Christmas for All's referring partners are Kootenai County's unsung heroes. 

They walk alongside clients in need and refer them to Charity Reimagined for specific assistance from Christmas for All, the Coeur d'Alene Press holiday charity campaign that, through the great generosity of our readers, helps recipients throughout the year. 

It is an honor to work with these outstanding organizations, and we are excited to introduce them to you in the days leading up to Christmas.

St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho has dozens of programs designed to help people work through major challenges that affect quality of life, to include permanent shelter, physical and mental health care needs, sustained employment, resolving dependencies, addictions and other trauma.

As the social services manager, Annie Parker oversees Trinity Group Homes, which provides housing for persons with mental health challenges who can live in a group home setting, and Angel Arms Permanent Supportive Housing, a program designed to provide low-barrier housing for chronically homeless individuals and families.

“In short, my job is to help people suffering from persistent mental health disorders to find housing while following up on assigned life skills, tasks and responsibilities designed to help them sustain housing and quality of life,” Parker said. 

Her work does not end when someone finds a home. 

“Most people seeking our services are coming from the streets, lacking household items, proper mental health and substance abuse care, life skills, parenting, employment skills and transportation,” Parker said. “So, St. Vincent’s assists with sustaining skills, job readiness and employment, finding suitable health care, and maintaining critical relationships with family and others in the community, necessary steps to successfully live independently, when the time comes.”

Parker recently worked with a young man with disabilities who applied for Trinity Group housing. He had been working on sobriety from opiate abuse and lost one of his legs during a suicide attempt. 

“He had been homeless for a while and felt defeated. We were able to help him with rent and deposits to secure a room at Trinity while he looked for work,” Parker said. 

His truck was in bad shape and needed new tires.

“With the help of assistance received from Christmas For All, I’m happy to say that his truck is in better working order and has new tires, which has allowed him to pursue work and attend important medical appointments,” Parker said.

Today, he flourishes in the Trinity program, she said, and he continues to gain relevant skills designed for successful outcomes. 

“Without support from CFA and partnering agencies like Charity Reimagined, it would be harder for this client to hold a job or get to important medical appointments, all of which are leading to a quality of life with independence,” Parker said.

This man is about to complete his program, which includes moving into affordable and independent living conditions.

“While the work I do is incredibly rewarding, it is equally rewarding to see agencies coming together for a common cause - seeing persons overcome significant challenges while developing independent life skills. It’s what we do,” Parker said. “Good things happen when people work together.”

To donate to Christmas for All, visit cdapress.com and click on Christmas for All at the top of the page.