Good causes don’t always run smoothly.

Ask any kid or parent who takes part in events operated by volunteers and, sooner or later, they’ll have experienced some level of disorganization, miscommunication or other frustration. It’s the good cause that keeps people motivated to struggle through the ineff ciencies.

But even good causes aren’t enough to overcomesome , as evidenced by the recent withdrawal of Bentonville’s Wingate by Wyndham hotel from its pilot project to help homeless veterans and their families.

Donald Culbertson, chief executive off cer of the Sunway Hotel Group, which operatesthe Wingate by Wyndham, started the program last spring. It was designed to provide transitional housing by providing a temporary, low-cost place to stay at the hotel just north of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. Working with veterans groups gathered under the banner of the Northwest Arkansas Veterans Coalition, the hotel oft ered rooms for $14 a night, well below the standard rate.

As pilot programs do, this one revealed opportunities for success and the challenges that are part of such endeavors. The challenges, according to Culbertson, eventually became too overwhelming to his business.

Businesses can, and should, strive to give something back to the community in which they operate. Culbertson deserves commendation for his eftort to fill a need. But the hotel is, fi rst and foremost, a business that needs to operate profi tably if it is to stay in business. According to Culbertson, most of the people staying at his hotel through the veterans program were paying nothing.

“They were supposed to be there only 60 days,” Culbertson said. “Some had been there eight months without paying anything.”

There’s also an element of the “no good deed goes unpunished” eftect. Besides the $35,000 the program cost his hotel, he reported the veterans coalition suftered from too many GIs in the mess hall.

“I’ve talked and talked to these people. I tried to do a good thing, but it turned out to be so much politics with these people, that everybody wanted to be boss, take credit, and I was the one giving away the rooms, Culbertson said. “Life’s too short to put up with that.

We’ve dealt with many veterans organizations.

Almost all of them are good-hearted aft airs with admirable intentions. A few, however, have leadership immersed in an entitlement mentality and demanding demeanor.

It is unfortunate that a generous gift from a business became something to be taken advantage of

It appears this coalition eftort, not quite pulled oft with military precision, was a victim of disorganization and a lack of adequate fundraising.

The shame of it is the need for the veterans and their families hasn’t disappeared. Every Veterans Aftairs medical center has a homeless veterans service coordinator and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans continues its work (800-838-4357).

As for the local coalition, its representatives continue to pledge their eftorts to aid veterans in need of permanent housing. The group is working to obtain its charitable organization status so donations can be pursued more directly.

This situation involves no “bad guys.” Everyone was involved with a worthwhile goal. Perhaps lessons learned from this partnership can help make future eftorts to aid homeless veterans and their families more successful.

It is, indeed, a good cause.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 10/01/2013