Full cupboards, full bellies

St. Vincent de Paul's HELP Center was stuffed this past week after donations from North Idaho Jeeps and Vine & Olive delivered over 20 frozen turkeys and hundreds of canned and side-dish ingredients.

From birds small and large, cranberries, stuffing, pumpkin, to potatoes, Larry Riley and Janet Brock said they received above and beyond their anticipated thanksgiving meal supplies. On a typical day, St. Vincent de Paul serves the poor and homeless through a series of social services like Father Bill's Kitchen and the Warming Centers, but Thanksgiving is special.

"The Warming Center in Post Falls is open all day, and it's feeding the truly homeless," said Riley, St. Vincent's executive director. "Those who have no home, they are not couch surfing, they have nowhere else to go."

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, St. Vincent canceled two major fundraising events that usually contribute to their operational funding and programs like Thanksgiving dinner. In a year, the organization can burn through around $50,000, Riley said, paying for overnight shelter monitors, foods, and utilities. With the help from North Idaho Jeeps and Vine & Olive, the shelter saved more money for winter purchases.

"We like to thank all donors," Riley said. "These products save us the time and expense to purchase them ourselves. We'll still have to buy some supplies, but they did a pretty good job stuffing out cupboards."

Giving back to programs like St. Vincent de Paul is one of the original reasons Chad Melanson, one of the North Idaho Jeeps Facebook group admins, created the page. The group has grown exponentially, he said, with now over 600 members in the northern counties. About a month ago, Melanson reached out on the page to rally the troops for Thanksgiving dinner supplies.

"A lot of local people I've talked to have spoke about St. Vincent," Melanson said. "I continued to hear that name come up, and when that many people talk about something that speaks volumes to me."

While this donation was a first-time event for the North Idaho Jeepers, Melanson said they hope to turn it into an annual event that will include businesses and grow their giving ability.

"We would like to double or even triple our donations next year," he said. "Everybody's been in a position where you need a handout, and having a place like St. Vincent to lean on is great for families who need it."

In celebration of its Riverstone location's third anniversary, Vine & Olive Eatery and Wine Bar donated pounds of rice, soup, pancake mix, and other community-raised goodies for St. Vincent's Father Bill's Kitchen. Carrying on the tradition from years prior, the owner and operator of Vine & Olive Naomi Boutz's donations were used at Father Bill's and senior facilities.

"We had dozens of customers drop off food donations over the course of three days that filled up an entire car," Boutz said. "It's part of V&O's culture to make giving back a priority and given how fiercely this community has supported us during COVID, it's important to me that we continue doing what we can to spread hope."

Usually, the St. Vincent Warming Center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but on Thanksgiving, they stay open through the night to help those in need of food and shelter. Riley and Brock said they would also remain open on Christmas for warmth and holiday meals for the homeless.

In anticipation of the winter festivities like Christmas Dinner and the Children's Toy Store program, St. Vincent is accepting donations for wrapped gifts through Dec. 8 and food until Dec. 22. Items can be dropped off at the HELP Center and Father Bill's Kitchen on Harrison Avenue.