Even a little can go a long way.

St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho in Coeur d’Alene plans to use a modest $3,799.89 in federal grant funds to replace aging kitchen cabinets at its Women and Children’s Emergency Transitional Shelter.

“It seems like it’s simple upgrades and not impactful,” Becca Stinson, social services director for St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho, told the Coeur d’Alene Press on Monday. “But it makes a daily difference.”

Coeur d’Alene City Council is slated Tuesday to finalize an agreement with St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho to receive the Community Development Block Grant, which is part of a larger $290,998 in grant funds the city received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2025.

The Women and Children’s Emergency Transitional Shelter provides 90 days of housing for women and children in crisis. The 12-bed facility also offers temporary residents job-readiness training, job placement opportunities and life skills classes.

In June, 93 people sought housing at the facility. St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho was able to bed eight of those people, Stinson said. 

“Sometimes there’s nothing we can do,” she said. “That’s the worst part of our job.”

Stinson, however, said those who successfully get the facility’s help receive “dignity and comfort” amid “incredibly difficult situations.” The process, undoubtedly, works up an appetite. 

“It gives them a sense of normalcy, especially when they come in with their kiddos,” Stinson said of residents simply enjoying a hot meal inside the facility’s kitchen. “We have some families that are literally homeless in their vehicles with their kids.”

Most of the current kitchen cabinets, their brown finish dulled by decades of use, are without handles. The drawers beneath the kitchen sink are askew. Another drawer, sandwiched between the fridge and the oven, screeches loudly when opened and doesn’t shut correctly.

The facility is in the Appleway — North Fourth Street neighborhood, about a mile north of downtown Coeur d’Alene. According to the city’s history, the Appleway route was established in 1914 and was later paved in 1922. Someone once looked behind the house’s exterior siding and saw the newspaper clippings used as a draft-sealing vapor barrier were from 1946.

“It’s a really old building,” Stinson said.

Though its kitchen has seen better years, the facility has an 86% success rate getting people shelter within 90 days, Stinson said. St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho has 329 subsidized housing units across Kootenai, Bonner, Boundary, Benewah and Shoshone counties.

And when hunger arises, women and children at the transitional shelter are mainly fed from donated food. Packages from Tim's Special Cut Meats in Post Falls. Breakfast burritos and soup from Father Bill’s Kitchen next door. Capriotti's Sandwich Shop in Coeur d’Alene often serves subs to residents.

Having an improved space to sit down and eat a meal is critical, according to Stinson.

“That’s huge,” she said.

The project's scope of work includes not just replacing kitchen cabinets but also improving the countertops, backsplash, sink, faucet and plumbing. The total project cost is $6,200, which means the Community Development Block Grant defrays over 60% of the bill, with St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho responsible for only about $2,400.

City documents state that the project “will increase the safety, accessibility, and longevity of the facility.”

Coeur d’Alene Mayor Dan Gookin said the city typically donates HUD funds to local nonprofits and charities that support the city’s mission statement, which strives for a high quality of life and excellence in governance.

Gookin praised the daily efforts at the Women and Children’s Emergency Transitional Shelter.

“We are happy to support them,” he said. “They have a great program.”

Anyone interested in donating to the St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho Women and Children’s Emergency Transitional Shelter can do so by calling 208-664-3095 or visiting the help center at 201 E. Harrison Ave.

    An entryway into the kitchen of St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho's Women and Children’s Emergency Transitional Shelter in Coeur d'Alene.