It began as an effort to help a Post Falls-area young woman who became paralyzed after she was shot in her sleep.

Fast-forward 23 years and the Post Falls Community Volunteers group is still making a difference in lives across North Idaho.

"It’s one of these groups that flies under the radar," Post Falls Community Volunteers board member Karen Thurston said Tuesday. She and her husband, board member John Thurston, have been active with the volunteer group about six years.

"It's people just trying to help each other out," Karen said, adding that this group started before the days of GoFundMe and Facebook.

The altruistic organization with a network of more than 85 helpers donated more than $10,000 to local causes this month, including the Post Falls Police Department’s Post Falls Ambassadors and the Post Falls Historical Society. Other beneficiaries include Safe Passage's annual Christmas gift donations and support for local residents suffering from cancer.

"It's a basic level of loving your neighbor," Karen said. "As Christian people, it's what we do. It makes us happy to be able to help."

Kim Brown, president of the Post Falls Historical Society, said the $2,500 gift from the volunteers will go a long way.

"That’s a huge amount of money to our efforts," she said. "I just want to give a huge thank you to the community volunteers. They have helped us through thick and thin."

She said years ago, this group was instrumental in helping stabilize the floor of the historic Chapin Building, which houses the Post Falls Museum. The floors had sustained damage from leaky washing machines when the building housed a laundromat.

"They’ve been around for a long time helping out," Brown said. "We’re really appreciative. They are volunteers extraordinaire."

The volunteers annually work the beer booth at the Post Falls Festival in Q'emiln Park. They also host a free concert in the park each summer as an appreciation event for the volunteers and those who support their work.

"We do fundraisers. We have events throughout the year," John Thurston said. "We are there if we hear about a need within the community. We give back that way."

Call 208-660-3582 or email johnthurston@waskia.com to donate or for information about joining the volunteers in their mission to help their community when needs arise.

"We’ve been very fortunate where we’ve arrived in our lives, but some people aren't," John said. "It's just nice to be able to help them, especially people in crisis. It’s the right thing to do."