PRIEST LAKE — Many in North Idaho know Priest Lake as an attractive haven for summer homeowners and well-off resort visitors. Fewer are aware of the residents who support and sustain the community, and the shortfalls the area’s seasonal tourism-heavy economy creates.

Among those who form the foundation of the region are the board members and volunteers at Priest Lake Food Bank — a nonprofit that shares a small building off Highway 57 with Priest Lake Thrift Shop and Lamb of God Lutheran Church. 

The organization donates about 30 boxes of food and other essential goods to those in need every other week. While its neighboring church has lent space in recent years to help PLFB get on its feet, demand has driven the nonprofit to prepare to construct its own dedicated facility.

“The best thing would be if we didn't have anybody we had to help,” said PLFB board member Michele Barthe Walker. “Unfortunately, up here at the lake, it (the economy) is so seasonal for so many people.”

Home to hundreds of vacation homes and several resorts, Priest Lake receives an influx of visitors each summer. Supporting the seasonal boom are a collection of local food service, recreation and hospitality workers that can find their wages stretched thin by high regional housing costs. 

A February 2025 Stacker report using data from Zillow’s Home Values Index found that Coolin, the region’s largest community, featured the fourth-highest average home price of all Idaho towns at $972,657 — almost three times the national average of $357,138. 

“People say, ‘Okay, I’ll get through the summer and I'm going to be okay. Fall is tight. Usually, winter picks up,’” Walker said. 

Lately, the latter hasn’t come to fruition. Back-to-back years of lower-than-average snowfall on the region’s snowmobile and cross-country ski trails have correlated with fewer winter visitors and thus a hit to the economy. 

To support residents who find themselves struggling, a crew of about 15 core volunteers buys and gathers food items and prepares packages available to be picked up on the first and third Tuesday of each month. 

To stretch its dollars as far as possible, PLFB tries to purchase and store sale items in large quantities — a task that has become more challenging as demand has risen. 

“The church has been very generous with us, but we can't buy stuff in bulk because we have no place to put it,” Walker said. 

In addition to offering additional space for storing food, PLFB’s new facility is slated to feature a drive-through option that will allow for more efficient distribution of supplies. 

The board is also considering creating a vegetable garden and constructing and leasing an accessory dwelling unit on the property. Funds generated by renting the home could cover utility costs and would have the additional benefit of slightly expanding the area’s meager pool of affordable housing. 

In the ongoing effort to raise money for the upgrade, board members and volunteers are pursuing grants, organizing bingo games and coordinating raffles to creep incrementally closer to gathering enough funds to break ground.

“We'll do almost anything to help raise money,” said Walker. 

Numerous residents have chipped in on the project so far; whether they give a cash donation or offer unused food items at the end of the summer, “we really appreciate their support,” Walker said. 

“Every little bit helps — every dollar helps,” she added. “If you can give $5 or $5,000, we really appreciate everything we get.”