TIME TO GET YOUR BOOTS BACK ON SEPT. 30
By Jodi Peterson-Stigers
Update on Our Conditional Use Permit (CUP)
On July 7, Interfaith Sanctuary presented a new CUP application to Boise’s Planning & Zoning Commission and received a unanimous vote of approval. That was a huge step forward for our reimagined shelter. Now, that decision has been appealed, and the final decision rests with the Boise City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 2:00 pm at City Hall.
This is the last stretch. We need you to put your boots back on and help us cross the finish line.
What Matters Most to You?
When you reach out or testify, share what inspires you most about this new campus:
The Family Shelter Home, keeping 100 family members safe together in private suites, with early education and wraparound support for every age.
Project Recovery and Project Well Being, walking beside our guests on their healing journeys.
Our Food Service Training Program and the Micron Foundation’s Workforce Training Program, opening doors to employment and stability.
The dignity of on-site medical support and respite care, including home health and hospice in our medical dorms.
Or Hope House, with 19 private rooms and a locked door—offering safety and stability for those ready for housing but still waiting for access, so no one has to give up hope.
Every one of these programs is part of our new campus. Together, they create pathways that lift people up, stabilize lives, and help our guests move forward into employment, stability, and homes of their own.
How You Can Help
Share with the City Council what moves you the most. Your voice and your presence matter more than ever. Share your story, your hope, your reason for standing with us. Together we can uphold our CUP and get our doors opened by the end of this year. Thank you for always showing up with your boots on the ground!
1. Send a note to City Council- citycouncil@cityofboise.org Tell them why you support our CUP and the protections it offers our most vulnerable neighbors.
2. Learn how to register to testify at our website interfaithsanctuary.org under our State Street Shelter Information Hub. Search
WOTS UP With You?
We’re excited to launch WOTS UP, a new way for Word on the Street readers to connect, engage, and be part of our community beyond the pages of the paper. As a WOTS reader, you’ve already shown your heart for stories, voices, and second chances. Now we want to know: WOTS UP with you?
Would you like to take a tour of our new shelter and learn about our Buy, Build, and Furnishing Hope call out? Or volunteer at our current shelter or discover ways to engage at the new one?
Or contribute your voice through writing, art, poetry, or reflections—for possible inclusion in Word on the Street? Or join our editorial team by coming to our weekly WOTS editorial meeting (Tuesdays, 11 a.m. -12 p.m. in the shelter), where community members meet our guests, share ideas, and shape each issue together?
WOTS UP is our way of getting to know you better. Our guests love the feedback and interaction
that comes from our reading community. They would love to meet you, learn more about you and for you to learn more about them. Want to step in closer? Let’s start with a survey to get to know you. Just email molly@interfaithsanctuary.org and send it directly to you. We can’t wait to meet you!
LET’S MAKE WOTS A TWO WAY STREET
Word on the Street
PO BOX 9334
511 S Americana Blvd
Boise, ID 83702
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Molly Balison
WOTS WRITERS/COLUMNISTS
Bo Gerri Graves
Julie Loomis
Nick Rogers
Shyloh Crawfurd
Chris Alverez
Jodi Peterson-Stigers
Molly Balison
Nicki Vogel
WOTS Historian
Nicky MacAislin
WOTS STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS
Julie Loomis
Gypsy Wind
ART COLLECTIVE DIRECTOR
Chris Alvarez
CONTACT THE EDITOR
To submit story ideas or community articles, please send request and information to molly@interfaithsanctuary.org
POETRY CORNER
I AM Clipped Wings 3
By Alexa Hazel
I’m running simply for the sake of motion My soul in a state of commotion To stop means my muscles must finally feel the burn And yet to stop means to experience Christ as the fulfillment for all my soul yearns
When it stings, I do not have to hide You draw near, tender, available, by my side Here I stand, naked before your eyes And yet, You still claim me and call me child
Who is able to root out my heart?
I AM, One who wants it all and gives new starts Who is able to rid me of shame?
I AM, call on my name
Who is able to make what is bitter, sweet?
I AM, lay it all at my feet
I AM present, my promises never slack I AM strong and able in all the ways you lack Settle in, my goodness follows you, daughter I AM singing over you, it’s the voice of your Father
Praise the One who gives me vision! Praise the King for He is risen!
I know I need not run
For my God has already won
By Shyloh Crawford
I once believed in something whole, But faith grew teeth and took its toll. It bit the hand that dared to bleed, Then smiled and called it holy need. The pages whispered of a light, But every verse was laced with fright. Don’t speak too loud, don’t want too much,
Be pure, be small, be sweet to touch. I swallowed rules like bitter wine, Mistook the ache for the divine. They built a heaven out of fear, And told me love lived only here. But love, I’ve learned, is not control. It doesn’t cage or shame the soul. It doesn’t cut to make you new, Or leave you when you need it too. The sermons said, “He has a plan.”
But where was God when it began— The nights alone, the hunger’s cry, The prayers I whispered to the sky? I once believed the fault was mine, That maybe pain was by design. But bruises bloom where silence grows, And faith, unchecked, forgets it knows. Now I unlearn what broke me down— The quiet choke, the thorn-wrapped crown.
I build a voice from shattered songs, I make my own where I belong. I trace my scars, not out of shame, But proof I stayed when no one came. I’ve made a light inside this hole— From wreckage stitched into a soul. So clip my wings and call it sin, But I am rising from within.
Not saved, not damned, not yours to name—
But something holy just the same For my God has already won
A Simple Word
By Julie Loomis
It amazes me how a simple word, Just four letters can bring such hope. A word that Jesus gave us to give, to all our neighbors so they could see. How peaceful life can truly shine, with just this one word in our hearts. It teaches us to be kind to others, and appreciate all the beauty that is abound.
Just one word can also break a heart, make it vulnerable and mend it again. So I ask all to give this word unconditionally, to the one without a name or home. To say it softly to a child, make the day of your elderly parent. All we need to do is, just LOVE
Depression
By Mike Adams
Depression what is it, why does it hold me back like a vice or chains strong. What can I do to remove it from my life and go on to bigger and better to follow my dreams most high on into the sky, but I sit here chained to earth, like some stone held fast by miles of earth never to see the sky and sun, but from glimpses short, only enough to know I am down deep in my depression, and not happy with where I am, but with no way known to relived me of this burden. What cruel fate to be given a vision, but as well let it be held in such a grip as mine. Oh to the sun I wish to climb, up into the sky like a bird on wing but this feeling of earth keeps me fast I struggle and strain but I still remain tied to earth’s cold grasp, depression is its name, but more than that is all I know is its effects on me and my path, crooked and often dead of end is this path, for when my energy is only enough to fight the depression there is little left for others things than it. But there is some light at the end of this tunnel deep and dark, what it is I shall see for this thing is killing me slowly, inch by inch, miles by mile this depression is slowly killing what of me there is that wishes to go on to better things. Pray tell the light finds me before the darkness totally engulfs me in its cold dark grasp, rends my soul from my body and casts me to the pile of its latest victim with out a care of who I was and what I could have become, just that I am dinner for it and my life was a good fight but in the end I was his and now my broken soul lies here on this pile of broken dreams of mine and others. I crave the light and the promises made of my abilities, but still held fast in chains most strong and deadly to this path I do plod along, looking for that exit that will either save me or end my life and cast myself on to that pile so high of broken dreams and lost souls.
ART COLLECTIVE
Photos by Gypsy Wind
Photos by Heather
Art by Julie Loomis
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Autumn: A Time of Transition, Reflection, & Letting Go
WOTS
DEEDS ON THE STREET
By Kayla G. Licensed Master Social Worker
The first official day of fall, called the autumnal equinox, is Monday, September 22 this year. It marks the official end of summer and beginning of autumn.
Autumn--with its leaves changing colors and falling--can be seen as a time of transition, reflection, and letting go.
transitions in life. We can learn from people or events from our past and take these lessons into our future. In reflecting back, we can learn about ourselves and what we can do differently in the future.
The 2nd Annual FRED Awards
By Jodi Peterson-Stigers
WOTS
As summer turns into autumn, we let go of long hours of daylight. The leaves let go of the trees. Letting go is a natural process in the rhythm of life.
It is typical for all of us to have times of transition in life. We get older, our relationships change, and our circumstances can change as well. Change is not always easy. In fact, it’s often hard. But it is also inevitable.
Reflection - or taking time to think about experiences - is a great way to navigate
WOTS
DEEDS ON THE STREET
Learning to let go is one of the hardest skills to learn in life. Sometimes, to avoid loss, our instinct is to avoid attachment. However, sharing connectedness with others is important. Healthy attachment helps us thrive. Instead of isolating yourself from people, places, and things—allow yourself to connect so you can experience life and relationships fully. Joining a support group is a good place to start.
DEEDS ON THE STREET
In loving memory of Fred Cornforth, we are proud to host the 2nd Annual FRED Awards on Wednesday, November 19th, at Treefort Music Hall. This special evening is a celebration of the people who embody what it means to be a FRED- fearless, resilient, empathetic, and dynamic and who keep our mission moving forward with their boots on the ground.
SGuests will enjoy a delicious meal, fantastic live music, and a night filled with inspiring stories highlighting this year’s incredible FRED Award recipients. Stay tuned to meet our FRED Award Recipients.
This year’s silent auction brings something really special! Interfaith Sanctuary’s Homeless Art Collective, along with some incredible local artists, will be creating a one-of-a-kind collection of painted boots. Each pair tells a story, blending art, resilience, and community, and together they celebrate the incredible people who keep our mission moving forward.
Tickets go on sale on October 1st, and table sponsorships are available. So grab your boots, bring your heart, and join us for an unforgettable night of food, music, and inspiration at the FRED Awards.
PS: If you have some boots that you think might look great painted and would like to donate them to our silent auction, please email molly@ interfaithsanctuary.
Singing Circle: Women Lift Their Voices
By Molly Balison
The sound of voices coming together in harmony could be heard throughout the shelter as Kendra Kae and Jackie Beale from Women’s Voices led a singing circle in the women’s side lobby. The women who participated were encouraged to sing about whatever came to their hearts, no matter how it sounded.
Kae created Women’s Voices in 2013 in Bali and has brought it with her to the United Kingdom, New York, and now Boise, Idaho as of May 2025. She leads singing circles open to all women at Marigolds Boise, bonding communities that might not normally get together.
“I have been wanting to bring singing circles to other types of communities because singing helps us to feel part of everything, part of other people. So, we’re not so alone,” Kae said.
Kae shared the science behind singing and why it’s important to the human experience. When you sing, endorphins (“feelgood” chemicals) are released in the brain which can alleviate stress and anxiety and boost your mood.
Beale, a singer who joined Women’s Voices just weeks prior to her visit to Interfaith, said, “It’s been really healing and really
joyful and a little sad sometimes to kind of get back to that inner child.”
The group sang lyrics written by Kae including a song called “Rebel Love” that repeated, “Love recklessly. Love rebelliously. Love radically. Be a rebel for love.”
One verse in a song called “Be Yourself” was, “You’ve got nothing better than to be yourself, nothing better to do than to love yourself.” Other songs were created collaboratively in the moment based on how the participants sang their own original lyrics or notes.
Julie Loomis, a programmer and Word on the Street contributor, embraced the vulnerability of the singing circle despite being hesitant to join at first and sang beautifully, leaving her feeling at peace. “It was creative and unique and it bonded you together,” she said.
Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in the women’s lobby of the shelter, the women’s singing circle will connect over community, vulnerability, and songs about women’s empowerment. Whether you enjoy singing, want to try something new, need an hour-long break from the demands of the day, or are looking for encouragement, join the weekly singing circle and lift your voice to harmonize with others.
CHANGE & COURAGE
Start to Finish: Scottie’s Story of Trial and Change
By Molly Balison
Scottie Culley parked his electric bike on a bench by the Boise River and swapped his helmet, with its attached GoPro, for a camo cap fitted with a microphone. He propped his smartphone against a blue raspberry Gatorade bottle, logged into YouTube, and hit “Go Live.”
“Instead of being an addict and struggling with depression, I’m impacting people. And if people leave my channel having a better day and feel like they have someone who will listen to them, that’s what I’m here for,” he said on YouTube LIVE.
For the next hour, he talked about how he was born with a disability, became addicted to drugs, got sober, and now lives in a homeless shelter.
People tend to recognize Scottie by his wobbly walk. He was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that prevents the spinal cord from developing properly. The first weeks of his life were filled with surgeries to help him walk and manage his condition. Doctors told his parents that he wouldn’t live past 21 years old, like most people with Spina Bifida. But here he is at 33 years old to tell his story.
He never knew what it was like to run from point A to point B or walk without pain. However, his parents were deter-
Transformation
By Julie Loomis
I remember first meeting Maddie when she was just beginning her transformation. At the time, I didn’t know her whole story. So, I wrote about the courage it took and still takes for her to become a butterfly.
Maddie was born Matthew. His grandmother was raising him, but she passed away, and his mother was unavailable. His step-grandfather took custody of him and moved to California. I believe the step-grandfather did his best, but that was not good enough since he also had an anger and drinking problem. Matthew spent most days hiding in his room playing video games.
mined to not let Scottie’s disability get in the way of enjoying things that other kids did, even if bullies ridiculed him for a condition he had no control over. It made Scottie angry when he wondered why he was dealt an unfortunate hand from the time he was born. Unanswered questions swarmed his mind, ridiculing his selfworth.
“I had maybe two friends growing up, and they were also outsiders that people didn’t want to hang out with. So that’s a lot of what contributed to my anger and what brought me deep into the struggle,” he said. “I spent so much time feeling not good enough, feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere.”
When Scottie’s older brother began to grasp the pain his middle school-aged brother endured every day, he offered Scottie pain pills to help him get through the day. The pain pills not only numbed Scottie’s physical pain, but his mental and emotional pain, too. The drugs quickly became essential to his daily life. They became his escape from the time he was 13 years old until he was 21 years old, when his cravings escalated to meth.
He felt lost and empty, chasing temporary highs, hanging out with a crowd that encouraged his addiction. Scottie realized he fell deeper into a dangerous lifestyle when his and his brother’s became a hub for drug use. “Nobody cared about the way that I walked,” he said. “They just cared that I was doing drugs with them.”
His health declined severely, to the point where his doctor asked him, “You will either lose your leg or lose your life.”
Scottie continued using drugs even after getting his leg amputated and adjusting to a prosthetic. It wasn’t until he realized how
Matthew hated being trapped in the wrong body, but it was hammered into his mind that he couldn’t change. So Matthew resorted to alcohol to deal with the pain for many years. He lived on the outskirts of society in hotel rooms or homeless shelters, only caring about the booze.
scared his family was for his life that he knew he had to make a change.
He attempted to live in a sober living house, but his disability prevented him from getting across the street to his required classes. So he was kicked out, without anywhere to go. He heard about a homeless shelter that accepts everyone and made his way to Interfaith Sanctuary.
In his first two days there, he met Skip, a friendly, welcoming, light-hearted senior. Skip recognized his new friend’s positive qualities and took him under his wing.
“He’s in this place because of circumstances. He’s a hard worker and he’s determined.”
Despite being almost 30 years older, Skip is inspired by Scottie’s determination to overcome and heal, while Scottie admires Skip’s friendship, which carries him through challenging days. “I’ve got more love for him than anybody,” Scottie said about Skip, “He’s my best friend.”
Skip told Scottie about Project Recovery, Interfaith’s on-site recovery program designed to give people the tools to live a healthy and sober life through daily group meetings and mental health education. Scottie joined the program, but braced himself for getting kicked out when he lapsed. Instead, Director of Project Recovery, Terrence Sharrer, gave Scottie a second chance.
“Why give me a chance? I’m a loser,” Scottie asked him.
“You’re not a loser. You’re struggling. “ Terrence said.
Scottie was told to be honest when he failed, so he could receive help to be successful the next time he was tempted to
lapse. That grace changed everything for Scottie. His determination to change, coupled with accountability and encouragement from Project Recovery, led him to a life of sobriety for two years and counting. Scottie was fortunate to have a family that cared for him despite his poor choices. “After everything that I’ve done, I don’t believe that I deserve a mom like that because she’s like a one-in-a-million mom,” he said.
His mom’s forgiveness impacted Scottie’s life in a way he never expected. Because someone didn’t give up on him, he always had someone to call. So Scottie wants to be that for other people who have no one to call.
His YouTube channel, @adventuresofScottie, exists “to create a community of people who can reach out to me when they need, but can also reach out to and have conversations with each other. It’s building a community of people who go through struggles and need a safe place,” he said. With 1.34K subscribers and over 300,000 views, Scottie’s storytelling is reaching a wide audience of people engaged in the community he’s building. All because he had the courage to take the first step to change.
drinking and entered Interfaith’s recovery program, which helped him get sober. He fell off the wagon a few times but stayed in the program.
One day, he realized he wanted to be a she and change. That’s when Madelyn Darling was born. She was determined to stay sober and be the girl she always felt like. However, starting hormone therapy at 30 years old is harder than being a teenager in transition. Maddie had a lot to learn about becoming a woman. Luckily, her friends were there to help.
As a young boy, whenever he showed his feminine side, his grandfather would yell and sometimes strike him. Matthew received zero understanding and was sent to a conversion camp to make sure he didn’t become one of those gay people.
This is Wrong
By Chris Alvarez
I recently went with one of my daughters to the doctor to replace her current diabetes pump. She was upgrading her diabetes equipment on this particular appointment. Prior to the appointment she was needing a sensor for her current pump. Due to the fact that she was receiving a new
After years of this, his body started breaking down. Interfaith found him sleeping outside, covered in bugs. He spent a week in the hospital and was told his liver would fail if he continued drinking. From that moment, Matthew decided to stop
She had few social skills and bad habits, so we showed her what to wear and how to walk and taught her about hygiene and manners. She would get frustrated with herself, but kept trying to behave like a woman. She also tried to manage her autism and other mental health issues as well as gender dysphoria which makes her hate the body she was born with.
When Maddie was becoming comfortable in herself, a surge of transphobic
laws entered. The new president was even supporting policies like not allowing trans women the right to use female public restrooms or taking Medicaid away from them. President Trump has recently introduced policies that restrict transgender individuals’ rights to use restrooms aligned with their gender identity in federal facilities and limit Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for minors. She knew she couldn’t go back to Matthew, but was afraid that she would be attacked if she went anywhere. She continued to stay true to herself. This is not a choice for her, it is who she is.
Maddie is still working on herself everyday, learning to stay strong and not let her fear take over. It will take years for her to have a full female body and she fights depression along with everything else, but she still gets up every morning to face the day her way. She has stayed clean and sober for three years. She is an inspiration for being brave enough to change. She has the inner and outer beauty of a butterfly.
pump , she was running low on old pump supplies.
Immediately upon our arrival we were told by the nurse that the new pump was not going to be installed that day and therefore, we needed to find more supplies for the current old pump in use. Thus, we requested more supplies and were told that they were unavailable. We had to call
these numbers, talk to these people and basically beg for supplies; all while having insurance and jumping through those hoops.
Question: Why can I go to the store and get nasal spray, but in a life and death situation with diabetes, I have to jump through hoops of fire to get the supplies I need to live? This is wrong.
CHANGE & COURAGE
Road to Redemption Part 10: One Plants and One Waters, But God Grows.
By Bo
What a blessing it is to be able to share my story in this paper. So much has happened, and I have learned many lessons. I started off just writing to vent, and now it’s taken on a life of its own. I am far from done, and I can’t kick my feet up by any means. However, I can look back on my road and be grateful for how far I’ve come.
I must thank my God and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without him, I can do nothing, but through him I can do all things.
Lately, it’s been challenging to take the next steps while I’m being tested.
Sometimes I feel that I know what’s best when in reality, I don’t know. I must always remind myself to stay humble, planting seeds of goodness wherever I go. Or maybe water a seed that has already been planted. Which is greater: planting or watering? Neither, because only God gave the increase. This is what the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6 in the Bible. Perhaps this is a message of encouragement to you, reader. I believe that everything happens to us for one of three reasons: for testing, blessing, or a lesson. God would never tempt us; however, he will test us to see if we are
sincere and if our intentions are pure. The Lord will bless us, not because we are deserving, but because he loves us. And finally, sometimes we failed the testing, and missed the blessing, and so now God gives us a lesson that is needed to open our eyes to what the Lord wants to show us. Life is a journey, not a race.
As of July 2, I had been at the shelter for exactly one year. Now, I can see that I had to be broken down and humbled in order to trust that the Lord was guiding me through hardship to something better.
It reminds me of how a piece of clay is molded on the potter’s wheel and broken down from the old thing to be transformed into something new.
The first two months at the shelter were the hardest. I was in the stage of survival and on the verge of losing my chance for housing. I pawned and sold off and couch surfed, and found odd jobs just to stay afloat. Ultimately, I was throwing sand at the beach and, before I knew it, I lost everything. With no plan, I went to the shelter and was going through the motions until I found a routine. The end of my journey in homelessness seemed out of reach, but I visualized it and prayed that things would get better.
Overdose Awareness
By Terrence Sharrer, Director of Project Recovery
The first time I overdosed. I was overwhelmed with fear and shame. I felt like I lost control, and that my addiction had taken over my life. But even after that experience, I continued to put myself in danger, continuing to use drugs despite the risks. It was like I was stuck in a cycle of insanity, unable to break free from the grip of addiction.
The battle against addiction is a relentless one. Despite my own overdoses and seeing others suffer and die, I continued to use drugs. That’s the power of addiction-it makes you do things that don’t make sense, even when you know the dangers. It’s like being trapped in a never ending cycle with your mind constantly at war with itself. This mental agony is where hope goes to die.
Witnessing others lose their lives to overdoses is a tragic and sobering experience.I have lost loved ones and friends including my nephew to this devastating crisis. He had been clean and sober a year working on his program. He had a bad day and scored some heroin that was laced with fentanyl. His body had no tolerance and he died in his bathroom while his five year
old son played in the living room. I have also seen guests at our shelter suffer the same fate. It is tragic and heartbreaking and made me realize just how much more needs to be done to support and protect those struggling with addiction.
Narcan training can be a valuable tool in the fight against overdoses.It can empower people to take action when they see someone in crisis, potentially saving a life.
I have seen the miracle of narcan bring people back from the brink of death. Unfortunately not enough people have access to this training. There is a need to make it more widely available and accessible. By doing so, we can better equip individuals and communities to respond to overdoses and prevent more tragedies. It is a small but important step in addressing the overdose crisis and reducing the stigma surrounding addiction.
Reducing the stigma surrounding addiction is essential if we are going to effectively tackle the overdose crisis. For too long addiction has been seen as a personal failing or a sign of weakness. This type of thinking only serves to isolate and shame those struggling with addiction, making it harder to seek help. Instead we need to treat addiction as the public health crisis it is, and provide support and resources for
My third and fourth months at the shelter felt like a huge puzzle with just a few pieces starting to take shape. I started and completed two programs while managing to stay consistent with doing my due diligence, going to the gym, and waiting for confirmation on a job opportunity. In time, I got a job at Boise State University as a prep cook in the dining hall.
Months five, six, and seven of homelessness were all about balance. The more responsibilities I racked up, the harder it was to stay on top of everything, but it also fueled me with the motivation to stay strong. It also helped to have over a month and a half off from work between all the holidays.
Months eight through eleven were challenging. Between having some health issues and bad timing at my job, things started to feel rocky. I also began to get frustrated about not having things fall in place when and how I wanted them to. Little did I know that change was right around the corner.
This July, I got a rental house and welcomed my kids into a home.
Thank you for traveling down this road with me. If you’re on your own road to redemption, just know that God is ready and willing to meet you where you are at. All you have to do is call upon his name.
those in need. Only then can we begin to address the underlying causes of addiction and work towards reducing the number of overdoses.
There is also an urgent need for more long-term treatment options and programs.Right now many people struggling with addiction are unable to access the support they need to recover.There often long waiting list for treatments centers and not enough affordable options available.This needs to change if we want to effectively address the overdose crisis. We need to invest in more treatment facilities, support programs, and harm reduction initiatives to help people access the help they need and reduce the number of overdoses.
Ultimately, I’m tired of attending funerals and vigils for those lost to overdoses. It is a devastating and exhausting cycle, one that takes a toll on individuals, families, and communities. But I’m hopeful that by raising awareness, reducing stigma, and increasing access to resources, we can work towards a future where fewer lives are lost to overdoses. Especially in our Interfaith community. It won’t be easy, but it is a fight worth having.
By Janet Kaufman
HI, I’m Janet and I work in mediation and Nonviolent Communication, and participate as a community facilitator with Interfaith’s mental health programming. This new column will be dedicated to sharing insights, learning, and voices of the human spirit that emerge in our mental health programming at Interfaith Sanctuary. At Interfaith, the conversation gets real. We want to share it with you!
Recently in Project Well Being (PWB), we were working with a deck of cards called “Self-Love Cards.” The cards invite and even challenge us to address a big question: how do we care, love, and find compassion for ourselves? To find internal strength and direction for living and solving problems, it helps to come from a place of love and compassion.
From the deck, one person in the PWB group drew a card that asks: What do you want to stop apologizing for? It’s a big question. We all took a moment to respond privately before sharing our thoughts.
Now, before reading on to learn responses from guests at the shelter, try picking up a piece of scrap paper and pen, and jotting down your own answer to this question: What do you want to stop apologizing for? Don’t think too hard about it or write too much! Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind.
Even if you are not experiencing homelessness, perhaps you might identify with thoughts that people expressed in PWB: “I want to stop apologizing for…”
Speaking what’s true for me.
For existing.
For things that are out of my control. For being me.
For being my best self.
For breathing.
For being who I am.
We were all a bit surprised, listening to each person around the table, that so many people wrote a version of the same thought. Don’t we all want to be accepted for who we are—not to experience feeling less than human.
Maybe there’s been a time when you have had this thought—you don’t want to apologize for existing. You want to be accepted for who you are.
No matter our circumstances, or whether we have a home or not, all of us want to be seen as whole people who need love, care, respect, and kindness. When you see a stranger on the street corner, you might think to yourself, “Just like me, that person wants to be accepted for who they are. They want to be seen for their best self.” How could that affect them? How could it affect you?
A Year in the Life
By Gerri Graves
I’ve hit a milestone as of late......I’ve been housed for one whole year! I thought I’d take the time to reflect on this past year and what it’s like to be a part of society again.
It’s funny. Finding housing, while homeless, is like the holy grail. It’s all you think about......acquiring that sliver of normalcy again. But I’d be lying if I said it was easy. It’s just a new set of problems......like trying to keep it with no income. Not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure.
I have to hustle to make the wee amount I get, just to pay rent and utilities. Mind you, my rent is not what your rent is, but it is over half of my monthly intake.
I write, I sell papers, and I volunteer for the homeless experience board, which recently got approval to pay us a small stipend.
I’m disabled and still fighting with disability (although my lawyer and I had a small victory recently. Yay!), so the only money I have coming in is from these sources. I’d be lying, though, if I said I didn’t appreciate being out of the fishbowl that is living in a shelter. I’m a recluse. I loathe idle chit-chat. Some days I’m straight-up antisocial. Being surrounded by people, day in and day out, was waaaaaay out of my comfort zone.
It is lovely to have a space that’s mine to decorate, clean, and cook in at last.
It was just the other day when I went out for a wee bit, and upon entering my place, I realized.....my little space smelled like me. Incense, simmering dinner, my soap and shampoo, cinnamon candles, and cleanliness. That might seem weird to some......but I think it’s one of my top ten requirements for a comfortable space. My own area, behind a locked door, that
smells like the things I love.
My son joined me, and Housing was kind enough to get us into a larger apartment. He has a lifelong debilitating disease, which makes it hard for him to keep a fulltime job. He never knows when the next bout will happen, which takes him out of commission for days. Employers don’t like that. But, he keeps trying.....and that’s all I can ask for.
I’ve restored an antique lamp that came to me broken and unusable. I fixed it, reassembled and rewired it......and then, hand stitched a brand new silk shade for it. I’m halfway through my second lamp restoration (a floor lamp this time) and almost finished with reupholstering the antique settee I acquired. Just have to get the trim on it and voila!
I am thinking of selling the hand-stitched silk shades for extra money, but I need to find a dependable local tack welder before I can begin. Figuring out the price structure is also a bit of a dilemma. It takes me a month to make. I first wrap the frame with a stitching base, dye the silk, stitch the silk and lace, and embroider it in place by hand. Then, I add glass beads and European sequins, trim it, inside and out. (I wrap the silk to the underside on both the top and bottom, and cover the ends with trim for a clean finish) Finally, I hand-beaded the fringe. That alone takes 1 1/2-2 weeks.
With all the work that goes into them, I’m unsure what to charge. I think I’ll do a little research before settling on a price. I also plan to offer other items. Like hand-embroidered patched jackets, hand-painted tables and some Halloween pieces I am making.....a mixture of sorts.
I’m one of those artists who have many talents but is an expert in none of them.
I think I’m just one of those people less inclined to produce items of a repetitive
nature. Meaning, I’ll have a couple of dozen unfinished projects if I don’t change it up often. I just have a million ideas and work better when I alternate projects. It won’t be a lot of money, but hopefully I can pull enough in to live semi-comfortably. I’ve never required much. I prefer a beat-up antique table over one from a furniture store showroom.
I often brag that 98% of what you see in my home is from yard sales, thrift stores, and auctions. So, as I’ve already stated .....I don’t require tons of money to thrive or even get my shopping on. I give myself a $20 max and rarely go over it.......and have more fun than someone spending a few hundred on a name brand this or that. Anyway, that’s my goal for the coming year: to make money doing things I love. Just enough to make a living.
This past year has been about moving, cooking, doctor’s appointments, hustling for electric bill money, thrift store shopping, spending time with my kids, and getting settled (twice within five months).
It’s also been a year of a lot of help from unexpected places. I mean, I’d be down to my last dollar and by some weird cosmic coincidence, I’d get a letter in the mail from someone who’d read my article, with a crisp bill tucked within the fold of the letter.
Anytime I needed help, from moving to picking up a bed frame I bought at a yard sale, people showed up.
And gifts! Oh my gosh! Everything from quilting fabric, Halloween stuff (if you know me, you know me), cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, cooking pans..... even a winter coat for my son, who had broken his zipper on his only jacket. Little detectives, they all were. I never asked for anything, and people just showed up. I’m so grateful to everyone who showed up for my son and me this year. I truly don’t know what I would have done without them.
Assimilating back into normal society has been strange, eye-opening and sometimes uncomfortable.
This year has been one of integration, soul searching, acclimation, and a bit of disappointment. Change is never all positive, I do realize that. Change is always tempered with good and bad. Perhaps I was expecting too much. Expecting too much always leads to a wee bit of disappointment. Riding the middle between optimism and pessimism is far more logical than leaning into one or the other.
But, aside from the day-to-day drudgery, I have to say.....it’s been a fairly decent year. I’ve laughed a lot and spent many hours with my kids. They’ve put up with my grouchy mood swings, far better than I deserve. I found some great treasures for pennies, created some great art, cooked some kick-a** meals, including three New York cheesecakes and about 200 tamales, had some fantastic outings with friends, bought three new (to me) dresses at the thrift store, and have written a couple of really stellar pieces this year.
I’m a year out of homelessness. I may not know where my permanent home is yet, but I’m on my way. One day leads into another, and on some far-off day, the sting of it will lessen. But the changes it brought about in me will reside within, forever.
Making the Invisible Visible: A Successful“Caregiving” Screening
By Molly Balison
A sudden downpour didn’t stop caregivers, those receiving care, and nonprofit representatives from gathering at The Flicks on Tuesday, August 26 for PBS’s screening of Caregiving, a documentary produced by Bradley Cooper. Though the rain kept information tables from being set up on the patio of the cozy theater and café, nearly 100 people showed up to support Idaho’s caregivers, an undersupported and overlooked community of more than 300,000 people, 70% of whom also work part- or full-time jobs in addition to caregiving. These numbers in Idaho are higher than the national average.
After mingling and connecting with nonprofit representatives, attendees entered the theater for a 22-minute clip of Caregiving followed by a seven-minute Idaho Reports segment on caregivers.
The documentary strings together stories of specific families, caregivers, research and history to bring awareness to the challenges of caregiving and encourage the support of an underrecognized role.
A mood of heaviness mixed with curiosity as panelists Shella Weaver, Sara Gornik, Lynes Fyanes, and Jodi Peterson-Stigers joined facilitator Marcia Franklin on stage. Each woman shared both the tragedies and triumphs of their personal experiences with caregiving, as well as the services their organizations provide to fill the gaps in support. The discussion served not only as education for the public but also as community-building for caregivers themselves.
The mediator of the conversation, Franklin said, “The excellent turnout, insightful questions and poignant stories that were shared reflected the depth of the passion and commitment people in our state have for these issues. I was very moved by the heartfelt comments from the panelists and attendees.”
Specific resources were highlighted to show what Boisyanes explained that the Idaho Commission on Aging offers paid support to adults aged 18+ caring for someone over 60. Weaver, representing the Idaho Caregiver Alliance, shared, “We see ourselves as the voice and convener for family caregivers statewide. That looks like education, organization and making the invisible, visible… Caregivers are all too often invisible.”
Peterson-Stigers explained the intersection of aging, homelessness and caregiving, noting that one of the fastest growing homeless populations is aging and elderly due to rising housing costs and decreased funding for Medicaid. “Access to that kind of assisted care or supportive care without a home is near impossible,” she said. In light of this, Interfaith Sanctuary partnered with the City of Boise to provide home health and hospice to those experiencing homelessness who are medically fragile in a hotel model.
“There’s often medical challenges within a homeless population that causes them to lose their jobs and to lose their houses, but they have this unbelievable ability to care, “ Peterson-Stigers said. “We have these guests who need care, and we have other guests that, along with my staff, deliver that care. So, somehow they’re able to stay
safe and alive while we work to find appropriate housing for them.”
Concerns raised included the lack of recognition and support, including higher pay and resources, for caregivers, the short supply of qualified and available caregivers, Medicaid budget cuts in Idaho, and the institutionalization of those in need of compassionate care.
As of September 1, Medicaid providers in Idaho will see a 4% reimbursement cut. This reduction will not directly affect families who hire their own support, but it may strain agencies and reduce wages for professional caregivers.
The statistics reflect the strain. According to AARP, 23-25% of caregivers reported a decline in their own health as a result of the demands of their job. Psychiatric Times found that an upwards of 53% reported a decline in health. In Idaho, 210,000 family caregivers are unpaid for the 193 million hours of care they administer over a year.
Though more problems and fears than solutions were raised during the 45-minute discussion, Peterson-Stigers bookmarked encouragement for the room of
concerned individuals and said, “I think that the solution is always in the village.
The more that people who are going through the same shared experience can connect and maybe come up with the solution, that’s the answer the next time we do a panel.”
After the screening, attendees shared their own caregiving experiences with each other and realized they weren’t alone in the challenges they faced. Darin Lindig and his wife have been caring for one of their daughters for 29 years. Charlotte Mixon Lanier, both a caregiver and care recipient, reflected that caregiving quality has not improved since she began caring for her father in the 1990s. She implores fellow caregivers to “be there for each other.”
The event organizer, Morgan Keating, said, “We realize that people all over Idaho are experiencing the caregiving crisis and want to have conversations like this throughout our state… We hope that people feel less alone in their experiences around caregiving and connected to our community.”
Show you care by watching the documentary on PBS and being a part of the conversation.