Putting children first
LOREN BENOIT/Press Women’s Gift Alliance distributes $22,500 to the Inland Northwest SIDS Foundation, Kootenai Environmental Alliance and the Rathdrum Lions Club Foundation. Also, $2,500 was distributed to both Lutherhaven Ministries and CDA Charter Academy. Pictured from left are Kristi Rietze of Lutherhaven Ministries, Liz Armstrong of Inland NW SIDS Foundation, Sharon Bosley of Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Lonnie Morse of the Rathdrum Lions Club Foundation and Bill Jaquette of CDA Charter.
COEUR d’ALENE — Nearly 200 elementary-age children in the Lakeland School District come to school with growling tummies on Monday mornings.
But the Rathdrum Lions Club Foundation, with a generous donation from the Women's Gift Alliance, is working to fix that.
"We're feeding these kids on the weekends," Foundation president Lonnie Morse said, referring to the Lions Weekend Nutritional Backpack Program that sends good food home with students in need to get them through days when they aren't fed at school.
"We raise the funds to feed these kids every two- and three-day weekend throughout the entire school year," he said. "They get their free lunch and breakfast programs during the week, but on the weekend, the state, the government, there is no program to feed children."
Morse's passion for these malnourished kiddos was heard loud and clear by the Women's Gift Alliance of Kootenai County, who handed him a large check for $22,500 on Thursday afternoon.
"I am feeling totally elated," Morse said. "Our program costs us $32,000 a year. We raise all the money from the community ... This will get us started, this will take care of this coming fall semester, the coming spring semester and get us started on the following fall semester."
The WGA didn't stop there. The benevolent organization gifted $22,500 to the Inland Northwest SIDS Foundation and another $22,500 to the Kootenai Environmental Alliance during the distribution event. Two smaller checks for $2,500 each were gifted to Lutherhaven and the choir program at Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy.
"I feel very honored because there are such other worthy donations given here," said Charter choir instructor Bill Jaquette, who will use the funds to build a functioning stage with adequate lighting for his students. "It was nice to be blessed with this much because any little bit means less that we have to raise."
The funds for the INW SIDS Foundation will be used to provide tools and education for families regarding safe sleep for infants to reduce and hopefully someday eliminate Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sudden Unexplained Infant Death in Idaho.
KEA plans to use the funds to promote water education among students and host a large youth water summit to teach them about the many aspects of local water and environmental science.
The Lutherhaven funds will be used as scholarships to help children whose families can't afford the cost of summer camp.
All together, the ladies gifted $72,500 to these worthy causes after spending several months going through applications, making site visits and vetting those who requested funds. This is their 13th year of giving, and they're nearing $1 million given away.
"This is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything I do is to be able to actually give money away to the community," said WGA President Kim Ransier. "We could never afford individually to give this much money to people, but when you get a bunch of dynamic women together who believe in our community and want to give back, you really can make a huge difference in people's lives."