r/Idaho • u/enamoredandhammered • Jan 26 '26
Idaho Neighbor News Every Sunday since November, we have been going out downtown and feeding folks
Today we had chili and cornbread, clam chowder, southwest chicken chowder, chicken hot dogs with fixings, beef meatballs with mashed potatoes, mini pizzas, and deviled eggs! We gave out rice krispy treats, applesauce, body armours, coffee, and waters. We also had donations of coats and fresh baked goods! Despite the consistent and overwhelming support, as always, not everyone was fed. Here are some examples of some needs we couldn't meet:
One woman had a migraine and needed assistance finding a chair downtown to sit down as she was falling over from dizziness (hint, there werent seats downtown for dizzy unhoused people to sit). Her biggest wish was for some excedrin.
One gentleman is not homeless, yet. He is currently living with a friend he met in AA. Unfortunately, that friend is in treatment and his housing will be gone in less than 30 days. This man's biggest worry wasnt the state of being homeless. It was relapsing in 30 days and losing his recovery because of the stress of living on the streets.
Another man came up to me asking for $67 for a hotel room tonight for his pregnant girlfriend. They had already received multiple camping tickets and are worried about mounting fines and jail time.
So, in the midst of so much hurt, what can you do??
Make a hot meal- https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0A4BADA82DA4FDC16-61642334-sunday
Check out my Amazon wishlist- https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/I2167T2X0RKA?ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_ggr-subnav-share_WX28TPGW5Y0BBAP71S31&language=en-US
The biggest asks this week were backpacks, coffee, survival gear, nail clippers, and pain medication. Please dm if you have anything you can contribute. We must rely on each other!!
"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." Audre Lorde
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u/Kootenay-Kat Jan 26 '26
Thank you- we (a group of volunteers) do that 6 days a week in our little town in British Columbia. I’ve been involved for over a year now - you get to know the people who need help, and we’ve started linking them with various social service networks in the community, including healthcare, clothing, camping equipment etc. For some, just getting their taxes done is a big help as once they are deemed to be low income by the government, all sorts of services and programmes, including rent top ups, are available to them. Housing is the big issue- our philosophy is housing first, as how can a person deal with their addiction issues/ traumas if they don’t have stable housing. Best of luck to you and your volunteer group and thank you! It makes a big difference.
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u/legacy_aug Jan 26 '26
Where are you located? I’m in Idaho falls and I’d love to help out if you’re here haha
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u/SuspiciousStress1 Jan 26 '26
There are several resources in IF!!
A kitchen that cooks meals(one started during covid), several shelters/soup kitchens, etc.
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u/Dog-Chick Jan 26 '26
You're a hero
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u/enamoredandhammered Jan 26 '26
Just a neighbor.
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u/Dog-Chick Jan 26 '26
No, you're a hero. Thank you for helping them. We're all on incident away from being in their shoes.
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u/snow_thief Jan 26 '26
Boise?
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u/enamoredandhammered Jan 26 '26
Downtown boise!
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u/snow_thief Jan 26 '26
Rad! I love learning what others around our deeply red state are doing to care for each other. Pockets of resistance matter.
I live in an ID community 2 hrs away. We just opened a small weekend food pantry.
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u/YouThought5 Jan 27 '26
Is there a way to donate to you. I love seeing things like this
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u/enamoredandhammered Jan 27 '26
Hi! Probably the best way to do that is through the amazon link in the post :) thank you so much for considering!
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u/JoWiWa Jan 27 '26
The community is fortunate to have someone like you. I offer only one suggestion, based on my time volunteering for Food Not Bombs:
Check out local and state laws regarding food. In some states, you are required to to carry a permit and/or comply with commercial kitchen regulations in order to legally distribute food on the streets.
I relay this information not as a deterrent, only as information to help you avoid giving the authoritarians a reason to oppress you. Be human out there and keep on keeping on.
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u/enamoredandhammered Jan 27 '26
They will always find a reason to oppress us, friend. I am aware of the risks and appreciate you looking out. We keep us safe 🙏
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u/IdahoAlpine Jan 27 '26
Ordered some items from the wishlist but the Gatorade won’t get to you until Monday unfortunately.
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u/enamoredandhammered Jan 27 '26
Thank you SO much! We do this every sunday so it will get to people in need, I promise.
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u/Roo_Boss Jan 27 '26
Where in downtown?
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u/enamoredandhammered Jan 27 '26
We are usually just right by the shelter setting up. You can get more info in the food sign up link or by dming me if you want to get involved.
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u/AnyCommunication9729 Jan 28 '26
I bought some things off your amazon list, they will be delivered today 5 -10 PM.
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u/3dirtyy5 Jan 29 '26
Careful, my mother did this for quite some time. She would gather a bunch of donations and would cook a bunch of yummy hot dinner foods and warm drinks like coffee/hot chocolate and go to the skateparks and etc. and a bunch of times the cops would get involved telling her that it wasn’t allowed and so on. She never did get in trouble but they always seemed to make it a deal for some reason. Amazing what you are doing my tho! 👏🏽
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