Newsletter Archive

We are thankful for your commitment to Kootenai County as we work together to promote the human flourishing of our neighbors. Here's a peak into what we've been up to!

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

RIDES - Harrison Vehicle Sale - Lives Changed

a turning point that has enabled them to keep working, attending medical appointments, and get groceries.

 

Anira describes their story this way:

 

"When my husband, Matthew, married me in 2016, I had some physical challenges but I was a working single boy-mom, educated, community-focused and passionate about the organizations I worked with. We couldn’t have seen the future that would unfurl before us."

 

A debilitating shift in Anira's disability, the unwillingness of the government to recognize her inability to work anymore, and the barrage of hit after hit that their finances took for years.

 

"The final break was that on the actual drive to take my truck in because the transmission and the transaxle were both dangerously going out, my husbands car’s timing chain broke and took out something in the motor with it. We went from two vehicles to get our family to the store, doctors' appointments, work and home to no vehicle at all… we were crushed and lost."

 

These setbacks didn't keep Matthew from figuring out a way to get to work, even when it meant biking 20 miles a day and two bus rides - at 5:30am in the winter. Talk about grit . But Anira was still stuck at home, and there was no reliable way to get groceries or to doctors' appointments. 

 

This is when the Harrisons found Rides and applied.

 

Abigail, our RIDES program manager shared:

 

"When Anira reached out to me, I felt that she found our program for a reason. Her story moved me and her character as well as her husband Matthew’s were proven to be exactly what we here at Rides are looking for: individuals who are looking for a hand-up not a hand-out and who work hard for everything they earn. Times of hardship and desperation do not discriminate. They can choose any person at any given time. What matters most in those times of hardship however is how you choose to move forward." The Harrisons are fighters.

A few months ago, Abigail joined the team to help run Rides for a Reason as the Program Manager.

 

Abigail Fitzgerald is a 4th generation born and raised CDA Idahoan. She has four crazy younger brothers and is enrolled at NIC, hoping to graduate spring of 2027 with her AAS in their Paralegal Program. 

 

As the main communication point for all things Rides for a Reason, Abigail can appreciate the mission more than anyone since she purchased a Rides vehicle just over a year ago !  

DOING BENEVOLENCE BETTER

(with dignity)

 

Reimagining Charity is about digging into how we help the needy:

Not just loving with our hearts and hands but loving with our minds, too.

This month, North Idaho College had the largest graduating class in the school's 91-year history.  Several of the graduates were recipients of Christmas for All Year (CFA-Y) over the course of their education. We are inspired by them!

 

Now take another look at the women pictured above. They could be statistics of single moms on welfare, unemployed, uneducated, and waiting for others to carry them. But they aren't. 

 

Let's talk about why these women aren't poverty statistics.

 

Chiefly : they are committed to blazing a trail for their future to be brighter. They were not given handout after handout, perpetuating a cycle of dependency. Instead, they were invested in at the right time, in the right ways by amazing organizations who were committed to their long-term development. This is what we are about at Charity Reimagined.

 

About 70% of people seeking help want to improve their situations, but don't have the right resources or supportive services. This 70% is and should be our focus. 

 

These ARE incredible people, AND they need support and resources to help them achieve their aspirations. Often, they need help to even believe they can set and achieve goals.

 

For these graduates, walking across the stage to receive their degree was a monumental experience. Many are first generation college students, breaking generational patterns of poverty by going to school and earning a degree or a certificate that will allow them to enter into a high paying career. During their journey at NIC, having wrap around support was essential. The Center for New Directions on campus at NIC supported them along the way, connecting them to Charity Reimagined when things arose in their lives that could have derailed their progress forward. Whether this be car repairs, rent, eyeglasses or grocery cards, we were able to step in and offer support.

 

The journey of these women at NIC is a perfect example of helping people in need with a development perspective rather than a rescue perspective. We did not try to rescue them out of their hardships. There was no one-way giving that met a short-term immediate need.  Instead, we provided assistance that supported them on their pathway to self-sufficiency. These individuals are committed to improving their lives, and we are committed to supporting them. NIC's Louisa rogers put it this way:

 

“Although they have graduated NIC, the community support doesn’t end. We will continue to wrap around them on their journey towards their Bachelor’s degree, and then on their journey as they enter the workforce. That is the beautiful thing about relational support. We don’t cut off the support just because they have completed one of many goals. We work with them each step of the way towards stability.”  

 

This is development . Development takes multiple resources wrapped around people who are committed to elevating their employment opportunities to obtain a better life for themselves and their children. 80% of charitable assistance should be focused on this development while only 20% should be devoted to a rescue response for those in crisis situations. Today, this ratio is reversed.

 

It's pretty incredible that 70% of people in need want to do something about it. We want our community to be willing to engage and redirect charitable efforts to focus on the development of these capable people in order for them to rewrite their story for generations to come rather than perpetuate a cycle of dependency. 

REFERRING PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho

Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho is committed to helping homeowners achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better home for themselves and their families.

 

Habitat volunteers work side-by-side with selected candidate families, who are required to complete sweat equity work before purchasing their homes. When the home is completed and all requirements met, the family buys the home from Habitat.

Referring Partners are front-line poverty-fighting warriors, our community's Unsung Heroes, serving the poor. They refer their clients to Charity Reimagined for specific assistance tailored to our work. 

BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Avondale Dental

Avondale Dental offers comprehensive dental care for all ages and backgrounds. They strive to lead with purpose, setting standards through community stewardship, integrated healthcare, tech-driven efficiency, and memorable experiences that leave lasting impressions on all they serve. Their team focuses on finding personalized solutions to put each patient on a path to optimal oral health.  

 

They are a new dental partner and we are thrilled to work with them!

Business Partners offer their services at a discount in order to meet the needs of those rising out of hardship. They give clients the dignity of interacting in the business world for their needs, not just receiving handouts. The role played by these partners cannot be overstated! 

Gratitude Corner

 

“Charity Reimagined stepped in at a critical time in my life, helping me pay my rent while I was making ends meet. Their support gave me the stability I needed to stay in school and focus on my education. Thanks to their help, I was able to stay enrolled, finish my classes, and ultimately graduate with my degree from NIC. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity they gave me to build a better future.”  

 

-One of the Grateful NIC Graduates Pictured Above

If you're new or would like to learn more, we'd love to grab coffee with you and get connected. Your partnership makes effective charity in Kootenai County possible. 

OUR VISION

 

No matter how big or small, no single church, charity, or “helping” organization can meet all needs. But, by all of us working together through communication and collaboration to identify categories of care and responding appropriately, pride can replace shame, hope can replace despair, and lives can be changed.

CHARITY REIMAGINED | [ CharityReimgained.org ]

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