Spring treats help those in need

SANDPOINT — "Anyone who has struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor." (James Baldwin, 1924-1987)

To help area homeless, Bonner Homeless Transitions is again hosting a “Treats on Your Feet” fundraiser as a way to welcome spring, get people moving, and help out those in need while getting some treats along the way.

The event, which will start at Super 1 Foods, will be held from 1-4 p.m. on May 29.

Those who attend the walk will get a punch ticket for $20 at Super 1 Foods, before they head off to four other locations. At each location they will receive a spring treat, including flowers, pie, coffee and tea. The locations include Super 1, 624 Larch St. greens; Foster’s Crossing, 504 Oak St., tulips, soup; Pie Hut, 502 Church St., pie; Bizarre Bazaar, 502 Church St., daffodils; Evans Brothers Coffee, 524 Church St., coffee or tea; and Matchwood Brewing, 513 Oak St., beverages.

At each station, someone from Bonner Homeless Transitions will be available to answer questions about the organization and the upcoming changes. Participants can grab a friend, walk alone or in a group to each of the stations in any order they choose.

This is the event’s fifth year.

With changes in the past couple of years, Bonner Homeless Transitions officials said community fundraisers are an even more important source of funds. When its Trestle Creek facility closed in 2017, all services were moved to the Blue Haven facility in Sandpoint. Historically, clients could stay for up to two years in one of the facilities to address long-term issues that led to homelessness.

But that closure, coupled with fewer funds to support the organization, the focus was shifted to move families into permanent housing as quickly as possible.

The event is sponsored by All Seasons, Safeway, Pie Hut, Evans Brothers Coffee, Vanderfords, Matchwood Brewery, Super 1 Foods, Foster’s Crossing, Bizarre Bazaar, and Walmart.