The Center for New Directions at North Idaho College primarily serves single parents and displaced homemakers in the community who have returned to school to improve their lives through education.

The majority of these clients are single mothers.

"Our program is unique because we walk alongside our active participants," Center for New Directions coordinator Louisa Rogers said Monday. "We get to know them really well, and we become part of their support system. When things come up that could derail their journey forward, that is where Christmas for All comes in."

Press Christmas for All is a nonprofit that works with local businesses and agencies to effect meaningful change in people's lives, supported by funds that are given by community members during the holiday season. In 2019, its system of giving was overhauled through partnership with Charity Reimagined, another nonprofit that works with other organizations to deploy resources without depleting dignity.

This aligns with Rogers' work at the Center for New Directions.

"I always say that the goal of my program is to help my participants get to a place of stability and self-sufficiency," she said. "They don’t want to be on government welfare. They don’t want to rely on child support each month, that may or may not come. They want to be self-sufficient."

But this isn’t an overnight fix, Rogers said, and they may need help along the way.

"This is what Christmas for All has done for my participants," she said. "These funds have been utilized when someone is on a journey forward but needs a bit of assistance to cross the finish line. After four years in this role, I’m finally seeing participants cross the finish line, which is so exciting."

She gave an example of a single mom she met a few years ago whose dream it was to become a nurse.

"She worked so hard in her classes, while balancing part-time work and single motherhood," Rogers said. "When her clinicals began, she was placed at a hospital in Spokane. Her tires were balding, and she was anxious about driving on the interstate. She didn’t have the savings to purchase new tires but safely making it to her clinicals was essential for the completion of her nursing program. Christmas for All stepped in and paid 90% toward new all-year tires. This was such a blessing for her."

This single mom graduated last year and recently reconnected with Rogers.

"She is now working as a nurse, giving back to the community that helped her and making a living wage," Rogers said. "This is an example of the power of strategic giving."

The Center for New Directions invests in the lives of its participants on a deep level, walking alongside them as they navigate their journeys to self-sufficiency. One small thing can derail that journey, Rogers said.

"I’ve had situations where someone’s child gets sick and they have to take unpaid time off work to care for their sick child," she said. "That unpaid time leads to being short on rent, which can lead to an eviction notice. So many in our community are truly trying but are one missed paycheck away from disaster."

When support is offered in times of need, those on that fragile edge are able to keep moving forward.

"Just recently, one of my participants shared that the glasses she received through Christmas for All have completely changed her life," Rogers said. "She had been getting horrible migraines, which made looking at a computer screen to do her homework really difficult. We applied to Christmas for All for vision assistance, and she received new glasses. Her migraines went away, and she told me school is so much easier for her now."

The single mothers Rogers works with are breaking generational patterns. They are receiving this assistance now, in order to secure stability for their future and for their children’s future, she said.

Rogers said the generosity of the North Idaho community is unique.

"I think about Christmas for All and how it works, and I’m just amazed," she said. "Complete strangers donate to this fund, and the donations are dispersed across our community to individuals truly trying to better their life circumstances and break out of poverty. That is a brilliant model."

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This is one in a series of stories about Press Christmas for All referring partners who work with underserved populations every day. They build relationships and target needs so every Christmas for All dollar donated elevates community members with compassion and dignity.