Hope House offers school supplies at back to school bash

“I remember having 22 cents and needing milk, gas and diapers,” said Aimee Christopherson, volunteer director of Hope House. As a widowed mom facing a mountain of medical bills and a young daughter to care for, she found herself all too familiar with not having the resources to meet her needs. It was a lesson that led her to creating Hope House.

Hope House offers free clothes, food, baby items and more to residents of Boundary County. Their motto: “simply here to help, no strings attached.” It's a message of goodwill they have helped spread throughout the community for the last 11 years.

One of their big events is a Back to School Bash and dinner. It’s being held for the first time at the Boundary County Fairgrounds this year, from 5-7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22.

The bash started as a back-to-school barbecue in Moyie Springs. Christopherson said mostly children showed up the first time. Based on their response, however, they started offering a block party/free barbecue every month during the summer with it culminating in the school supply giveaway at the end of Aug.

This year's bash is no different.

Christopherson said they have partnered with Community Action to provide school supplies for as many as 170 students. They are also offering free haircuts, courtesy of Picturesque, as well as P.E. shoes in partnership with Larson’s.

The shoes are particularly important to Christopherson, who noted two incidents that hit home for her.

“An elementary aged youth who had horrendous sores all over their feet came into Hope House,” she said. “Their only pair of shoes were soccer cleats, two sizes too small. They either wore these uncomfortable, too small shoes or went barefoot.”

The second involved a young teen who needed a pair of shoes. She was able to provide them with a pair that were a little too big. “Several weeks later [...] I watched this teen race. I wondered how well [they] could have done in shoes that fit properly.”

These events made Christopherson realize how important shoes are for developing feet and for teens. As a result, Hope House collects new shoes for kids and gives them away at the back to school bash. They don’t ask for any income statements, just that you call to sign up, although they will have shoes on hand for kids who weren’t able to sign up ahead of time.

“We love that kids get to go in, try on and pick out their new PE shoes,'' she said.

Larson’s has been key in helping provide good, quality shoes for several years. So far, they have over 70 kids signed up for shoes this year.

Larson’s isn’t the only business involved in the bash. Financial sponsors include Mountain West Bank, Rotary Club of Bonners Ferry, Rawlings Community Counseling, Hope House funds and community members. Volunteers from Rotary and Mountain West Bank will be helping during the event as well.

There will also be informational booths about community services at the event. BOCO, Head Start, 4H, BCSD 101 Food Services and more will be available. Some will have activities, face painting, information about services and programs and even drawings for prizes. The hope is to connect families with various community resources.

This year will be a simple dinner of hotdogs, chips and treats in order to maintain minimal contact with foods due to current health concerns. Christopherson hopes to expand in the future, maybe even partnering with local eateries to put on a bigger spread.

“Our community is very generous,” said Christopherson. “We have been blessed over the last 11 years [...] As a result, we have been able to help countless people from a wide variety of situations,” about 300 households per year.

Christopherson added that community generosity is huge and asks anyone who wants to donate to Hope House to only donate items in like-new condition. “Our storage areas are maxed out. Torn and stained items just create a lot of work to sort out [...] This takes a lot of time and energy.” She also asked that donations be made in smaller bags, pointing out that heavy garbage bags are tough for volunteers to move around.

For Christopherson, Hope House is a labor of love. “I tell people I am the one that is blessed, getting to be [...] in the middle of how prayers are answered and needs are met.” She remembers her time of need. “I knew I wasn’t alone,” she said, and wants others to know that they, too, are not alone.

For more information, or to sign up for a new pair of PE shoes, call 208-267-5105.