News

Pedestrian Safety on American Boulevard

The intersection of Americana Boulevard and Front Street is where the majority of Boise’s homeless service organizations are located and is frequented by people on foot, vehicles exiting the city’s downtown core, and drivers speeding through the area. This stretch of road has been the site of a number of deaths and injuries when pedestrians are struck by passing cars.

WHEN I AM ON BLUE

Word on the Street Issue 23, July 2022 The Grump Meter is a tool for emotional self-regulation. It’s a ladder of five colors, with calm blue on the bottom, and exploding red on the top. In Project Well-Being at Interfaith Sanctuary, people use the Grump Meter to communicate safely and peacefully, and support each other. […]

Remove the Stigma of Mental Health

Let’s stop the stigma surrounding mental health

Writing by Dani

Dani is a Word on the Street Vendor and a former guest at Interfaith Sanctuary.

SOON

Please remember that no matter what you are going through, things will get better.

Housing Crisis Forces Families onto Public Lands

One reason families experiencing homelessness in the Treasure Valley live in their vehicles or are drawn to public lands is that access to the shelter system is limited. On top of the fact that family beds are in short supply, the shelter system frequently asks families to separate and provides limited space to store belongings or vehicles.

Labyrinthine Zoning Rules Restricted Homeless Shelters During

When Interfaith Sanctuary purchased an old Salvation Army building on State Street near downtown Boise, Idaho, in early 2021, it seemed like a dream come true. Everything about the property made it a perfect fit for the nonprofit’s new emergency homeless shelter.

Boiseans Band Together for Project Cool Down

Interfaith Sanctuary Housing Services launched Project Cool Down this Wednesday in response to dangerous heat creating safety concerns for people experiencing homelessness in the Cooper Court area. We called on the community to assist, and our amazing friends and neighbors helped us surpass our fundraising goal nearly three times over. Their effort is truly an […]

Ban the Box: All Idahoans Deserve a Fair Chance

As Idaho’s housing crisis wears on, the lack of tenant protection laws are affecting some more than others. While the state’s failure to implement rent control has priced many people out of the market, Idahoans with felony convictions have it even worse.

Poem

Word on the Street Issue 22, June 2022 By Sherry B. Sherry B. wrote this poem in 2007 and can recite it to this day. “I wrote it, but all glory goes to God – that was him,” she said. As I watch the ocean’s tide, I fear and quake – I want to hide. […]

A Letter to My Addiction

Word on the Street Issue 22, June 2022 By Viola C. Dear Addiction, When I first met you, I immediately fell in love without even realizing it. I thought we were just acquaintances. That you were just a visitor in my life. I had no idea what was happening. I thought I could hang out […]