A “Mission Of Hope” Arrives In Havre In Six Weeks
A free website that has helped over 4,000 people in Cascade County is expanding to the Hi-Line
Question….. How can someone ask for help in a private, dignified way and receive help from the community in that same manner? The answer is a unique website that was created by Great Falls resident, Dave Snuggs. www.myneighborinneed.org is the fulfillment of an idea that first came about back in the summer of 2001. Now just before celebrating their third-year anniversary, Snuggs is once again expanding the website’s reach of Hope.
“I am excited to announce that thanks to efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers, the city of Havre will have its very own My Neighbor in Need project. It is hard to imagine that what started out as a simple idea has now grown into such a powerful movement. With the expansion to Havre, we now offer service to 40 cities in Montana and Wisconsin. The websites and the web-based system connect those who have a need with those who wish to fulfill that need, all in a private, dignified and nurturing way. This service is a free and is available to anyone living in the Havre city limits who has a need and/or anyone in the world who wishes to help a neighbor in need by fulfilling a need,” Snuggs said.
www.myneighborinneed, developed by Tom Penwell of Tom’s Web Designs, allows for anyone to ask for help with a specific need, in a specific city/area whether the need is for themselves or for someone else in their community by simply going to the website and completing the Request a Need form and clicking submit. If a person does not have access to the website to complete the form, they may call (406) 301-3919 and the form can be completed over the phone. In addition, the Request for a Need form can mailed to: My Neighbor in Need – 419 6th Ave Havre, MT 59501. In your written request please provide contact information including a description of the need.
Once the form is submitted, it is retrieved through a private back-office computer system accessed only by our team of “Good Deed Doers.” The Good Deed Doers are trained volunteers and staff who review the submitted form, contact the person requesting help, and through a series of questions, complete the verification process. Once the need has been verified the status may be changed to “approved” and the need instantly goes LIVE on the website so anyone in the world may review the request (24/7) and offer assistance by pledging to fulfill the need. When a need is fulfilled, it is listed on the website in our Fulfilled Needs Archive page.
“I get asked all the time, why has My Neighbor in Need been so successful helping those in need? I believe it is the unique way we address needs. First, the person in need never receives any money. If their need is a financial request – for example, help with a car repair, the repair shop provides us with a discounted price and the donor who wishes to fulfill the need pays the repair shop directly. Second, the donors control how their kindness is used. The donor tells us which need(s) to fulfill and how much they wish to contribute towards that specific need. Every penny donated to fulfill a specific need is used for that purpose. Third, once a person has had their need fulfilled, if down the road they have another need and wish to ask for help through My Neighbor in Need, they must first fulfill a need for someone else through our system before they can get help again. It is a Pay-it-Forward system. You can fulfill someone else’s need, volunteer at My Neighbor in Need or at one of the many approved non-profit organizations,” Snuggs said.
Operational costs are underwritten by sponsorships from Montana Farmers Union, our Corporate Partners in Dignity and local Businesses. My Neighbor in Need does not receive any funding from the government including federal or state grants. The Founder and President receives no financial compensation from the company. He is paid in Joy! My Neighbor in Need is an approved, tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization.