The community built through Monday Night Dinners was quick to assist when founder Adam Schluter needed help for a backyard renovation at his 1920 Coeur d'Alene home last summer.

"It’s one thing to have a $10 donation at the dinners, but it's another when people are there at 6 in the morning and they’re there 'til 10 at night," Schluter said Monday. "My dad said, 'Not only are they working for free, they're excited about it.' It brought everything together."

That backyard renovation will appear on "Ask This Old House" when Episode 2410, "Idaho Backyard Makeover," airs Monday on PBS and the Roku Channel. Visit idahoptv.org to see local TV listings.

A Monday Night Dinners viewing party will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Trails End Brewery, 356 W. Bosanko Ave., Coeur d'Alene.

The volunteer labor, donations of materials and enthusiasm for the renovation project meant the most to Schluter. He said the "Ask This Old House" budget was $8,000, but with all the man-hours and donated materials, the project easily cost $50,000 or more.

"The dinners have always been a community thing. They've never been 'my' thing," Schluter said. "To me, this was the deepest sign that we’re all in this together."

For about five days in the dog days of July, a core group of volunteers led the efforts to build an outdoor kitchen, install flagstones and overhaul a small garage to create a more crowd-friendly area.

"I’ve always wanted to convert the external garage, that was our only protected space," Schluter said. "That got converted into a place where people can grab a drink and sit and have a quiet place to talk."

Adrienne Perkins, owner of AMD Interiors, didn't know about the seasonal, biweekly gatherings when she heard from Schluter out of the blue.

"I cold emailed her. She’d never heard of me " Schluter said. "Within 20 minutes she was at my house with a clipboard."

Perkins, a busy mom and business owner, didn't hesitate to offer her time and talents to the renovation project when she learned all about Monday Night Dinners.

"I just thought it sounded like the most amazing thing and I was so grateful somebody in the community was doing something like that," Perkins said. "I was happy to help in any capacity he needed."

Monday Night Dinners began with the simple goal of bringing together people of all walks of life who wish to make friends and expand their social bubbles. They were born out of Schluter's personal experiences. Monday night meals with friends and family every other week when he was growing up were one of his favorite traditions. It resurfaced when he moved to Coeur d'Alene 10 years ago, when he found himself feeling deeply alone and depressed during his first North Idaho winter.

"When I started to question if life was worth living, I knew I had to do something to wake myself up while there was still time," Schluter shared with The Press in August. "I knew there were people all around. But, as an introvert, I was terrified to leave my comfort zone and try to make new friendships. But I knew I couldn't go on anymore. So, I started walking around Coeur d'Alene and saying hello to strangers."

Perkins said Schluter's story resonated with her.

"I’ve lost one, technically two, family members to mental illness, and I know how devastating it is not to have that connection to community and people," she said. "It's so important. When he started talking to me about it, it struck me that here is someone who is doing something about it.

"You get so stuck in the grind of your own life, and you don’t stop and look around to see needs and meet needs, and here he was trying to do this on his own, trying to see needs and meet needs. I just wanted to be a part of this and help where I can."

Other project leads included general contractor Matthew Kauffman, Marina Otter from Marina Otter Home and Lawn Care and Robert Savage from Savage Construction. Sammies Excavation, Double Legacy Stone, Great Floors, Finney Heating and Cooling, and Lake City Electric also contributed to the project. Livingstone Marble offered a deep discount on the outdoor kitchen's countertops.

"I moved here because I felt there's a community here," Schluter said. "I hope this inspires more people."

Perkins said she and her family are and that they have started hosting a youth group once a week.

"We looked around and said, 'We can do this, too,'" Perkins said.

Monday Night Dinners are also springing up in different communities. A new one in Cheney begins Monday.

Perkins said she will be watching when the backyard makeover episode airs.

"I have a young son who was so excited to come help and participate on that day," she said. "He’s tickled pink to watch."

    "Ask This Old House" production crew member Tom Taylor places a mic on Marina Otter of Coeur d'Alene in July during the backyard renovation of Adam Schluter's 1920 home, the birthplace of the Coeur d'Alene Monday Night Dinners.
  

    Adrienne Perkins and Matthew Kaufmann, both of Coeur d'Alene, examine the interior of a small external garage in July during a backyard makeover filmed at Adam Schluter's midtown home for an episode of "Ask This Old House," which will soon air on PBS.
  

    Jessica Gehl takes a break from patching paint in July during a Coeur d'Alene backyard renovation that will soon appear on the "Ask This Old House" TV program on PBS.

    Adam Schluter's midtown home undergoes a backyard makeover in July 2025 to expand the Monday Night Dinners venue and make it more crowd-friendly. "Ask This Old House" will soon air the "Idaho Backyard Makeover" episode on Idaho Public Television. A watch party will take place on Monday at Trails End Brewery.
  

  

    Andrew Stratton contributes to the construction efforts in July as the backyard of Adam Schluter's midtown Coeur d'Alene home receives an overhaul. The renovation was filmed by "Ask This Old House."
  

    Adam Schluter speaks at a past Monday Night Dinner, a biweekly event that brings together people in his backyard from spring to fall.