News

There Was A Time In My Life Where Darkness Defined My Existence: Chapter 1

By: SherryJo Crandall Word on the Street Issue 47, September 2024 . . . There was a time in my life where darkness defined my existence. I felt like I was being swallowed whole and there was no one to help me. That is often how people who commit or attempt suicide feel. They often […]

MY FRIEND MADDY’S RECOVERY

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 47, September 2024 . . . Maddy started her journey into sobriety as Mathew. He was an alcoholic and was found covered in bugs almost dead. In the hospital, Mathew was told he had advanced liver disease from all the years of drinking. He could quit drinking […]

We Are People First

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 46, August 2024 . . . This is continuing with my friend Nicky and Kendall. Actually this is more than the few I know, hundreds of homeless get ill or injured every year in Boise. A downtown hospital has been difficult with pain treatment. This year, four […]

August Poetry Corner

Word on the Street Issue 46, August 2024 . . . How life is, a pitiful state. It gives no reason, to mess around with fate. It’s a web of loneliness, with a black widow at bay. draws you slowly in, you become its prey. In a dark corner, your life’s blood is drawn. You […]

Terry Reilly Tips

By: Kayla Gaffney || Licensed Master Social Worker || Terry Reilly Health Services Word on the Street Issue 46, August 2024 . . . If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. Lao Tzu Change is an inevitable part of life, and while it can often seem daunting, it […]

My Daddy

By: Viola Crowley Word on the Street Issue 46, August 2024 . . . My daddy was a special man. You see, I was adopted at 8 months old because my mother was not capable of taking care of my brother and I. My mother was their daughter and they were biologically my grandparents but […]

Why Are We Going Backwards?

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 46, August 2024 . . . That is a good question and the answer is that we don’t get to know the person behind the transgender. Media, movies and politicians show the flamboyant drag queen in all her glory as a monster in makeup. They want you […]

Lughnasadh

By: Gerri Graves Word on the Street Issue 46, August 2024 . . . First harvest. Ceremonies involving wheat, bread and late summer’s early offerings. The days begin to shorten, and so offerings of the prior are prepared for Lugh. Feasts & gatherings surround this sabbat. A celebration of what the earth has gifted us; […]

My Friend Nicky

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . Many of us at the shelter have health issues that cause us to visit the emergency department at one of the local hospitals. This environment is hard to stay healthy. Too many people and viruses go through here like wildfires. My […]

Meet Grant

By: Denise Caruzzi, Pastor Andrew Kukla and Jodi Peterson-Stigers Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . In the wake of the Supreme Court decision for Grants Pass allowing cities to ticket, fine, and arrest people without shelter options for sleeping in public spaces (or in their cars), we believe we need […]

LOSING A FRIEND

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . Being in a homeless shelter you will meet many types of people. Most you pass by, some become friends and some you just avoid. I had my first friend who had to leave. So I felt lost and not sure how […]

A WORLD OF INTEGRITY & EMPATHY

By: Shyloh Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . Imagine a world where we cared about the feelings of others. From the homeless mother and her three kids. To the daughter who day in and day out cares for her father who’s slowly dying of cancer. To the next-door neighbor who […]

TERRY REILLY TIPS — WHEN GRIEF COMES

By Kayla Gaffney, Licensed Master Social Worker // Terry Reilly Health Services Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . “Grief is like the ocean. It comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.” – Vicki […]

Building New Foundations: The College of Western Idaho’s Career Launcher Class Paves The Path To Success

By: WOTS Staff Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . The College of Western Idaho’s first Career Launcher class at Interfaith Sanctuary has just wrapped up. The six-week course, designed to address the skilled labor shortage in the local construction industry, has already proven successful with two participants securing jobs upon […]

HYDE PARK STREET FAIR ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

The Homeless Art Collective will be selling their artistic creations at the Hyde Park Street Fair this September. We will be highlighting some of our artists up until the event! Gypsy Wind is Word on the Street’s street photographer, capturing life’s moments wherever he goes. However, when Gypsy isn’t taking photos, he is usually working […]

HOUSED

By: Amanda Niess Word on the Street Issue 45, July 2024 . . . His hands carefully twist the wire, eyes illuminating with focus as another intricate beaded creation takes shape. This is the success story of Justin Tomlinson. His life has been one of constant adaptation, from his Texas roots to Marine Corps service […]