SANDPOINT — For the second year in a row, Columbia Bank is helping out homeless shelters across the Northwest with its Warm Hearts Winter Drive.

Donations of cash and winter attire will help individuals and families in more than 50 shelters in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Locally, the drive will benefit Bonner Homeless Transitions in Sandpoint and Hope, as well as Family Promise of North Idaho in Coeur d'Alene.

"The great thing about the drive, in keeping with our philosophy of a community bank, is anyone who donates in their local community, the funds that you donate or the goods that you donate are going right to an organization in your local community," said David Devine, senior vice-president and marketing manager for Columbia Bank.

Devine said the drive started last year because bank employees were concerned about what they were seeing in their individual communities.

"Homelessness was starting to become visible in ways that made it obvious — this was a challenge that we were seeing on a larger scale in the Northwest," Devine said.

According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the number of homeless people in the Northwest increased 6 percent since 2015, leaving 34,000 people struggling to receive essential services and stay off the street during the overcrowded winter months at underfunded shelters.

Tamie Martinsen, program manager for Bonner Homeless Transitions' Blue Haven home in Sandpoint, said the organization serves 14 families and up to four single women at a time. Typically, Bonner Homeless Transitions has a waiting list of 6 to 10 at any given time as well. She said the number of people who seek shelter in the Sandpoint area goes up as the weather gets colder, beginning in the fall. People tend to settle in until after the holidays, she said, and they see another uptick around the end of January.

"Most of the people who experience homelessness in rural communities are children," Martinsen said. "It has a huge impact on children — just that instability."

She said it is "really tough" to hear the younger children ask questions like, "Are we not going to be homeless anymore, Mom?" or "Where are we sleeping tonight, Mom?" Martinsen said about 60 to 70 percent of the people Bonner Homeless Transitions serve are children, because many of those who seek shelter in the area are families with more than one child.

Because they serve so many children and are determined to make sure every child who comes through the shelter has warm clothes — coats, gloves, boots — she said benefits like the Warm Hearts Winter Drive help tremendously.

"Last year we received lots of coats and gloves and things like that through this campaign," she said. "We definitely appreciate the partnership and it's really exciting to have them doing this for us."

Devine said the goal last year of the Warm Hearts drive was $100,000. It raised more than $150,000 and nearly 12,000 items to benefit 53 homeless shelters.

"We were very pleased with the response from our employee-base and the communities," he said. "I think it speaks to the fact that this really is something that our communities are struggling with, because (the drive) has been such a success."

The goal this year is $160,000.

Donations of cash and new winter attire can be dropped off for donation through Dec. 31 at any Columbia Bank location in Idaho, Washington or Oregon. Cash donations can be made online at WarmHeartsWinterDrive.com.