the Pulitzer
Prize-winning play by Marsha
Norman. Nominated for four
Tony awards and winner of the
1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama,
“‘night, Mother” is a powerful
play about contemporary life
and what gives it — or fails to
give it — meaning.
Director and actor Nikki
Pagniano announced there
will be a two-week run of the
rarely produced drama, which
takes on the very serious topic
of suicide. True to life, the story
6
-day
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is filled with humor and human
compassion, while also making
a disturbing statement about re-
sponsibility and courage.
Featuring actors Eliza Roar-
ing Springs and Elizabeth Peter-
son, “‘night, Mother” is a story
about a mother and daughter,
and about taking control of
one’s life. The play opens on just
another Saturday night in the
home of Thelma and her grown
daughter, Jessie, who makes a
startling announcement which
propels the two women into a
life-changing conversation of
uncompromising honesty.
The Opal Center, 513 E. Main
St., is based in the historic Law-
son Building in downtown Cot-
tage Grove.
The play will be performed
March 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 8 p.m.,
with matinees on March 3 and
10 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 and
are available online at opalcen-
tercg.org or next door to the
theater at the Crafty Mercan-
tile, 517 E. Main St. in Cottage
Grove.
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DUSTIN TULLAR & RUSS OWENS
541-942-8022 • COTTAGE GROVE
5A
By Mary Ellen
“Angel Scribe”
Cat ‘Kneads’ to save lives
T
he following two stories illustrate pets’ life-saving
abilities:
Shanon had my full attention when she asked if I
knew how her shelter-rescue cat, Lucy, saved her life.
"Seven years ago, my electric lawn mower's large battery
was rechargeable,” said Shanon. "I put the monster on my vi-
nyl bedroom floor and plugged it into the electrical outlet.”
Shanon said she then purr-omptly forgot about it, went
out, came home late and went straight to bed. She had re-
cently begun sharing her room with her then eight-year-old
rescue-tabby kitty, Lucy, and closed the door at night.
“Well, at 2 a.m., Lucy began kneading my shoulder in a
very annoying manner,” said Shanon. “I kept pushing her
away, but she wouldn't leave me alone until I was fully
Lucy (right), saved the lives of her family including her
twin-brother, Desi (left.)
awake. I then noticed an acrid burning smell coming from
outside. I got up and closed the windows to stop any further
smoke from entering my home. I climbed back into bed and
fell right asleep.”
Once again, Lucy started kneading Shanon again, only
this time it was with more urgency.
“She was dig, dig, digging into my shoulder. I roused my-
self to shoo her away and that’s when I realized the acrid
smell was stronger, overwhelming and inside,” Shanon said.
“Then it hit me! The battery plugged in on the floor!”
Shanon jumped out of bed, opened the bedroom window
and went to the battery, which was red hot. She pulled the
plug and fetched her oven-mitts but didn't know what to do
with a smolderingly-dangerous battery that was melting the
floor.
“I retrieved a cookie sheet, lifted the battery on to it, car-
ried it outside and slid the smoking thing off onto the ce-
ment driveway,” Shanon recalled.
She returned to her smoke-filled home, turned on bath-
room and oven fans and opened all her windows and doors
to clear the smell. She then went over to Lucy Lu, picked her
up and gave her what Shanon described as “the biggest hugs
ever!”
“Lucy quite possibly saved all our lives including my
mother, our two Yorkies and her brother, Desi,” said Shanon.
“My smoke detector didn't come on, but Lucy’s nose did.”
Another time, Shanon's neighbor had a mouse in her
house, so she carried Desi and Lucy over to her neighbor’s
to go to work.
“They loved the adventure,” said Shanon. “It was a win-
win situation for everyone but the mouse. The cats are now
purr-fesional rodent-ridders. When I go on holidays they
will be comfortable staying with their ‘Auntie.’ We both wish
we had thought of this before!”
T
ips ‘n' Tales reader Ellen, who is in her late 70s, said,
“If it were it not for my dog, Mimi, there are days
that I simply couldn’t face getting up in the morning!
She's a life saver who constantly lifts me out of loneliness
and depression. One day, as I was walking her (or rather,
she was walking me) she stopped to ‘water the grass’ when a
man paused to talk to her.
“Mimi has this odd growling-bark-talk, so the confused
man took a step back. I explained, ‘Look at her tail, it is hap-
pily wagging. She isn't barking, she is talking to you!’ He
bent back down to pet her and said that he believed that
‘Each busy day, one must stop and smell the roses. Today,
Mimi is my rose.’”
Ellen said it felt good interacting with a paws-itive strang-
er; and by the smile on his face, she said it looked like Mimi
had also lifted his spirit. “Having a dog brightens my world,"
said Ellen.
TIPS:
"Thank you, Mary Ellen, for my first Tips ‘n' Tales article
‘Shanon’s Shadow,’ written about my black cat,” said Shanon.
“It is a real keepsake. His story has been enjoyed by everyone
I shared it with. Thank you for forwarding me all his fun fan
mail and paws-itive responses from your readers to his arti-
cle. I plan to read Shadow his fan mail when he comes home
from his outside rounds today.”
Share your fun, amazing or crazing pet tips and tales at
angelscribe@msn.com or Follow Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/PetTipsandTales. Adopt loving pets online
at www.PetFinder.com. For spay or neutering, call the Humane
Society at 541-942-2789.