Holiday events might be canceled this year, but there’s one constant about the holiday season that remains: Local fundraising.

This year, Insight Restoration is holding a “Pack the Pantry” supply drive for Kinderhaven, a local nonprofit organization that provides foster and emergency shelter for children and teens in North Idaho.

Donation boxes are installed at several local businesses, with “wish lists” of needed items for the nonprofit, said Monique Hutchings, sales manager at Insight Restoration,

Kinderhaven was started in 1996 by Marsha Ogilvie, a former foster child and former mayor of Sandpoint.

Since then, the organization has housed over 2,000 children — some who are there temporarily, and some who stay until they age out of the foster care system.

“We are just so grateful to Insight Restoration and for all the businesses that are allowing the boxes,” said Jen Plummer, executive director for Kinderhaven.

Kinderhaven deals specifically with children who have been abused or neglected and removed from their homes for their own safety, Plummer said. For the last several years, Kinderhaven has been at, or near, capacity.

“We need to keep our doors open, and fundraisers like this are a huge part of how we do that,” she said.

Hutchings said the company has been doing fundraisers for six years and chose Kinderhaven this year for its benefit to the local community.

“It’s a basic need, and it’s something where it would be easy to put boxes out,” she said. “My car is completely full right now because I just did a pick-up.”

Because of the ever-present need, Plummer said, Kinderhaven is actually looking to expand. Programs such as “Pack the Pantry” are an essential part of that, she said.

“Anytime we can get things like that taken care of, it just means we’re able to allocate our funds elsewhere,” she said.

In addition to Pack the Pantry, Plummer said the staff at Kinderhaven are hoping people will visit their website and contribute to the organization’s Tour of Trees — a spinoff of Kinderhaven’s “Festival of Trees” that is usually held at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

This year, she said, decorated trees will be on display in local businesses, including several in downtown Sandpoint. The action for the trees will begin Dec. 9, and end Dec. 12.

“We really need and hope for people to get on our website and take a look at our amazing tour of trees fundraiser,” Plummer said. “It’s a new way to do our Festival of Trees that’s been a huge success for over 20 years.”

To contribute, residents can drop off donations at collection boxes located at the following locations: Super 1 in Sandpoint, Yokes Fresh Market in Ponderay, Winter Ridge Natural Food Market in Sandpoint, Sandpoint Super Drug in Sandpoint, The Floor Show in Ponderay, Sandpoint Furniture in Ponderay, Laughing Dog Brewery in Ponderay, Miller Country Store in Sandpoint and Sweet Lou’s in Ponderay.

The drive will last through Dec 21, Plummer said, but, Hutchings added, some businesses will have the donation boxes out longer than others. Information about where residents can donate will be available on the Insight Restorations Facebook Page.