Souport the End of Homelessness

St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho is calling on the community to take action this fall. 

The annual Souport the End of Homelessness fundraiser is scheduled Thursday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the North Idaho Fairgrounds.

The event raises critical funds for the St. Vincent de Paul Warming Center, the only warming center in North Idaho, a press release said. When temperatures drop below 33 degrees, the center opens its doors to provide a safe bed, hot meals, showers and support services. 

Police and fire departments across Kootenai County work with St. Vincent de Paul to bring in men and women they find outside in the freezing cold, ensuring no one is left to face the night alone.

“When it is negative 12 degrees outside, people die. Souport makes sure we have the resources to open the Warming Center and keep it running through the winter months. Your ticket could be the difference between a night of safety and a night in the cold,” said Jen Struckman, St. Vincent de Paul warming center manager.

Cold weather is more than uncomfortable, it can be deadly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 700 people die each year in the United States from hypothermia, most of them unhoused. Last winter in Spokane, three people died from exposure in a single week of subzero temperatures. 

First responders in North Idaho have also encountered people huddled in cars or curled up in sleeping bags, their lives dependent on whether the warming center was open that night.

The warming center provides more than shelter. Guests are connected with case managers, transported to Father Bill’s Kitchen for a hot breakfast and guided to resources at the HELP Center that can lead to housing, employment and long-term stability.

“Our community has always risen to the challenge of caring for one another,” said Scott Ferguson, CEO of St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho. “Souport is more than a fundraiser, it’s a lifeline. Together, we can ensure no neighbor is left to face the freezing nights alone.”

Hundreds of people are sheltered at the Warming Center each winter. Without it, they would have nowhere else to go. 

"Souport the End of Homelessness gives every community member the chance to make sure that bed that meal, and that first step toward hope are waiting when they are needed most," the release said.

Tickets are $25 and include unlimited soup tasting, bread and dessert. 

Info: stvincentdepaulnorthidaho.org/souport-2025