Day of Hope event to assist those in need

COEUR d'ALENE - For those who need a lift, there's hope.

The free North Idaho Day of Hope will be Saturday, Sept. 6, starting at 10 a.m. at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way, Coeur d'Alene. The event will run until 2:30 p.m.

Attendees can receive food, shoes, a haircut, health and dental services, job services, lunch, family portraits. There will be kids activities and live music.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation will provide free mammograms to women, and health and dental screenings will be available.

"The Day of Hope is an opportunity to connect the community," said Deb Ayers, co-coordinator for the event.

Items will be available while supplies last. No identification is required. The event will be held rain or shine.

"The idea is to get people in the community to know there really are places to get help, to get some hope instilled in their lives," said Judith Scarborough, who heads up the Medical Reserve Corp. for the Panhandle Health District.

More than 40 local residents have been working on the event for the past year. About 4,000 guests are expected to be served.

"No one group could do this alone," said Rodney Wright, a member of the leadership team.

Springfield, Mo.-based Convoy of Hope, an international faith-based relief organization, is participating in 40 events similar to the North Idaho Day of Hope nationwide this year.

The "Convoy" will be bring about 35,000 pounds of food that will be distributed.

"The Day of Hope is really a platform for community transformation," said Michael Redmon, Convoy's vice president for global initiatives. "It brings all of the needed resources together. That's where transformation takes place."

Volunteers are still needed for the event. Volunteers can attend an orientation at North Idaho College's Schuler Auditorium on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.

For more information, call 676-0632 or visit www.convoyofhope.org/outreach/northidaho/.