Sunnie, thank you for that smile on your face.

It's a smile that has been earned and keeps shining brighter.

Sunnie Helling, 38, of Coeur d'Alene, has every reason for that brilliant smile. She graduated from North Idaho College alongside her daughter, Arianna, in the spring. Arianna is now a student at the University of Idaho, studying geological earth science.

"I’m excited she's doing something in the sciences and doing something different," Helling said Tuesday. "I'm so proud of her. It's a really cool field."

Helling loves her job at NIC's Adult Education Center, where she has worked for nearly four years. She is now a full-time employee.

"This was the first time in, I couldn't tell you, maybe eight years, that I've had a job where I qualify for benefits," she said.

Helling, who graduated with an associate degree in general studies, is currently working toward earning a bachelor's degree in the social sciences.

"I want to go out and do something to make a difference," she said. "I don’t know exactly what type of job; I just know I want to help people with certain resources and be that kind person they’ve been for me."

Helling's situation is a far cry from when she was at a low point in her life, struggling with alcohol addiction, lacking stable housing and continuing a cycle that did not bode well for her future or the future of her two daughters.

"In March, I'll be five years clean and sober," she said.

Helling participated in programming at the Union Gospel Mission Women's Recovery in Coeur d'Alene, where she challenged herself to earn a GED.

"She worked so hard," UGM Aftercare supervisor Kirsten Ridgewell said. "She had a tutor for the hard subjects. She kept going, subject after subject, and got her GED. Then she thought, 'If I can do this, I can do more.' Really, the sky’s the limit for her."

It's a challenge for a single parent to go to school, work full-time, and pay the bills on time, especially coming from a place of addiction and instability.

Sunnie is the first to tell: She didn't do it all on her own. Mentors and friends at Charity Reimagined and NIC's Center for New Directions, with support from Press Christmas for All, have walked alongside her on this journey.

"It has been a little rough, but I know if I need them, they won't let me fall," Helling said.

When she needed it most, Christmas for All and its dedicated partners wrapped around Helling and her family, providing gift cards for clothes and food when her income had to go toward car repairs. 

Through Charity Reimagined's Rides for a Reason program in January, she was able to trade in the lemon for a dependable vehicle that safely transports her and her 10-year-old to and from work and school.

"I went to some financing classes and kept working, and they were able to make it so my payments were so reasonable," Helling said. "I don’t stress about it. I have a car that’s so reliable, it even does well in the snow.

"My daughter's like, 'Wow, you are just moving up!'"

Helling loves sharing her story with others so she can offer the same kind of support and encouragement she has received along the way. 

She returns to UGM about every week to participate in the Aftercare program, paying forward the kindness and motivation she experienced to lift up other women in difficult situations.

"She's so grateful for the support and she wants to help others," Ridgewell said. "She’s a very special girl. Her name matches her — she is a ray of sunshine."

Helling said she wants people to know how this network of support, which begins with the community's kind hearts, has changed her life.

"I hope they know that donations like that help me to be the best mom I can be and provide for my children," Helling said. "I feel like I have broken that generational cycle of alcoholism in our family. I'm going to school. My daughter’s going to college. They're proud of me."

Those who support Press Christmas for all aren't just helping a few individuals or families, she said.

"They’re making a difference in future generations," Helling said, "and it's spreading."

Each year, Press readers generously donate to Press Christmas for All. Every penny raised goes to Kootenai County residents. The Hagadone Corp covers all overhead costs.   

The gift recipients are our neighbors who are struggling, including seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, people experiencing homelessness and those with mental illnesses. Many who seek assistance from Christmas for All are working but living in poverty.

Beneficiaries of Press Christmas for All keep their dignity while the community provides a hand up to help get them back on their feet.   

Press Christmas for All is managed by The Hagadone Corp., with assistance from charityreimagined.org. It is a legally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, run entirely by volunteers.   

Here are four ways to donate:   

• Mail a check to Press Christmas for All, 215 N. Second St., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

• Call The Press and make a secure credit card donation over the phone: 208-664-8176.   

• Visit cdapress.com. Click on Christmas for All and make a secure online donation.

• Drop off your check at The Press weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 215 N. Second St. in downtown Coeur d'Alene. 

A heartfelt thanks to our recent donors:

Sandra & Pod Staci McCoy, Bobbie & Larry Wolf, Elizabeth Leduc, Janis & Richard Nielsen, Patricia Pollard, Cricket Pierce, Dr. Ellen Louise Jaeger, Sons of Norway, Ronald Richardson

Donations over $500

Cancer & Community Charities, Gale Akers, Mr. Larry Echelberger

    Sunnie Helling celebrates a milestone with her daughters, Olivia, center, and Arianna, in May 2025, when both graduated from North Idaho College.