Newsletter Archive

We are thankful for your commitment to Kootenai County as we work together to promote the human flourishing of our neighbors. Here's a peak into what we've been up to:

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Referring Partner Meeting - Building Bridges Among Community Organizations

For going on two years now, Charity Reimagined has facilitated a monthly Referring Partner Meeting. Connie Drager runs these meetings, and she brings a wealth of experience to her role as our Christmas for All Program Coordinator. Our referring partners are the organizations in our community working on the front lines with those in need, and they refer individuals to us for tailored assistance.

Each organization provides amazing services, and on the 2nd Friday of each month, we meet with our partners to network with one another and learn about what each others' programs are all about!

Building these bridges of communication and collaroration  enables our network of helping organizations to do benevolence better: to be able to specialize in their area of assistance and refer clients to the trusted organizations they know are committed to development, not just relief .

This month, our meeting was hosted by North Idaho College's (NIC) Center for New Directions (CND). Louisa Rogers shared about how her program supports participants in gaining self-sufficiency through education. Louisa, who has worked in social services throughout her career, has seen firsthand the impact education has on someone’s life.

“It is a powerful tool,” she explained to the group. “When you come to campus and enroll in courses, you are seen as an equal by peers and instructors. You aren’t viewed as someone living on welfare, or as someone who has gone through tremendous abuse. You are seen as an individual pursuing education, with unique thoughts and perspectives.”

As her participants complete courses with passing grades, their self-esteem increases. They develop self-efficacy. This impacts how they parent their children, how they advocate for their family, how they view themselves when it comes to potential romantic relationships, and so much more. Education is incredibly empowering and assists in breaking generational patterns of addiction, abuse and poverty.  

The Center for New Directions primarily works with single mothers, and provides wrap-around support, helping the mother on her journey towards stability. Louisa shared about how one of the most powerful things they do at the center is create community between the mothers. So often, single motherhood is incredibly isolating. Meeting other women on similar walks of life allows for them to support each other and lift each other up.

“I view myself and other helping agencies as artificial supports in someone’s life. If we lose grant funding, or resign from our jobs, we will no longer be there for the participant. But, when the single mothers connect to each other and they create their own network of friendships – that is authentic, lasting support.”

The CND hosts a weekly single mom support group, and multiple workshops each semester, as well as family events, to help facilitate this community. 

About 15 people attended, and several of them weren't aware of what CND has to offer for single parents wanting to earn a degree. Louisa was able to field these questions, and these other organizations are now equipped to refer their clients to NIC/CND.

After Louisa spoke, Abby Fitzgerald shared a bit more about Rides for a Reason , our car exchange program. Abby shared about how recipients come through Referring Partners and qualify if they are in school or in need of a vehicle to get to work. This information empowered the partners present to keep an eye out for qualifying clients they work with who might be in need of a vehicle. 

Next month's meeting will be hosted by Open Arms on 4/11. 

Recently, someone shared a story with us that gives a perfect window into the power of the bonds formed through relationship-building work like these Referring Partner meetings. As Louisa said, organizations provide "artificial" support - but when we provide support in an intentionally relational way - those bonds formed are enduring and will change our community for generations.

Previously, we introduced you to Shannan - she's a single mom who is going to school and working in order to provide for her family and be free from assistance.

We've also introduced you to Anna , another single mom who earned her CDL through NIC in order to provide for her family. She received a car through Rides for a Reason. 

Well, these amazing women met each other through the CND's financial program, Pathways for Prosperity, that we shared with you in our January newsletter. 

Not long ago, Shannan's van became unsafe to drive, and for a while, she asked people for rides. But eventually, she felt bad asking people for rides all the time, and decided to learn to use CityLink, our local bus system. She and her kids began using CityLink to get to and from school and work, despite a bus schedule that would be very difficult to navigate with four kiddos (all at different ages) and a full-time job.

Guess who Shannan's bus driver was? Anna.

Anna asked Shannan why she was taking the bus. Shannan explained, and Anna gave Shannan her number, told her she is off work each day by 12:30, and to count on her for transportation until her van could be repaired. How cool is that?

It takes multiple resources, not just single touch points, to support these women as they work to build a better life for themselves and their children. And most significant are the relationships they build with each other-- second family of sorts---that help them continue moving forward. These women share courage and resiliency, and they fully align in understanding what it means to sacrifice to make a better life for themselves and their children.

These women are the kind of individuals we work with day in and out - people who have known hardship, are working hard to create a new future, and are incredibly generous toward others. They are paying it forward in ways that those of us blessed with far more hesitate to offer.  

These single moms are heroes. Their lives inspire and serve as proof that God uses the broken and least likely for His glory to shine the brightest. Chris Coffman brilliantly captures the "WHY" for wrapping supportive services and resources around single moms while they are pursuing an education:

"In our society today, 'success' is generally measured by how many disadvantaged single moms receive minimal benefits that will help them keep their families afloat in the moment. Nothing ultimately changes for the family. We don't think that is a successful model... Our success metric is a long-term outcome of generational change ."

This is the work we are doing at Charity Reimagined, and we are grateful for your support in assisting hard-working individuals like Shannan and Anna who are making great sacrifices to move their families from poverty to financial independence.

DOING BENEVOLENCE BETTER

(with dignity)

Reimagining charity is about digging into how we help the needy:

Not just loving with our hearts and hands but loving with our minds, too.

We are picking up with the third and final segment of our overview of True Charity 's Mental Illness & Poverty course . Last month, we shared Restoration Counseling 's Brian Fidler's tips of what to look for through client assessments and the tiered approach to categorizing the severity of someone's mental health.

This month, we're digging into what your role is in helping someone who may struggle with mental illness.

As a fundamental starting point, Brian urges us to remember the healing power of your relationship with a hurting person. The moment a person’s healing begins is when someone can come into their experience: “even for a moment, even in a small way and lift a little bit of the pain or burden off of them just by your presence, just by showing up.”

He shares a quote from Carl Rogers about what he does before every counseling session:

"I take a moment to remember my humanity. There is no experience that this man has that I cannot share with him, no fear I cannot understand, no suffering that I cannot care about, because I too am human. No matter how deep his wound, he does not need to be ashamed in front of me. I too am vulnerable. And because of this, I am enough. Whatever his story, he no longer needs to be alone with it. This is what will allow his healing to begin."

For someone in Tier 1 (mild mental illness) , you can offer relational intervention. He encourages his listeners to find a way to look at them and say, "I want to know what it's like to be you. You are worth that to me. What does it feel like to be in your skin? " This is how we heal and grow and make sense of our internal worlds. We show them they are not alone.

For Tier 2 (moderate mental illness) , do everything you would do for a Tier 1 situation, but monitor them for worsening symptoms and/or addiction behaviors and be ready to refer them to medical/professional help.

For Tier 3 (severe mental illness) , Brian says it will be difficult to engage with someone in this place. They need outside help in order to engage and heal.

For someone in the homicide/suicide category , this is urgent, and it is important to know your limitations, that you cannot help them. They need immediate help from 911 or a hospital. 

Brian reminds us that while there are situations that require outside help, there is a lot you can do to help the people you encounter on their pathway to healing. We hope you feel empowered to embrace and understand those before you, and the freedom to know when it is outside your responsibility. 

REFERRING PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Canopy Village

Canopy Village (formerly Children's Village) is a trauma responsive safe haven, restoring trust and hope for children and families who experience abuse, neglect, or are in crisis. They accomplish this mission through children's residential care and a family support facility. With their 15-acre beautiful property, 4,000 square foot. home for children, and their safe teen assessment center, they are building communities where every child feels safe, secure, and is nurtured in a stable and loving family.

Referring Partners are the boots on the ground, our community's Unsung Heroes, serving the poor who refer their clients to Charity Reimagined for specific assistance tailored to our work. 

BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Hope Reins

Last month, we shared about Hope Reins as a Referring Partner,  but they are also a business partner of ours! We had a chance to tour their wonderful facilities recently.

Founded in 2020, Hope Reins Foundation now has 13 horses and over 120 sessions per month that help people of all ages to heal from experiences in their lives. In 2024, they completed 1546 client sessions. From children to first responders, their team provides a beautiful, restorative place to help riders heal from trauma and cope with wounds they carry. These skills are a gift that participants take with them for a lifetime.

Check out their annual fundraiser, July 11: Silver Buckle Event.

Business Partners offer their services at a discount in order to meet the needs of those rising out of hardship. They give clients the dignity of interacting in the business world for their needs, not just receiving handouts. The role played by these partners cannot be overstated! 

Partner's Appreciation

"Words cannot describe how much we appreciate your support over this past year. The impact CFA-Y has on our participants is life changing . We are blessed to witness the impact firsthand on a daily basis. The work Charity Reimagined does is invaluable. "   

-North Idaho College's Center for New Directions

If you're new or would like to learn more, we'd love to grab coffee with you and get connected. Your partnership makes effective charity in Kootenai County possible. 

OUR VISION

No matter how big or small, no single church, charity, or “helping” organization can meet all needs. But, by all of us working together through communication and collaboration to identify categories of care and responding appropriately, pride can replace shame, hope can replace despair, and lives can be changed.

CHARITY REIMAGINED | [ CharityReimgained.org ]

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