Faces of Hope provides a safety net of emergency services to people experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and/or human trafficking. Men, women, and children can come to Faces of Hope and receive help, with no judgment, no strings, and no fees. Our dedicated team wraps around an individual or family and provides crisis intervention services to stabilize them.

We are so grateful to have learned all about what Faces does for members of our community. But this conversation was hard. On one hand, what they do for victims of abuse is the pinnacle of compassion, community, and lovingkindness. On the other, that there’s so much need for what they do is heartbreaking, terrifying, and rage-inducing. It’s hard to square up in your mind that this amazing community of ours is so riddled with domestic violence and abuse. Some might say it’s better than many places in the world, and yes, that may be true- AND that’s no excuse that it happens at all, nor is it justification for us turning a blind eye towards it or downplaying it. As we spoke with Paige, it quickly became apparent that there isn’t an easy solution. The scenarios are often very complicated and don’t lend themselves to any sort of quick fix. After listening to some of these examples, the depth and complexity of the problem were overwhelming.

But one can make the case that it’s incredibly encouraging that our community has so many resources for domestic violence and abuse, and Faces is one of them. A simple Google search of “domestic abuse resources” returns a long list of local groups committed to helping those in need in tangible ways (we were brought to tears hearing about how Faces provides what’s called Hope’s Closet).

We encourage you to listen to this episode, if not for yourself, then for someone in your life. The statics show that the odds of you or someone close to you experiencing domestic abuse at some point during your life is staggeringly high. And take note of the ways Paige says we can provide support. Whether it’s through time, money, or donations, getting involved and making a real impact on someone’s life is much easier than you might think. You can learn more about Faces at www.facesofhopevictimcenter.org.

If you are experiencing abuse and need help, please find them. Their website is great and easy to navigate, and their offices are located at 1850 S. Eagle Road in Meridian. Or you can call them at (208) 986-HELP (4357), or call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at (800) 799-7233.

The Boise Bicycle Project is a local organization whose mission is to get the community excited about biking and get people access to bikes in the Boise area. They also educate on how to ride and repair. Their shop is on South Lusk Street in Boise where they sell bikes and parts, offer classes on bike repair and maintenance, and host a variety of programs and events.

Devin McComas is a passionate bike enthusiast and the new executive director. In addition to swapping fond bike-related memories with us, he walks us through what the Boise Bicycle Project is all about and tells us all about their major annual event- the Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway. This event is amazing and presents a great opportunity for individuals, families, and businesses to make a real impact in the life of a young person by helping them get their dream bike. The kids actually submit a drawing of their dream bike and together with volunteers and members of the community, the Boise Bicycle Project designs, creates, and gives these bikes to the kids. It’s pretty freaking cool.

The Boise Bubble and our sponsors- Jesse Taff with Waypoint Real Estate Group, Bryce Gonser with Fulcrum Home Loans, and Dr. Dustin Portela with Treasure Valley Dermatology- are all pitching in to support the Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway by adopting a couple of bikes. If you’re interested in supporting this cause this holiday season, you can visit the Project’s website (https://www.boisebicycleproject.org) and click on the link for the Holiday Kids Bike Giveaway. When you get there, you’ll see multiple ways you can contribute: you can donate a bike, you can volunteer at the event on December 16th, make a monetary donation, or adopt a bike.

We hope you enjoy this conversation and learn more about a great resource for our Valley, and if you feel so inclined, check out the Boise Bicycle Project’s website and Boise bike shop. It will definitely brighten your day.

In addition to their support for farmers, they run a huge community garden program for family gardeners, host educational farm visits from schools, help provide local childcare centers with fresh produce, and find ways to divert excess produce to underserved communities around the Valley.

It was interesting speaking with Karyn and learning how the organization works; what support really looks like to all parties; and how to get access to fresh, healthy, pesticide-free, farm-to-table produce on a regular basis.

If you are looking for a way to give back, this episode is for you.

May 1st through the 4th is “Idaho Gives”, a program of the Idaho Nonprofit Center designed to bring the state together, raising money and awareness for Idaho non-profits.

We sit down with Kevin Bailey, CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center, to discuss what Idaho Gives is all about. We talk about how to search for non-profits, and why non-profits are so important in Idaho. Hint, it has a lot to do with our level of government funding. We learned that only half of Idaho non-profits can meet the demand for their organization’s services. Donating through Idaho Gives can help increase an organization’s abilities to meet demand.

This year there are over 600 non-profits participating. From large and recognizable non-profits to the lesser know organizations such as the “The Rat Retreat".

Last year $3.69M was raised during Idaho Gives. This year the goal was set for over $4 million. Excited to see Idaho reach that goal!