Chrysalis CEO Terri Johnson has seen firsthand that it’s the little things in life that can make the biggest difference.

Chrysalis, a developmental disability agency in Coeur d’Alene, has served its low-income client base with heart since 2023. Many families that receive services through Chrysalis struggle to make ends meet.

Johnson had worked with Press Christmas for All in a previous role, and becoming a referring partner once again was “one of the first things that (she) wanted to continue doing” when starting Chrysalis.

Many Chrysalis clients are in need of dental work, which is not covered by Medicaid, but through a partnership with Press Christmas for All, clients have been able to receive the care they need.

“It is wonderful when they can eat again without pain,” Johnson said.

In past years, Press Christmas for All has also helped Chrysalis obtain new mattresses for clients and support those with sensory issues. In one case, it helped Chrysalis obtain a wall shelf for a client’s CDs.

“That may sound like more of a want than a need,” Johnson said, “however, not having that case was causing him horrible anxiety. His CDs, which helped calm him, were all over the floor. The shelf unit changed all that for him.”

But the most “beautiful” gift Press Christmas for All gives to Chrysalis clients, she said, is the gift of a “buy-in.”

“Our participants are asked that, if possible, they pay a bit of the cost of whatever it is that they need,” she explained. “That gives them a sense of pride.”

Most Chrysalis clients “do not want to get something for nothing,” she added.

“They just need a ‘hand up’ and not a handout, as the saying goes,” Johnson said.

With the help of Press Christmas for All and other local partners, including Mattress Firm, Heritage Health and Super 1 Foods, Johnson and her team at Chrysalis have furthered their mission of supporting their clients — more often referred to as their “friends.”

“It is amazing and rewarding work,” she said.