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.

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!