An amazing example of charity

There is the American Red Cross. There is the Salvation Army. And there are thousands of churches. Charitable organizations all.

Then there is Mattawa's Natalie Favela, an amazing case of charity in one single person.

The humble Natalie will likely be embarrassed by this column, but I beg her not to be. I write about her not so much to laud her as to show how one person can form his or her own charity.

I was looking for picture opportunities at the Mattawa CommUnity Days on Aug. 24 when I ran into Natalie in the park. You couldn't miss the name of her booth: Help Molly Get Her Surgery.

How cool is that, I thought. A desperate mother making every effort to pay for needed surgery for her baby daughter.

But Natalie is not the mother. She is a life-long friend of Molly's mother, who moved from Mattawa to the Tri-Cities not long ago. After learning of Molly's (born in June) plight, she felt she needed to do something.

"When I heard about Molly, read her story, saw her cute pictures and read the posts on Facebook, it broke my heart," Natalie said. "The thought of having a new little baby who you love and adore, knowing that at any moment you could lose her, broke my heart."

Natalie put together a beanbag toss booth for CommUnity Days. When the festival organizers realized what her end goal was, they gave her the space free.

This charity did not end with Natalie and the organizers. It extended to her family. Her husband prepared the wood and cut out the holes, and her children helped her paint the beanbag toss board. It turned into a fun project.

"As we were driving to CommUnity Days, my daughter Kendra told me that she hoped we would earn lots of money for the baby," Natalie said. "I told her that maybe we should pray for that to happen, and my daughter gave the sweetest, heartfelt prayer."

The Favelas did not raise enough money to pay for heart surgery, but they were grateful for the $70 they did collect. It was a lot more than they had when they came to the park.

When I came upon the booth and saw the sign, I stopped and thought for a moment. I asked Natalie if Molly was her daughter.

Then I noticed several kids waiting to toss. They were smiling, as kids do when they play, but it seemed as if they sensed the importance of the money they were spending.

Natalie had given them a purpose, if only for the moment. All of them wanted to save Molly.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to spread a little love," she said.

One woman dropped in a $20 bill into Natalie's donation can, saying she was reminded of her own experience of being in a hospital in a similar situation.

"I told my husband that it wasn't really about money, although we all know it helps," Natalie said. "It was really about people caring for each other, and that is what changes the world."

Yes, and the charity of one single person acting alone, attracting others to the cause.