OPINION: Panhandle nonprofit is winning where it counts

Andrew Rogers is 33 years old, lives in an apartment in Sandpoint, works at the local Safeway store and is self-sufficient.

It’s a “normal” lifestyle by any measure — something that didn’t appear to be possible 12 years ago. Autism didn’t hold back Andrew and his life changed for the better when Panhandle Special Needs Inc. entered the picture.

As he explains, “It opened doors for things I couldn’t do. I learned how to manage a budget, shop, do housecleaning, how to cook different foods and how to do laundry.”

Megan Albertson, administrative assistant for Panhandle Special Needs, saw a much different person in 2013.

“When he first came to us, he struggled with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and a fear of anything new. And that was in addition to his diagnosis of mild intellectual disability with a development age of about eight and a half years,” she said. “His parents were convinced he faced significant barriers to independence and would never be able to live on his own.”

Living on his own didn’t happen overnight — the special needs staff spent many hours, and Andrew spent a lot of classroom time, learning the basics of independent living. In 2017, he moved into his own apartment — beaming with pride — and by 2018 his goal was met.

“He proved to himself, his parents and our staff that he was fully capable of independent living, just like we knew he could,” says Albertson. “We continued to challenge him with more advanced skills — things like portion control, problem solving and cooking complex meals.”

Andrew’s parents moved to Arizona three years ago, and Andrew went with them for a brief period. He decided that he wanted to move back to Sandpoint.

“I couldn’t get into an apartment – it was literally impossible,” he said. “I couldn’t get a job and they didn’t have services for people with my level of disability. Here, they have everything.”

Look at him now, says Albertson. “He’s here, living 100 percent independently.”

Andrew’s is not the only success story within Panhandle Special Needs. The Sandpoint-based nonprofit organization has been around for 50 years, serving people with disabilities in Bonner and Boundary counties. Trinity Nicholson, the executive director for 25 years, has on file a long list of testimonials from participants, caregivers and even staff members who sing praises about the work environment. It all speaks well of the value of Panhandle Special Needs and Nicholson’s leadership.

PSNI serves about 200 clients a year, offering a wide range of services and employment opportunities. There are not a lot of places like this. Board members are unpaid and funding predominantly comes from Medicaid, with in-house programs providing some revenue. As with nonprofits in general, private donations play a big part in the service’s viability.

“We see people moving here from other states to get services,” Nicholson says. “We serve families, not just individuals. As demands grow, we don’t want to be just OK in doing a lot of things. We want to be really good at providing services.”

In the process, Bonner and Boundary counties are a better place to live. Over decades, Panhandle Special Needs has served scores of disabled people and, in many cases, sparing families from severe financial hardships. Andrew Rogers has an idea how his life would be without this service.

“I’d be living with my parents for the rest of my life.”

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Chuck Malloy, a longtime Idaho journalist and columnist, is a writer with the Idaho Nonprofit Center/Idaho Community Foundation. He may be reached at [email protected].

    Chuck Malloy