News

Op-Ed: What is your compassion worth if it ends where a practical application begins?

As a case manager and team member at Interfaith Sanctuary, I was disappointed by the conversation that nine Boise city council candidates had Thursday night surrounding the relocation of our homeless shelter to the former Salvation Army building on State Street.

My Faith in Interfaith

When I was younger, I would pass by a little building with a big banner with the word ‘Sanctuary’ on it. There were little people standing outside of this building. I would be on my way to the main library via the conector every week with my Mom and siblings and I would wave to the little people thinking they could see me like I see them. I was fascinated by those little people standing in line waiting for something. What, I did not know but my child brain knew it was for something important.

Whole: A Poem by Angela Barber

“Whole” was written by lifelong Boisean Angela Barber. “I heard they want to puta shelter in the neighborhood;filled with the unhoused, unwanted, unloved. How will WE be safe?What kind of people are THEY?Can’t it be built somewhere else? STOP!!! What if…Instead of pushing awaywe choose to embrace.Instead of seeing the differenceswe look for the similarities.Instead […]

Interfaith Sanctuary’s Word on the Street Podcast now streaming on Soundcloud & Spotify

“Access to Housing,” the first episode of Interfaith Sanctuary’s Word on the Street Podcast, is now streaming on Soundcloud and Spotify. The podcast, produced by Interfaith Sanctuary and recorded by The Rag Company, examines homelessness in Boise through conversations with people responding to and experiencing homelessness in our area every day. In this episode, we […]

I Got The Shot, a music video by Interfaith Sanctuary

This year, Interfaith Sanctuary began trying to educate members of our community about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. But, the information being provided to the public didn’t always resonate with people without homes. The general messaging involved getting vaccinated to be able to go out to dinner, start traveling, and help get the […]

Art on the Street – A Documentary

In 2019, Geoffrey McCauley, a guest at Interfaith Sanctuary, approached our staff with the idea to found an art collective for people without homes. McCauley noticed that while he was on the street making art, people expressed interest in his artwork and did not focus on the fact that he was unhoused. He wanted to […]

Artfort 2021: Photos + Videos

It was a magical weekend for members of the Homeless Art Collective! Artfort, the fine art section of the Treefort Music Fest, featured a number of local artists, including from Interfaith Sanctuary. Geoffrey McCauley and Chris Alvarez, two of our artists in residence, showcased their work at LED in Boise. These artists are wonderfully talented […]

Treefort Music Festival: See work by Interfaith’s artists in residence & our Art on the Street documentary

Artfort: Sept. 23 + 25 Chris Alvarez and Geoffrey McCauley are both known at Interfaith Sanctuary for their creative abilities. They’ve been hard at work painting, drawing, making music, and more since joining day programs at Interfaith Sanctuary. This week, they’ll showcase their work as featured artists at the Treefort Music Festival in Boise. Artfort, […]

Scotty and Jeff Find a Place to Call Home

Word on the Street Issue 14, September 2021 On the morning of August 3, a black and white border collie peeks its head over a stone wall across the yard from a small, single-story house. Scott Duin and Jeff Chapman park a U-Haul truck and begin unloading the contents of their hotel rooms onto the […]

Americana Pizza brings good food and community to all Boise residents

Word on the Street Issue 14, September 2021 Americana Pizza owner Max Lillie is familiar with Boise’s unhoused community. His shop next to Rhodes Skate Park serves anyone who loves good pizza, and the business makes a point to welcome all community members as customers, housed or not. The building at the corner of 16th […]

Celebrating the life of Debi Davis

Guests, staff, and friends of Debi gathered behind the shelter on Thursday night for a service in honor of her life; all wearing shirts tie-dyed orange, Debi’s favorite color.

Interfaith supporters celebrate housewarming with a concert under the moonlight

Dr. Stephen and Michelle Mings have been supporters of Interfaith Sanctuary for many years. Last night, Curtis Stigers performed live with a few of his friends at the Mings’ housewarming party. The Mings won this house concert in a live auction at the 2019 Xtreme Holiday Xtravaganza, but plans had to be put on hold due to the pandemic. Wednesday […]

Artists in residence selected by Valley Regional Transit to design vinyl wraps for buses, shelters

Last week, two of our artists in residence were selected to participate in the inaugural Valley Regional Transit Artist Roster.

Project Recovery helps raise awareness at #EndOverdose event in Cecil Andrus Park

On August 31, the Idaho Harm Reduction Project, alongside Central District Health (CDH) and the PEER Wellness Center, hosted the #EndOverdose event on the steps of the Capitol building in Boise to raise awareness about the prevalence of overdose deaths across the state. The event took place on International Overdose Awareness Day. Organizations from across […]

Word on the Street hits the streets

Interfaith Sanctuary’s Project Well-Being distributed Issue #13 of Word on the Street across Boise on Friday. The August edition is the first paper the shelter’s staff and guests have produced in three months. It’s filled with stories on experiences of homelessness in Boise, recovery, hope, and the importance of providing safe shelter. “It’s awesome to […]

A barn concert for Interfaith Sanctuary’s Xtreme Team

Last year, bluegrass band Lonesome Lonesome Jetboat Ramblers Ramblers and Dr. Steve Baker donated a barn concert to be auctioned online to raise funds for Interfaith Sanctuary. The auction was in place of Interfaith Sanctuary’s annual event, The Xtreme Holiday Xtravaganza, which the shelter was unable to host live due to the pandemic. Last week, […]