Word on the Street
Word on the Street is a collection of personal narratives, artwork, poetry, and reporting on social issues in the Treasure Valley and beyond. Our newspaper addresses the stigma of homelessness and its material consequences while also providing a platform for people to tell their own stories. Our purpose is to raise awareness and motivate the community to create change that benefits all of us.
Word on the Street was founded through Project Well-Being, a day program at Interfaith Sanctuary focused on mental health and recovery and is edited by journalist and Boise State alumni Amanda Niess. The newspaper is printed and distributed to 30,000 Treasure Valley households once a month with the help of the Idaho Press.
If you have a story you’d like to see in Word on the Street, please feel free to send them to info@interfaithsanctuary.org. We would love to hear from you!
Gratitude For The Little Things In Life
“I had a guy teach me that if you’re in your head, it doesn’t matter if you’re right, wrong, have been treated unfairly, got a bad check or whatever – go do something for someone else, immediately. It doesn’t matter what it is – getting a cup of coffee, giving someone a ride to the shop, or wishing someone a good day. It will get you out of thinking about how messed up your position in life is.”
Yes in God’s Backyard: How faith leaders can help turn the tide on affordable housing
Collister United Methodist Church (UMC) in Boise is doing its part to help local families struggling to find housing in the Treasure Valley’s overvalued market. They hope that their example will encourage other faith groups in the area to do the same.
Update on Interfaith Sanctuary’s Conditional Use Permit and how you can help!
Interfaith Sanctuary has submitted our appeal brief to Boise City Council in response to the Planning and Zoning Commission denying our application for a Conditional Use Permit.
Boise Faith Group raises voices in support of Interfaith Sanctuary
Faith leaders from across Boise penned a letter this month in support of Interfaith Sanctuary’s relocation to State Street and its mission to serve people regardless of faith, disability, race, color, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Baháʼí congregations have signed onto this letter.
From Evicted to Housed
In June, he stood in front of a Canyon County judge. The woman who owned the house wouldn’t accept assistance. Nearly a year later, the Biden administration would mandate that agencies distributing federal aid cut checks directly to tenants if landlords refused. People like Stephens fell through the cracks.
Reframing Security: Creating Safety for People Experiencing Homelessness
Peter Ashwin and Brice Sloan are experts in the security field. Their companies, Event Risk Management Solutions and Sloan Security, have brought services to clients around the world, but it wasn’t until an encounter at a book shop in Boise years ago that they began partnering on a security plan for Interfaith Sanctuary.
Why We Need Shelter
This is a defining moment for Boise. Will we foster a culture of compassion, care, creativity and problem solving or will we let fear shape a culture of emotional reactivity, ignorance, neglect and avoidance?
Word on the Street Featured Art, January 2022
“Making art calms my mind and releases a lot of stress and anxiety. It gets me into a really positive headspace.”
Read the latest on the Word on the Street Blog!
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