OKEECHOBEE — Often when you perform a good deed, you do not see the end result your actions have on the recipient’s life. Donna Dean of Lighthouse Refuge had the opportunity recently to learn what her actions 20 years ago meant to the woman she helped.

Norma Leitner is a lifelong Okeechobee resident, who fell on some hard times 20 years ago and found herself homeless. Not only was Leitner sleeping on the street, but she had her 8-year-old son with her as well. “It was very scary at times,” she said. Leitner had been a victim of sexual assault when she was young, and the fear of something like that happening again was always with her. She said she spent her days scouting out places to sleep safely at night. One night, she decided to sleep behind Captain D’s, and all went well until she was awakened in the wee hours of the morning by water suddenly hitting her in the face. “It was the sprinklers,” she laughed. “I decided that was not the best place to sleep after all.”

Through the kindness of some people she met over the years, Leitner was able to get off the streets and is now doing just fine. Recently, she ran into Dean at Walmart, and was so happy to reconnect with her. “The Deans were so good to me,” she said. She explained they did things like driving her to the doctor or bringing her food. “They never asked me for a dime!”

When Leitner learned the Deans would soon be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, she thought she knew the perfect way to say thank you for the kindness shown to her many years ago. She baked them a cake and took it to their church as a surprise.

“I was surprised all right,” said Dean. “It brought tears to my eyes. It is such a blessing to know we made a difference.”

The Deans and Lighthouse Refuge have been helping women in Okeechobee for the past 20 years. At this time, they are revamping a house the county donated to them and getting it ready to house women who need a helping hand.

Dean can be reached at lighthouserefuge99@hotmail.com or by calling 863-801-9201.

Donations can also be mailed to Lighthouse Refuge Inc., P.O. Box 2573, Okeechobee, Florida 34973.

They are selling bricks for their walkway to raise money, too. There are two different size bricks. One is 4x8 for $100 donation and one is 8x8 for $225. “You can put anything you want on it,” she said. “In memory of somebody, whatever they want on it, they can put on it.” You can even order a donor brick with felt backing to keep for yourself. 4x8 is $35 and 8x8 is $40. Their fundraising goal is $50,000. This will help with not only the repairs and things like that but also with the operating costs.