A gift from the heart
Holding a check for more than $55,000, April Nall, center left, and Shawna Cauley, center right, of Hospice of North Idaho, are overcome with joy Nov. 25 as they receive cheers from Heart Church congregation members who raised over $100,000 during their 2025 Thanks-Giving Offering and donated half the funds to Hospice.
Courtesy photo
The day after his mother died in May, Ron Stice called one of the lead pastors at his church to nominate Hospice of North Idaho as a recipient of the 2025 Thanks-Giving Offering.
Every one of the 42 days she was in hospice care, Stice received an update, even if nothing had changed.
"I asked them if they would call me every day, because I couldn't be there every day, and they did," Stice, of Hayden, said Tuesday. "They would always end with, 'How can we help you, Ron? How can we help you process?'"
He was grateful for the offer, even though he was doing OK.
"The main thing was they kept me in the loop with my mom," Stice said. "That was the beautiful part of it."
When his father died in October, Hospice of North Idaho was at his family's side, ensuring his 91-year-old military veteran father departed the world with dignity.
"There was so much love and respect," Stice said.
He again contacted Heart Church pastor Jonathan Owens to advocate for Hospice of North Idaho to receive funds collected through the Heart's Thanks-Giving Offering.
During a luncheon on Nov. 25, Hospice of North Idaho staff members were surprised with a check for over $55,000 following the Heart Church's biggest Thanks-Giving Offering to date.
"We were shell-shocked. We all cried,” Hospice of North Idaho communications specialist Megan Ryan said. “We all hugged each other."
The Heart Church has conducted its Thanks-Giving Offering for about 15 years. Two causes are selected, one near and one far, and congregation members open their pocketbooks to share financial support.
The Voice of Martyrs, a nonprofit that provides resources and support for persecuted Christians in dangerous places around the globe, was the recipient of the other half of the 2025 offering. Specifically, the funds will go to Nigeria, where Christian martyrdom is prevalent, Heart executive pastor Seth Owens said.
“At the Heart, we have a four-part mission: glorify God, equip the saints, serve the community and reach the world," he said. "Our mission is something we've really been leaning into over the past several months and encouraging the church toward."
By supporting Hospice of North Idaho locally and Voice of the Martyrs in Nigeria, the church is fulfilling two parts of that mission.
"We want to serve our community and we want to reach the world," Owens said.
The nonprofit Hospice of North Idaho has been providing end-of-life care for the community since 1981. It serves Kootenai, Shoshone, south Bonner and Benewah counties.
The funds bestowed upon Hospice of North Idaho will support the Schneidmiller House. This inpatient hospice facility offers 24-hour acute care when patients need complex support and services in a peaceful, homelike environment. The gift will allow Hospice to maintain a quality nurse-to-patient ratio and help pay for spiritual care, social workers and more.
"The details of Ron's story are so touching," Hospice of North Idaho executive assistant Nancy Jones said. "Our staff just did what they do. It takes a special heart to do that work, especially for the frontline of patient care, and our people do it exceptionally well."