-By Kaler Carpenter On a brisk Saturday morning in November, around 2am, I spotted a girl on Center Street by herself, crying, and wearing a halter top in 30-degree weather. I immediately pulled over and offered assistance. She was shivering so I invited her inside my warm car. She accepted and I recognized her as someone I tried helping earlier that night, but was unable to because her friend led her away from the Kindness Station. The distraught girl shared with me her dilemma; she got separated from her friend, she lost her phone, her friends weren’t home, her car was dead, and more. Most of all, she was worried about her friend (the same friend from earlier). I promised I would help and I began by driving slowly through the neighborhood, trying to locate her friend. Neither of us saw her so I drove to her dead car in the parking garage. I then gave her my phone...Read More >
Written by Rev. Frank Westcott Beth (Martin) Westcott was raised in Otego and graduated from Unatego High School in 1969. She graduated from Hartwick College in 1973. She is the daughter of Rhoda Martin and the late Earl J. Martin, Sr. After college she married Frank Westcott, a native of Stamford, N.Y. They have three married, adult children and six grandchildren. Through the years, Beth had assisted her husband in ministry, first with Child Evangelism Fellowship and then in church ministry. She also homeschooled her children for twelve years. She and Frank returned to the area in 2014, after over 40 years away, so her husband could pastor the River Street Baptist Church in Oneonta. When she began her writing journey, Beth wanted to write children’s books. She loved reading as a child. She enjoyed teaching and being with children. As in life, her writing has taken unexpected turns. She used her skills as a writer by writing church programs,...Read More >
Kindness Team volunteers Pat Raczkowski and Rakesh Gonsalves literally saved a woman’s life while serving at the downtown Kindness Station on Friday night, 9-27-17. At the end of the night a very intoxicated young lady thought it was a good idea to climb the iron fence separating the elevated Water Street from the parking garage. On the other side of the fence is a 20-foot drop off. This was taking place directly across the street from the Kindness Station and Rakesh was the first to notice the situation unfolding, and the danger that the girl was putting herself in. Right away, Rakesh turned to Pat, pointed to the girl, and said, “Pat, we gotta move.” They both ran up to the girl and Pat made it to her just in the nick of time. Right as she slipped, Pat reached over the fence and caught her with his right arm while grasping the fence with his left, preventing her from...Read More >