Long-time Montanans love to talk about their famously arctic winters. “You live in the east, so this isn’t something you’ll be used to,” they would say with a smirk. Or: “Get ready. Layer up. Be prepared.” These wisdom nuggets were delivered to me at least twice a week. So I bought a winter coat and got ready for a winter apocalypse beyond my imagination.

It turned out to be a pretty normal winter. There were some very frigid days, but this was something I had experienced before in my hometown and on the campus of my alma mater. My mom and I joked that God decided to “take it easy on me” because I was a newcomer. The weather was overall extremely pleasant and I liked winter a great deal.

I found Montanans to be extremely kind to newcomers as well. Many of them were happy to help me move in to my room or help me get groceries. I did, however, find that they were somewhat unaccustomed to receiving help in return. I wondered how that would play out during my service year.

I started much of my service helping first-graders withmath and reading. I served at Rose Park Elementary School in Butte, and worked primarily with two teachers. Some of the children were good with homework and loved to solve problems on their own; others were unable to count. I had to be prepared to spend an hour explaining basic concepts to some of the children. This tested my patience at times, but I learned to manage. I told myself that I simply did not know what these children had to go home to. As I learned more about the children I was serving, they began to open up to me a little more. Many of them had overburdened parents. Some of them were not sure how to get approval from their teachers. A few of them struggled with anxiety or mood disorders.

The teachers themselves were overburdened as well. Often, only one teacher would educate a massive class with little to no support. One of the teachers would break out into fits of anger when children failed to understand new concepts. Dealing with this teacher was a sensitive situation in its own right, but I started by encouraging the children who were struggling the most. I would often tell them what I saw in them and what their strengths were. One assignment given to the children was a picture book page asking “Who is your hero?” This was followed by a prompt: “Draw a picture of him/her.” One child struggled to even find a hero to draw. I sat down near him and talked with him for a while. I told him that he could be a hero one day. We found a way to answer the assignment by drawing what he could become one day.

As I got to know Montanans better, I began to realize that they responded well to help as long as they were given a degree of respect. Many of these people had been seriously let down by multiple systems, embarrassed by other people, or simply neglected for long periods of time. They typically tended to be very resourceful and excellent at determining how to meet their own needs without support. They were not conspicuous about seeking help and did not want support beyond what they requested. On the weekends, I served charities who gave away meals, furniture, and non-perishable food-stuffs for struggling families. I also served locations that provided child support when parents were away working. These organizations sought to fit in with the lifestyles of the needy locals. They did not impose or advertise in a way that seemed too conspicuous. The goal was to help efficiently and thoroughly.

I also had the pleasure of hosting Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week at Rocky Mountain College. In November, we hosted several events to promote fundraising and support for the homeless. We also hosted fun events for the students, such as a movie night with prizes. During H&H Week, we made thousands of PB&Js for shelters and donated food-stuffs to different organizations. Several students made themselves available during the week and many of our goals were exceeded.

My service year is not over yet. However, if I have learned anything from my half-year so far, it is that service tends to start out small and generally stays quiet. It is not about admiration or getting personal needs met. A lot of service is not always fun, and it can feel purposeless at times. However, I have been fortunate to see a little change during my time here and I know that I will leave behind plenty of good when my year is over.