EDITORIAL: Hospice Thrift Store deserves a home

The Post Falls Hospice Thrift Store has been helping people for 37 years. Now, it needs our help. 

The nonprofit run by Hospice of North Idaho recently announced it will be closing Nov. 8 after changes with its lease and the rising cost of commercial rental space. In other words, it’s become too expensive to maintain operations, which is a blow to the community in a number of ways. 

Before you say, “It’s only a thrift store, what’s the big deal?” consider this: Not only can people find good deals there, and it’s a great place to volunteer, but most importantly, proceeds fund charitable hospice care. That means anyone in Kootenai, Shoshone, South Bonner and Benewah counties in need of support can receive help, regardless of their ability to pay. 

That is a wonderful gift.

Inflation and increasing costs have affected everyone, but they have hit nonprofits particularly hard. To provide money for the very people they are trying to help, they can’t afford to pay high rent costs. Nonprofits need a good deal on rental space and for the most part, they get it. 

The Post Falls Hospice Thrift Store, however, is in a situation in which the property owner is planning major renovations that will lead to rising rent. And as Hospice of North Idaho has learned, quality commercial inventory is harder to find, even with such a noble cause.

The situation, though, is not without hope. 

HONI is looking for a new location in Post Falls or Coeur d’Alene. With a little help from its friends, we hope it finds one. It deserves a second, third and fourth chance. 

To be specific, it’s looking for 5,000 to 10,000 square feet. If anyone has such a place, contact [email protected] or call 208-772-7994. 

While you could likely get more money from a private venture in need of such space, we hope you will be willing to accept a little less, knowing that Hospice of North Idaho gives people a sense of peace, joy, hope and love in their final days on Earth.  

And that is priceless.