Dissolving church distributes $425,000 to local nonprofits
<p>Gregory Quinn, local program director for the Coeur d’Alene branch of Special Olympics Idaho, is emotional after receiving a donation from First Christian Church Monday at the Best Western Plus Coeur d’Alene Inn. The church distributed $425,000, from the sale of its Fourth Street building, to 31 area charities during the luncheon.</p>
<p>Peggy Miller, president of First Christian Church’s executive board, presents a brief history of the church before distributing hundreds of thousands in donations.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE — Penny Poitras cried tears of joy Monday afternoon as she accepted an envelope from members of First Christian Church.
Inside the envelope was a check for funds that will help The Guardians Foundation, Inc., continue its mission to assist military veterans and their families. The timing couldn't have been more perfect; Poitras explained that the nonprofit was completely out of money.
"We were out of funds," said Poitras, who serves as The Guardians Foundation's director of administration. "We absolutely had no funding left. Literally a week before I got the phone call, I had posted it on our website that we are temporarily suspending financial assistance due to lack of funding.
"People were still sending us requests for assistance, and we would have to tell them, 'I’m really sorry, but due to the limited funds that we have right now, we aren’t able to provide that assistance right now.' It’s horrible having to say 'no.'"
She said she told her boss, "'It’s like you have an angel on your shoulder,' because just when things look the worst, something happens," she said, smiling. "When these things pop up, it’s almost like somebody’s looking out for us."
It was an emotional day for many of those who accepted financial gifts from First Christian Church, which distributed $425,000 to 30 local organizations during a luncheon at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn.
The church, which formed in 1905 and was active until 2012, owned its building outright and decided to sell it to Real Life Ministries, which was renting the church in the interim. The remaining First Christian Church members and the church's board chose to donate the money from the sale. In February, Real Life Ministries bought the building, which is located at 610 N. Fourth St. in Coeur d'Alene.
Peggy Miller, president of First Christian Church’s executive board, said the distribution ceremony was First Christian's "last hurrah" as the church prepares to permanently dissolve and complete the final steps in the process. Many of its members have already joined other congregations, but will always cherish the memories of their time as First Christian members.
"I think our forefathers would prefer to have all this money go back into the community they loved," Miller said. "It's the spirit of giving, although the spirit of giving should be every day, not just Christmas."
Representatives of the nonprofits hugged or shook hands with Miller and her First Christian colleagues as they received their checks. Several recipients said a few words of thanks and one presented Miller with a framed "thank you" certificate.
"Civil Air Patrol has been around since World War II. I got in it in 2002. I stayed because of youth, and I'll stay as long as I can," said Capt. George Braden, squadron commander for CAP Coeur d'Alene Composite. "This will be a boon to our local squadron."
Sizeable donations were given to the K9 units of the Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene police departments as well as Idaho Disaster Dogs.
"One request — that a little tiny cross be embroidered on their bullet-proof vests," Miller said to the CPD and PFPD officers who smiled as they accepted their envelopes.
Miller said it was an incredible experience "to be able to be a part of giving to the community that my husband and I are so blessed to be a part of." She closed the ceremony with a quote by American Quaker missionary Stephen Grellet.
"This is from the heart," she said. "'I shall pass this way but once. Any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.'"
Other donation recipients: Family Promise of North Idaho; Trinity Group Homes; St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho; Anchor House; Safe Passage Violence Prevention Center (formerly the Women's Center of Coeur d'Alene); Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County; Grand Chapter of Idaho Order of the Eastern Star; Union Gospel Mission; Press Christmas for All; Post Falls Meals on Wheels; Coeur d'Alene Meals on Wheels; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Project Linus; Children's Village; Search and Rescue; Toys for Tots; Disabled American Veterans Fort Sherman Chapter No. 9; Idaho Drug Free Youth; Special Needs Bowling; Post Falls Food Bank; Post Falls Recreation Program; Post Falls Special Needs Program; Special Olympics/Kootenai County; and the Community Action Partnership Coeur d'Alene Food Bank.