Group seeks end to homelessness

SANDPOINT — In Bonner County, the divide between the financially comfortable and the desperate is growing.

Even worse, the problem isn’t easy to notice. Families accustomed to dumping their laundry in machines don’t realize that fellow townspeople are washing their clothes in sinks. Those who have no worries about the presence of food on their tables the next evening have no pressing reason to notice the people struggling from meal to meal.

“The number of people who are now in homelessness or are in danger of homelessness is have gone up in this area,” said Elissabeth DeFeitas, an associate of poverty assistance nonprofit Transitions in Progress.

However, some community members are mobilizing to keep the issue visible and eventually resolve it. Everyone is welcome to attend a monthly roundtable discussion with the next meeting set for this Thursday. Known as the Rural Partners to End Homelessness, the group meets at Panhandle Health’s community room at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments and plenty of interesting discussions.

“The thing we need more than anything else is compassion,” group member Dan Mimmack said. “The biggest problem out there right now is apathy.”

A combined effort between concerned residents and social workers, Rural Partners has brought together people from across the spectrum of world views, Mimmack said. Religious and non-religious individuals alike are teaming up to devise solutions for a problem that should concern everyone.

“We’re just looking for people that feel called to help,” Mimmack said.

There are three ways to contribute to the cause. First, people can donate their time and effort by attending the group and becoming a part of the problem-solving process.

Of course, money can always help, and a donation to a poverty assistance nonprofit serving the area can go a long way.

Finally, unused items that simply occupy space in one home can be essential tools of survival for another. Rural Partners to End Homelessness accept goods donations for practical items like dressers, lamps, microwaves, beds, frames, mattresses, dishes, cups, glasses, pots, pans, towels, kitchen appliances, sheets and working bicycles. People can drop off items at Mimmack’s business Northwest Handmade. The group also offers complimentary pick-up service for large items like washers or dryers — just call Mimmack at 265-5807.