News

FREE TO BE ME

Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . Junior Lee Growing up, I was always a tomboy–wearing skirts, playing with dolls or putting on makeup was not in my vocabulary. I was playing Call of Duty at 10 years old. Surrounded by other females at a mental health facility, I realized that […]

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . So I have been doing research on transgender and the Idaho laws that affect those in our community, including our homeless transgender population. For such a small population, our state is spending quite a lot of time and money to take […]

Empowered Cities, Scattered Lives:The Homeless Crisis

By: Whitney Bryen / InvestigateWest Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . John Parke, known as “Cowboy,” is always ready to pack up and move. He stacks his black and blue tent, foam sleeping pad, and flannel-lined sleeping bag on top of a wagon that he hauls away every day at […]

A WORLD OF INTEGRITY & EMPATHY

By: Shyloh Word on the Street Issue 44, June 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 […]

MY STORY PART 2

By: SherryJo Crandall Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . When I started going back to school in the summer of 2023, I did not have much going for me. I was in my second round of homelessness and could not see a future without being homeless. It took me […]

BRANDON

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . My son is joy, bright bursting energy. He looks at me, this is the best day it can be. He smiles, ask for a hug, Mom, I love you, thanks for everything you do. My son is angry, he doesn’t understand why. […]

THE TOUGH DECISIONS OF A MOM

By: Viola Crowley Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . So let me start with I’m not here to say that if you didn’t make the same decisions as me, that you’re wrong. I’m here to applaud all moms for the tough decisions you make on the regular. So it all […]

JUNETEENTH

By: Gerri Graves Word on the Street Issue 44, June 2024 . . . A small forward on these……I didn’t pick mainstream quotes, I picked quotes that meant something to me over the years. I also chose quotes from a large representation….meaning, not just civil rights leaders. I wanted to show what makes America…… America, […]

Scars and Shattered Hearts

By: Shyloh Word on the Street Issue 43, May 2024 . . . Substance abuse has been an issue for a millennium, but within the last few decades, the accessibility to drugs and alcohol substances have been widespread. Substance abuse causes mental, emotional, physical and sexual problems that have increased during the last few centuries. […]

My Story

By: SherryJo Crandall Word on the Street Issue 43, May 2024 . . . To tell my story is a review of a timeline filled with frustration and anger. It’s a journey to success but not without heartbreak. I watched people die around me because they couldn’t get help for their addictions or housing. This […]

BELTANE

By: Gerri Graves Word on the Street Issue 43, May 2024 . . . If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice my articles have had unusual names lately. My intention was a sly nudge into curiosity. I was hoping you’d take a gander at what you might not know. If you watch the news at […]

AND SO IT BEGINS!

By: WOTS Staff Word on the Street Issue 43, May 2024 . . . And So It Begins! Interfaith Sanctuary Embarks on Construction of Reimagined Shelter On April 10th Interfaith Sanctuary construction started on its reimagined shelter, located at 4306 W. State St. This marks a significant milestone as Guho Construction put up the fencing […]

A VISIT FROM W/REST: LOCAL RESOURCE GUIDE

By: Amanda Niess Word on the Street Issue 43, May 2024 . . . The Wrest Collective is a non-profit law firm located in Boise that works with folks who otherwise are not going to get access to the legal system in a meaningful way. Alongside the law firm lies the Rest Cooperative, a developing […]

THE NEXT PART OF MY STORY

By: Julie Loomis Word on the Street Issue 43, May 2024 . . . Well, I am able now to afford a place to rent. I have found new beginnings and hobbies, a wellbeing group that has helped me grow. I am amazed with what good things I have learned. I have learned to try […]

OUR FRIEND GAIGE

Editor’s Note “Our Friend Gaige” is a beautiful collaboration between WOTS Editor in Chief, Amanda Niess, and Jessica Concie, mother of Gaige Michael Concie. Gaige Michael Concie was a short-term guest at Interfaith Sanctuary. He passed away on February 10, 2024 from an accidental drug overdose. His mother, Jessica Concie wanted to pay homage to […]

CAIRNS: AN ESSAY

By: Julian Workman Word on the Street Issue 42, April 2024 . . . The foundation of a Cairn holds the most power for the shape of the final sculpture. But what is a Cairn? Simply put, a Cairn is a stack of rocks whether a pile or tower. The act quite literally spans human […]