The heat is on

HAYDEN — The sawdust was flying as Ryan Silakoski cut through round after round of wood on a 36-degree Saturday morning.

After several minutes, he stopped, and flipped up his mask. He was sweating, as he was wearing protective pants, sweatshirt, gloves, boots and an orange helmet.

After a few hours, the volunteer with ElderHelp of North Idaho called it a day.

He didn’t mind working hard to do his part to provide free firewood to heat the homes of those who can’t afford it.

“I didn’t realize the need. I had no idea,” Silakoski said. “It’s huge, though.”

After learning of the program to help low-income seniors, Silakoski began showing up with his chainsaw last summer at the plot of land littered with logs, rounds and split firewood about a block from Rustler’s Roost.

“People aren’t aware of the need,” he said. “Now that I know, it’s the least I can do.”

John Corcoran, founder and president of ElderHelp, was glad to have him there.

“We can always use more volunteers,” he said. “The more volunteers I have, the more wood I can get processed. The more wood I can deliver.”

Since 2005, Corcoran has led the nonprofit that has delivered thousands of cords of firewood to homes that otherwise would likely have been cold come fall, winter and into spring.

They cut, split and deliver it — for free to seniors. And they also do free home repairs for seniors.

Standing there on a chilly winter morning, with hours of work ahead of him, Corcoran adds, with a laugh: “I would love to not have to work in the winter time to process firewood.”

But they do, anyway, because people need their help.

Saturday, volunteers from Lake City Community Church joined them for a few hours, operating the splitters. But by 10:30 a.m., there was only Corcoran, Silakoski, Wade Gaub and John Dobberthien cutting into the sea of logs scattered over the property.

That group is among the regulars who show up each Saturday morning.

“I love it,” said Gaub, who moved here from California. “It’s helping people that can’t afford to heat their house. I work here to get the wood to them and get their homes warmed up.”

It’s hard work, but Gaub says, “it’s all good. John’s a great guy. It’s a a lot of fun to come out here and help because where I’m from, you don’t get too much help.”

Dobberthien has been volunteering with ElderHelp for about a year and a half. He arrived with two chainsaws and used both until they needed to be sharpened.

He recalled coming out early one morning, “and sure enough, they had a lot of wood to cut.”

So he fired up his chainsaw and cut away for five hours in the rain.

“I got involved because I’ve got a lot of old friends like me and they burn wood. They can’t afford it, so I do it," Dobberthien said. "It’s something to do for me and it’s really helps them.”

Corcoran said most of the timber comes from tree service companies that remove it from properties and need to dispose of it. Their choice is pretty much the dump, or ElderHelp. They chose ElderHelp.

“They bring it here for free and we recycle it,” Corcoran said.

By recycle, he means it makes its way back into the homes of seniors, for free, or those who want to buy it for $125 a cord, which is still a deal, Corcoran adds, which helps cover expenses.

He recalled in the first 10 years, all they did was give firewood away. But there was a problem.

“My accountant said, ‘You’re $10,000 upside down,'" to which Corcoran replied, “We have to change this business model, and quick,” he said laughing.

He said the recent windstorm that toppled trees across North Idaho brought many offers of more logs, but Corcoran had to decline them. The property west of U.S. 95 where they keep the logs is slated for development, so his hope is to clear the land and then find another place.

“I can’t be here forever,” he said.

Corcoran puts in about 10-15 hours a week with ElderHelp, but he might be underestimating his commitment.

“My wife says 40 hours a week,” Corcoran said, smiling.

Corcoran is also a mechanic and was repairing a truck loaded with firewood awaiting delivery.

“I have to replace a negative cable,” he said.

After leading ElderHelp for nearly two decades, and still spending his own money to take care of things, he wouldn’t mind if someone wanted to step in and lead the way.

“I would love that,” he said.

But despite being busy with his real estate career, Corcoran knows he’s not going anywhere. He remembers what led him down this path.

Nearly two decades ago he was looking at census information and noted that many seniors were living on a few hundred dollars a month. They couldn’t afford to turn on the thermostat and couldn’t afford to buy firewood.

Corcoran, a man of faith, said he “realized that that was something I thought I could make a change.

“I didn’t realize how bad it was until we began,” he said. “We saw people who were really struggling.”

It's not over.

Seniors are still struggling. Seniors still need help. They still need firewood. They still need home repairs. So ElderHelp and Corcoran are still there.

There are days even Corcoran can’t quite believe they’ve been at it this long.

He walks along and looks out on the snow-covered logs that stretch out across the field.

“It’s amazing what we do and we’re still doing it, 16 years later,” he said.

To volunteer with ElderHelp, call 208-661-8870