Community's help assisted those in need

7B CAREs would like to extend an immense thank you to everyone who assisted with opening a warming shelter at Priest River Community Church during the extreme cold temperatures Bonner County experienced Jan. 11-14.

This warming shelter represented a cooperative interagency effort spearheaded by Priest River Community Church and supported by 7B CAREs, Civil Support Group and the Community Emergency Response Team in cooperation with Bonner County Emergency Management. 

Under the direction of Lori Holten, the shelter was manned by a team of 15 PRCC volunteers, and supported by another 15 volunteers from the other three groups.

The warming shelter was open for 83 hours, and volunteers provided a total of 243.5 service hours during shelter operations. Another 25 volunteer hours were spent in planning, promoting, providing information, meal preparation, opening up, tear down and clean up.

We wish to thank Priest River Community Church for opening its facilities as a refuge for those who needed a place to get warm during the extreme cold temperatures. Thank you to Lori and Dave Holten, who manned the shelter for the entire time it was operating from Thursday evening to Monday morning; your commitment and dedication to serving others is second to none. Thank you also to their team of volunteers who made this effort possible.

Thank you to CERT, CSG and 7B CAREs who provided various support functions such as security, staffing and logistics. This was a true cooperative effort, and it also allowed us to learn to work together during emergency responses. The lessons learned and goodwill earned during this exercise will prove valuable

the next time an emergency shelter is activated, whether that is for a weather event, wildfire, evacuation or other emergency.

We wish to thank the citizens who spontaneously donated food, blankets and clothing. A special thank you goes to the Willow Bay HOA Chicks who dropped off several pickup truck loads of food, blankets and clothing — what a blessing your group was!

Finally, to every volunteer who made this possible, we thank you for your commitment of time, skills and energy. Volunteers are the backbone of making a shelter happen; if you don’t have volunteers, a shelter cannot function. Your time is greatly valued and appreciated.

7B CAREs is an Idaho faith-based unincorporated nonprofit partnered with Bonner County Emergency Management, community support organizations and churches throughout Bonner County Idaho. Our membership consists of representatives from each of our partner churches, Bonner County Emergency Management and other community organizations. Our mission is to unify churches in order to encourage, love and serve others in times of emergency or disaster. For more information, go online to 7b-cares.net.

KATHY KUBIAK

Bonner County

and 7B CAREs

executive board members