Receiving a shovel as a gift might not be a great deal to many. Really, its just a shovel, right?

To the people of a small village tucked into a mountainside of Peru, the simplicity of a shovel was a necessity they couldnt afford. When they received a donation of 50 shovels from Randy and Tammy Smith, owners of Smittys Ace Hardware in Hermiston, it felt like they had been thrust into luxury all over a few tools.

Thats how it works in Peru, though. Its the little things they struggle with the most.

The Smiths first learned about Perus need through their friend David Johnson, a priest who lives in the South American country. He told them about the help the village and surrounding areas needed and asked for their contribution. It was an easy choice for the Smiths.

Their first donation was eye-opening, and the impact immediate.

If theyre excited to get a bunch of shovels, they must be really desperate, Randy said.

That was a few years ago. Since then, their donations, and donations from around the community, have grown. This October, the Smiths will send by ship a 40-foot container full of goods to Peru. It will be their third.

Were sending all the simple things we take for granted, Randy said.

Villages in the Pamparomas District are populated by 100-150 people and are nearly 150 years behind the United States in quality of life, Randy says. Fields are farmed at 14,000 feet on dangerous hillsides, water supply is flood irrigated, electricity is hit or miss mostly miss and one-room, woodstove-equipped huts have become deadly places to live, especially for children, who suffer in the poorly ventilated structures.

Last year, the Smiths made a 10-day trip to Peru and witnessed the struggle first-hand.

Randy recalls a story about a father in need of hospital care for his dying child. He couldnt afford the fee. There was no healthcare plan. He couldnt even afford the ambulance. He was prepared to walk 15-20 miles in uncomfortable tropical climate before the Smiths lent their hands. It took $70 to cover all costs for the child.

It saved the childs life, Randy said.

Seventy dollars is chump change for a medical fee in the U.S.

Randy said the visit revealed a lot about villagers, who have been living in basic poverty for a long time.

When youre struggling, its hard to think about improving your life, Randy said. They dont value themselves as anything.

Johnson, the priest, has been trying to change an attitude that has been stagnant for years and years. He wants them to know that there is help, and there is a way to improve their lives.

The village is also plagued by malnourishment. They grow peaches and tomatoes, but have no means to preserve them during the offseason. Potatoes and corn are sometimes all they have.

The Smiths will send 100-200 steam and water-bath canners, along with wide-mouth cork jars, to Peru in the fall. The villagers didnt know there was such a thing as food preservation.

Randy and Tammy will also be sending pipes and tubing to help transform flood irrigation into something cleaner and more efficient.

They dont even have diapers, JoAnn Schutt, Tammys mother, said. Schutt is cutting and hemming dozens and dozens of cloth diapers to send.

There is a four-wheeler in the village. They dont have gas cans to fill it. Randy showed them how to use a chainsaw. To them, cutting a tree that fast was like magic. Now they log for themselves.

They need childrens clothing, toys, containers and books. They need Band-Aids, guardrails for roads, tires, medicine and vitamins. They need common tools, sleeping bags and ponchos.

They need everything we already have.

Through updates from Johnson, already life in the Peruvian villages is looking up.

Theyre starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Smith said. Its not like we had to give them a car. We gave them a hammer and some toys.

Its the simple things.

Its something that makes a difference in their lives right now, Smith said. It has given them a livelihood.

Mostly, it has given people hope. Hope and the realization that they dont have to operate by a norm they have lived by for years. It just takes a little push.

Its one of the most powerful things Ive ever done, Smith says. Were making a difference in their lives right now.

The Smiths perspective has changed, too. They no longer view their contribution as help.

You know, were not helping, were just doing what we can do, Smith said.

And a shovel goes a long way.

Donations can be made and added to the bin through Smittys Ace Hardware in Hermiston and Tri-Cities, Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church and Hermiston Vet Clinic. Deadline to donate is Sept. 1. The goods will be shipped in October. Monetary donations can also be made through Columbia State Bank. Be sure to mention Peru container.