You never know what the future holds, that’s why religious outreach organization Aglow International organized emergency preparedness workshops scheduled for next month.

From having a chainsaw in the event of a downed tree to comparing brands of dehydrated foods, preparedness takes on many different forms. The people of Bonner County do what it takes to live how they like to.

Barb and Larry Dodge want to add to the preparedness Idahoans already embody.

Organized by Aglow International, the Dodges will lead workshops on emergency preparedness. The objective is for people to help themselves and their neighborhoods during the unexpected, according to a press release from Aglow International. The Dodges are trained basic emergency responders, and have worked with Crisis Response International, a charity organization that assists in disaster relief efforts.

The workshop is geared toward preparing people for “weather storms, pandemic situations, and any other attack on our homeland,” according to the same press release from the North Idaho Area Team of Aglow International. By the end of the three-hour workshop, attendees will learn how to build an emergency supply kit and how it should be organized, formulate emergency response plans for themselves and their neighborhoods, and how to prepare others for emergencies.

The workshops in Bonner and Kootenai counties will be held in Sandpoint on August 9 at the VFW Hall, in Spirit Lake on August 10 at Church of the Solid Rock, and in Post Falls on August 12 at American Legion. All workshops will be from 6-9 p.m. and a $5 donation is encouraged to cover the cost of supplies. Safety blankets will be given to the first 50 attendees of each workshop.

For those unable to attend, a disaster checklist can be printed for free from Aglow International’s website at aglow.org.

To RSVP for one of the workshops, call 907-242-5629, or email aglownidaho@gmail.com