Until a few weeks ago there was a family on the Shinnecock Reservation living in a trailer with plastic covering the windows in preparation for the violent cold of winter. A grandmother, her grown children and four grandchildren would have had to huddle to keep warm in the small quarters. But now because of the support of various groups within the Southampton community, this family has something special to look forward to — their own three-bedroom home to be located right there on the Reservation.

There are many heroes to this story and it starts with local builder Michael White, who, instead of demolishing a one-story home on property where a new home is to be built, donated the cost of demolition and removal to move the house about two and a half miles to the Reservation for the needy Shinnecock family to live in. Mr. White said, “I am happy to be able to do this. I wish the Town of Southampton would understand that this is cheaper way to deal with low-income housing needs. This process is so much cheaper than building a new home.”

Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile of the Padoquohan Medicine Lodge is another hero in this story. She first of all wants to thank all those who attended a Thanks-4-giving dinner held last Thursday at The United Methodist Church for their “funds and spirit of generosity.” She also had high praise for Rev. Koone Lee. At the turkey dinner, money was raised for about one third of the cost through contributions and raffles. The move is to be in the next two weeks. A crane has been hired and cement is being poured for the foundation of the home that will be moved. This is the first successful attempt to raise money for a move of this type. Others had failed but the group never gave up hope of succeeding one day. At the dinner, the Thunder Bird Sisters used these words to express their thanks and hope chanting in harmony, “Great Spirit promised us peace and harmony, who will help this promise to come true?” The answer was in fact all the concerned citizens in the church.

But there is more to be done. Both Ms. Haile and Mr. White expressed the need for more generosity from the community. The Padoquohan Medicine Lodge has created a PML, Inc. fund to aid and assist Shinnecock Indians in unsafe living quarters. Without means of getting mortgages and home loans due to issues of communal land ownership, this fund will enable the financing of other permanent homes to be moved to the Reservation, which is so vastly more affordable then building new homes without loans.

Contributions are tax-deductible because PML is a 501(c) charitable organization. The address to send the contributions is PML, Inc, PO Box 5078, Southampton, New York, 11969.

With the mantra “In service to the Creator and mankind” this organization is attempting to repair and update as much housing on the Reservation for those with the greatest needs as quickly as possible. With the season of giving at hand perhaps there is no better cause than the one here in Southampton. One can’t help but think of actor James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, around his Christmas tree at the end, and the good feeling he has when all the good people help to defeat the greed of Mr. Potter. Well, the Mr. Potter in this story is the cold winter and the need for repairs to existing housing and funding for future house relocations. Mr. White expressed his concern and gratitude by saying, “It’s cheaper, quicker and just such a decent thing to do. I am proud to be able to do what I can. I hope to do more. It makes me feel that good.”

Elizabeth Thunder Bird Haile said, “It’s what we can do that is the answer.”

With the cold of winter coming it may be a fine thing to find the warmth in one’s heart to spark the ability to act and somehow help our neighbors who truly have a need and truly can be helped so simply.