Realteam: Event most successful yet

On Nov. 17, 2011, there was a mention in The Press about a Meals on Wheels Telethon at Realteam Real Estate Center, but the small mention just did not give readers a picture of what really came about from this wonderful fundraiser. May I set the scene: Christmas tree ornaments sparkled in the corner of the office as bells were ringing and smiles were brewing with every donation and pledge. There really is a warm fuzzy feeling that comes over you when your community works together for a great cause.

Realteam Real Estate Center in Coeur d'Alene ran a telethon for Lake City Center's Meals on Wheels program on Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Realteam's owners, Dan Tesulov and Steve Ayles, broker, sent Karen Giddings, agent, to our center with the idea of gaining income to support homebound seniors for Thanksgiving. We hope to receive $4 donations per meal to cover the seniors' cost of producing a full meal around $8. The event was comprised of agents like Karen and Paulette Brendis, and sponsors from Pioneer Title and Bestland Senior Living calling out to local businesses for a six-hour stint.

I have worked at Lake City Center for 4 1/2 years now and this was the most successful fundraiser I have been a part of and I was so pleased and amazed at the generous donations from our local community businesses and individuals. With the steadfastness of the team at Realteam Real Estate Center, we have generated $8,000 for the Meals on Wheels program. Donations continue to trickle in as of Dec. 12.

JESSICA LOGAN

Event Coordinator

Lake City Center

GREENHOUSE: Thanks for great support

The Seeds of Change Greenhouse in Post Falls (at New Vision High School) would like to thank the community for supporting our 18th annual Christmas poinsettia sale.

Once again the community came out and rewarded the greenhouse class for all of its hard work. Students were thanked for their work and encouraged to keep up their efforts.

We look forward to seeing all of our great customers for the spring bedding plant sale in May. Thanks again and Merry Christmas to all and a happy New Year.

BILL DEAN

New Vision High instructor

Post Falls

SVDP: Homelessness week a success

During the week of Nov. 13-19, National Homelessness & Hunger Awareness Week, St. Vincent de Paul of North Idaho had a successful week of activities on our community. It all started Saturday night with the Knights of Columbus sponsoring a benefit Spaghetti Feed at St. Thomas Catholic Church. Two hundred showed up for Ted Carniero's famous sauce. Thank you Ted, Norm Ridge, Mike Anderson and the Knights for putting on a successful event.

Volunteers from the community helped Monday through Friday with a Breakfast Soup Kitchen in front of the Coeur d'Alene Thrift Store. Daily we had 25-50 people served who needed a warm meal. Thank you Evening Rotary and Michelle Fink from the Sunrise Rotary, Keller-Williams, Salvation Army Kroc Center, AmericanWest Bank and Holy Family Catholic School for supplying the volunteers and sponsoring the different days. Not only did you cook up great food but you helped hand out more than 125 coats, and boxes of stocking caps, sleeping bags, blankets and gloves. Every morning was wet and near freezing. Thank you John Bruning for being there every morning and helping get everything set up.

Monday night was a beautiful vigil for the Homeless at Independence Point. A joint event with Cherished Ones Ministries, the event had more than 30 people there, standing in the wind and rain, but remembering those who have no home.

This year St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho put on a "symbolic" event for the community. The Souport the End of Homelessness at St. Pius was an amazing event. A total of 509 people showed up to enjoy soups from 17 companies. We had 15 Celebrity Waiters & Waitresses and one victorious winner-the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department. More than $9,480 was raised to support St. Vincent de Paul's Warming Centers in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene. Thank you Soup Event committee members; Amanda Miller, Sharmon Schmitt, Keri Alexander, Michelle Fink, Jamie Morgan and Norm Ridge and a HUGE thank you to Chris Copstead for chairing this event and bringing together this amazing team.

Thank you Soup Cooks; Michael D's Eatery, Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Troy and Jan Tymeson, Human Rights Education Institute, Sunrise Rotary of Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d'Alene Police Department, Denny and Kathy Davis, Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Kootenai Fire Department, Kootenai Title, North Idaho Title, Hospice of North Idaho, Keller-Williams, Panhandle State Bank, Pioneer Title, Mountain West Bank and LaCrosse Health & Rehab.

Thank you Celebrity Waiters and Waitresses; Mayor Sandy Bloem, Todd Christianson, Dan English, Mayor Clay Larkin, Chief Kevin Fuhr, Chief Kenny Gabriel, Senator John Goedde, Chief Scot Haug, Mayor Vic Holmes, Pan Houser, Chief Wayne Longo, Mike McDowell, Chief Ron Sampert, Roger Saterfiel, Commissioner Todd Tondee and Major Ben Wolfinger.

And a BIG thank you to our event sponsors; Black Sheep Sporting Goods, Coeur d'Alene Press, Mountain West Bank North Idaho Title, Great Harvest Bread Co., Coeur d'Alene Firefighters Local 710, Spokane Teachers Credit Union and Costco. You were the backbone of this success.

The message of the week was that St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho served 2,958 unduplicated and documented individuals between July 2009 and June 2010. We provide coffee and food in the HELP Center as a comfort and not a service. Between July 2009 and June 2010 the HELP Center recorded 13,537 services like a visit with the Dirne Clinic, free legal advice, a box of food, housing, sleeping bags, tents, shelter in either the Post Falls or Coeur d'Alene Warming Centers or diapers.

For President John Bruning, my Board of Directors and my amazing staff, thank you for your support this year.

JEFF CONROY

Executive Director