The homeless in Marysville and Arlington need shelter, one of life’s three basic needs, along with food and water.

Many of them would be satisfied with a tent city, but we can do better than that.

Both towns have been behind many other communities in helping these forgotten people in society. Marysville just got started last year with a cold-weather shelter, thanks to the Damascus Church across from City Hall. In Arlington, various churches share the responsibility, but again, only in freezing temperatures.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Marysville is leading the way in a new effort that would surpass what most other communities are doing. It is opening its doors on Friday nights starting this year to provide shelter for the homeless.

They provide a hot dinner and breakfast, along with a sack lunch for them to take with them. They provide cots, mattresses and blankets for them to sleep on.

But St. Mary’s needs help. They, and we, would like to see the rest of the faith community step up and provide shelter for the other six days of the week.

The amount of money St. Mary’s has spent on the shelter is minimal. While it has 100 volunteers interested in helping, it certainly wouldn’t take that many to operate most church shelters.

Donations of cots, mattresses, blankets, etc., certainly could be obtained for free or low cost in these two generous communities. Food certainly should not be hard to come by in donations either, from places such as food banks and grocery stores.

Most of the towns’ churches have as much space as St. Mary’s does for a shelter.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring helped St. Mary’s get its needed permits in record time. Arlington likely would do the same.

While both cities have gotten tough on panhandlers especially and homeless loitering in community areas, they also have shown compassion toward the homeless, specifically those with mental illness who have no where else to turn.

Homeless, at least in Marysville, seem to be able to get food and water every day but Sunday at either a church or social agency. But finding shelter is a constant battle.

Most churches have a goal of helping those in need. They have missions all over the world. So why not help those in our own community who have fallen on hard times, sometimes through no fault of their own. Many of us are only one job loss away from joining them.

The homeless are among our most-vulnerable citizens. We as a society look to help so many others, why not them?