Join 50 community business leaders and 55 teens from 15 area high schools in raising money to put a new roof on the Interfaith Sanctuary. A community wide effort is underway to raise the money necessary to re-roof the building and provide a dry, safe place for those needing sanctuary.

About Leadership Boise

Leadership Boise has, and continues to seek, the best, brightest, most energetic and interested participants. As one of the oldest Chamber-sponsored leadership programs in the United States, Leadership Boise has graduated more than 1,200 civic leaders since its inception in 1975.

The purpose of Leadership Boise is to identify these new and potential leaders and to offer a comprehensive program that will:

Enhance and develop knowledge and understanding of our community, its complexities and its potential.
Motivate and encourage participants to assume leadership roles in the community.
Provide an opportunity for participants to meet and exchange ideas with each other and with current community leaders.

About the Project

The Leadership Boise Class of 2008-2010 selected Interfaith Sanctuary as their service project for their important work, and their particular need. Interfaith Sanctuary was able to purchase a building offering more than 10,000 square feet for services and secure housing near downtown in 2007. While the building has provided the right facility for services in terms of space, accessibility, and client privacy, it is in desperate need of a new roof. In winter months the snow melt and rain result in leakages throughout the building. The condition of the roof affects virtually every function of the agency and Leadership  Boise is partnering with Interfaith to raise the last part of the funds needed to assure this important project is able to be completed as soon as possible. Through efficient budgeting, grants and generous donations from others in the community, Sanctuary has raised over half of the money required to re-roof the building.  Our Leadership Boise Class is working to help them meet the remainder of their fundraising goal, which is approximately $30,000.  Our goal is to have these funds raised by Saturday, April 25th, which will coincide with the day that Leadership Boise will be onsite at Interfaith Sanctuary performing repairs and clean-up work for the facility.

Please help the Leadership Boise Class of 2008-2010 reach our goal of bringing $30,000 to Interfaith Sanctuary for their roofing needs. Interfaith Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so contributions are tax-deductible.

Click on the Leadership Boise logo to make a donation!  Be sure to indicate ”Roof Project” in the designation box.  Also, if you want to donate to help one of the high schools in their Leadership Boise Academy challenge, please designate the name of the high school after the words “Roof Project.” Participating High Schools are:  Bishop Kelly, Boise High, Borah, Capital, Centennial, Central Academy, Cole Valley Christian, Eagle, Meridian Academy, Meridian, Meridian Technical, Mountain View, Rocky Mountain, Sheridan Academy and Timberline.

For more information about the project, click here.

Click Here for the March Schedule of Volunteer Needs!

Over 50 positions are available each week for Desk Volunteers, Outdoor Monitors, Stone Soup Volunteers, & Morning Volunteers.

Spring Cleaning Bedding Drive

Sunday – March 15!

We are short on bedding – twin-sized fitted and flat sheets, pillowcases, pillows, and twin bed-sized blankets. Do you have an extra set you can donate? Donations will be accepted at Sanctuary on Sunday, March 15 from 3:30 – 4:30 pm. Tours can also be provided at that time for those who are interested. Upon arrival, please come to the back of the building (connector exit side). The entrance door is the one on the far left as you are facing the bldg. Ring the doorbell. If you need directions, please email info@interfaithsanctuary.org to request a printable map.

To the supporters and volunteers. I am so thankful for your efforts and concern you have for your fellow man. I am grateful for a warm bed in a cold world. Stephen H.

Thank you for keeping Sanctuary open or I wouldn’t have a place to go.

Thank you nice people for all you guys do for all of us homeless people. God Bless. John  K.

 Thank you for all you’ve done. Without your donations this place would not be what it is today.  James H.

Thank you all very much. You’re all so blessed. So many people have been helped by your generosity. Much thanks and gratitude. Happy Holidays! God Bless.

This shelter has been a great service to me. 

I am so grateful for the hospitality and kindness of the staff and this shelter. I was really nervous about being at a shelter but the staff made me feel at home. God Bless and Thanks. Pam K.

Thank you for all your tremendous support in my time of need. May your holidays be cheerful and blessed. We all appreciate your kindness. Sanctuary Resident.

Blessed are the pure in heart. For they will see God.  - A servant of God.

Thanks for everything the people do. I love all of you!

Happy Holidays to all the good people of Boise that make all holidays great.

I am grateful that Sanctuary exists. It provides the safe place to lay my head. Thanks for your support. Carey S.

Thanks for all the help you’ve given us, all the blessings that the Lord has provided all of us. All my love to everyone. B.F.

I am grateful for a warm bed and the food that the shelter provides me. Thank you. BJ.

I lost my place to live and if it wasn’t for Sanctuary, I would be sleeping in the cold. Thank you. Sara S.

Thank you so very much for your generosity by doing this you are giving a whole lot of people a place to stay for a little while longer until we get ourselves together. Also, if it’s not too much to ask, could you say a prayer for all of us to come out of our situations and that those who believe that Christ Is will walk closer to Him and be set free. Thank you with all my heart. BJH

Thank you for all your help. JB

I know these are difficult times. And that there is a lot of uncertainty about the economy. Many of you may be struggling to pay your own way. And yet there you are considering a gift to those that are even less fortunate than you. That’s love. That’s real love. And even though we may never meet face to face, know this. I will always be grateful for your generosity. Bless You. Jim B.

I am grateful that people help the homeless. I am a shelter support volunteer and I enjoy giving to others. I am a person who listens to the problems of others. Anything you may give is so helpful. I am proud of all around us. VS.

My gratitude to all who help us here at Sanctuary. My prayers to your continued good health and happiness. God bless. Thank you. Valerie.

For myself, gratitude is everything. I am eternally grateful to Jesus for His love, mercy and grace he bestows upon me each and every day. I am also grateful for eternal life through my Lord and Savior. Although I am homeless, I am grateful for my bed at Sanctuary, for each bite of food I get to eat, and for clean clothing I get to wear every day. I thank Jesus every day for my life, and also for the very generous heart of Boise and all the donations of food and clothing that are given. Thank you for allowing me to share, and my God bless and enrich your lives immensely. Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Rick C.

Photo Credit: by Stuck in Customs. Creative Commons license.

Heart of the Treasure Valley: ‘We have a responsibility to one another’

- by Katherine Jones, Idaho Statesman Photojournalist

Edition Date: 12/12/08

At precisely 6 p.m., she opens the doors.

More than 100 people are waiting outside to come into the warmth that she offers. It’s both a literal and figurative refuge: This is a nighttime shelter for people who find themselves homeless, for people who have no place of safety. And there she is.

She says: “I try to be (a) sanctuary – to provide sanctuary for them in my heart.”

She welcomes them by name, offering a friendly greeting. She listens to their stories; asks about their day, about their health. She problem-solves, she sorts out snafus; she firmly enforces rules to people who hoped to stretch their limits. She calms what she can out of the turmoil of inebriation or frustration or despair; she is equally as free with her laughter.

“Hospitality is about allowing people into your heart, keeping your heart open, welcoming people – you become hospitality. It’s not what you do; it’s something you are.”

Jayne Sorrels is the shelter director at Interfaith Sanctuary, a place that welcomes men, women and families. To look at it, it’s a practical building with beds, walls, heat and lots of blankets. To really see it, though, it’s something far more profound.

“Sanctuary is based on the values of love, compassion, dignity, and responsibility for people. To one degree or another, (volunteers and workers) embody that: We are compassion, we are respect, we are love.

“Our people know that. They say, ‘This is the most different shelter I’ve every stayed in. I’ve never been at another shelter like this before. You respect us and we know that.’ “

“She’s a saint,” Yolanda Anderson says, touching her heart. Yolanda and her husband have lived at Sanctuary for six months.

“She looks out for you. She watches your progress through here and monitors if you’re a successful candidate for housing,” says Jeffrey Williams, who has lived there since August. “She backs it up with paperwork”

“My family is the greater world. I know I’ve heard the words, but it goes deeper than words – I’ve always felt any child is my responsibility and tried to do what I could”

Jayne organizes volunteers, funding, and the workflow to put 150 people to bed every night. She’s a tireless voice for the underserved; she offers counsel to heart and spirit as well as the practicalities of life; she is a bridge between agencies, personalities and needs. She’s a visionary, working on a 10-year plan to end homelessness.

If you were being flip, you’d say that she has no life outside of work. And, in fact, she’d agree.

“My life and my work cannot be separated. They must be the same thing. Work cannot be about making money. It’s nice to be able to support the basic needs, but I’ve not ever been driven by that (which is evidenced by my bank account). I live very simply. I’m working on living more simply.”

Her work is, equally simply, her spiritual path. It’s a path where service to others is the active expression of her love and compassion.

“Service is part of human life. It’s as essential to our life as eating. It’s a necessity; you have to serve.

“But you get to choose – or it chooses you, the type and way that you serve.

“(For instance), my mother was an example of serving within the family. She dedicated herself willingly to that family service. One way is not better than another.

“(Service) can’t be a job. It’s too hard, physically, mentally, emotionally. It really has to be some kind of calling. It doesn’t have to be in a religious framework; but it’s how you understand your purpose and mission in life.

“I believe we all come encoded with some things we’re all here to do and work out. Ideally, we’re going to wake up to those things and realize the purpose that we’re here for. For each person it’s different”

As she has moved through her life, Jayne has always pursued intense spiritual practices. She took vows as a nun in a contemplative spiritual order for six years and, though she no longer wears a habit, she still integrates monastic rhythms in her daily life.

“It’s the call of my soul that I can’t escape. You can’t not know it when you know it.”

Jayne lives in a Catholic Worker house; and she spends time in prayer, contemplation, meditation and study – the well from which she draws the compassion that she radiates.

“You have to connect to the Source, to God, to love, to be able to be full. That’s how I fill myself up. It can’t be you doing the work. When you are drawing from your own resources as an individual – I couldn’t do this. There is no way. There is no way that this person here, Jayne, this container, could give at this level.

“So it is about connecting to Source, to God, moving out of the way, and allowing that to come through.”

Jayne is clear that service isn’t for the faint of heart. She tells stories where compassion looked very fierce and harsh – when she has had to escort belligerent, inebriated people out of Sanctuary or break up fights. Plus, she says, when you see yourself in the people you serve, it can be daunting.

“Doing service, at this level, with this intention, evolves you. You get to see: Where do I hold separation between me and another? Where do I hold judgment?

“The commitment I made when I was just beginning was: I’m not running. I’m going to face (my fears and challenges). It’s importantEven when you feel like running, don’t.”

Jayne pauses in an expression of gratitude.

“They’re our teachers. The people who present the greatest challenges to us are our greatest teachers.”

And she looks up, determined.

“The essence of life, from my own understanding, is that we’re all one. And because we’re all one, we have a responsibility to one another – truly.

“It’s not something you say. It’s something you do.”

After a great deal of work and the efforts of many individuals and organizations to ready the new building for operations, Interfaith Sanctuary will open for services on Thursday, November 1! Overnight shelter and supportive services will be provided for men, women, and families from 6 pm – 7 am seven days per week.

“In this first phase of our operations, we will be able to shelter 100 individuals per night. We’ve had to install a partial sprinkler system which allows us to use half of the building at this time. Given this, we’ve needed to adjust our plans slightly. We will not have a separate sleeping area for couples, although couples are very welcome to stay with us and will be sheltered in the same building. We plan to install a full, permanent sprinkler system in the spring and this will open up the whole building for services. At that time, we’ll be able to add an entirely separate shelter for families, a couples sleeping area, two hospitality rooms, a family supportive services office, and overflow sleeping areas. We are ecstatic at this point though as the weather begins to get cold that we’ll be able to open and still serve 100 people a night! It has been an amazing experience watching people from so many different faith traditions pulling together and working side-by-side to get us ready to open. ” - Jayne Sorrels, Shelter Administrator.

Board member, Will Rainford, helping with remodeling project

The community is invited to a press conference on Thursday, November 1 at 1:30 and an open house will be held on Saturday, November 3 from 1 – 3 pm.

If you would like to get involved with Interfaith Sanctuary, there are several ways to lend your support:

• Supplies and Resource donations
• Financial donations
• Volunteer – over 90 volunteers are needed each week!
• Distribute our brochure at your house of worship or community organization
• Organize an office fundraiser and/or food/supply drive over the holidays

Directions to Sanctuary

Click to Enlarge

For two years, Interfaith Sanctuary has responded to the crisis of homelessness in Boise by providing winter shelter in churches. While this effort has resulted in more than 400 people per year being sheltered (75-100 per night), it has been an insufficient response.

Interfaith Sanctuary Housing Services, Inc. announced the purchase of a 10,200 square foot building, located at 1620 River Street at a press conference on Wednesday, September 5. Interfaith Sanctuary will operate three separate shelters in the building to serve: single men, single women, and families. In the near future, supportive services will be provided that are designed to afford people who are homeless with pathways out of homelessness, including daycare/preschool, job training, adult literacy, mental health counseling, and drug/alcohol counseling. These services will be offered through a collaborative partnership with social service providers such as Catholic Charities of Idaho and Terry Reilly Health Center.

The loan for the purchase of the building is being provided by a collaboration of faith leaders from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise, Presbytery of Boise, Episcopal Diocese of Idaho, Cathedral of the Rockies, and First Congregational Church of Boise, in cooperation with Idaho Housing and Finance, Inc. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Idaho was instrumental in facilitating the loan process and is a central financing partner of Interfaith Sanctuary, along with the Islamic Center, Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel, and other faith communities in the Treasure Valley.

Interfaith Sanctuary will closely coordinate services offered with other shelters in town so that a seamless system of services is offered to the community. To this end, Interfaith Sanctuary leadership has met with the leadership of the Rescue Mission to begin planning services.

“Our current plan is to open this facility on November 1, 2007 to families, couples, single women and single men. We will be inviting the community to join our volunteers at several work days to clean, paint and prepare our new home for our November opening. As in the past we will be relying on our hundreds of volunteers and many community donors to staff and provide food and shelter for our guests.” - Ed Keener, Board President

“We fully support this effort by Interfaith Sanctuary, and we thank the many volunteers who have helped make the shelter a reality. Although our Ten-Year Plan to Reduce and Prevent Homelessness is not quite finished, we know that it will have a heavy emphasis on the ‘Housing First’ model – placing homeless individuals and families in long-term supportive housing. …However, the plan will also recognize that we currently do not have enough shelter beds in Boise to meet demand. This facility will go a long way toward responding to that need. Therefore, the City of Boise has awarded $37,000 in operating funding to Sanctuary to help pay for staffing this facility.” - Mayor David Bieter, City of Boise

Sister Arlene Ellis for Bishop Mike Driscoll

“Today, we stand in front of a building that evidences God’s love for His people and His faithfulness in answering prayers. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise is thrilled to participate in the loaning of funds to Interfaith Sanctuary so that this building may be opened to people who are homeless and in need of shelter and supportive services. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers and sisters of many faiths – Mormons, Jews, Muslims, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, Hare Krishna’s, Baptists, Lutherans, and others – in ensuring that Interfaith Sanctuary continues to be able to shelter and support people who are homeless.” – Bishop Mike Driscoll, Roman Catholic Diocese

…Share your bread with the hungry. Bring the poor, the outcasts, to your house. When you see them naked, clothe them; And from your own flesh and blood don’t hide yourself.

Then your light will burst through like the dawn; then when you need healing it will spring up quickly; Then your own righteousness will march ahead to guard you. And a radiance from the Eternal One will reach out behind to guard you. Then, when you cry out, the Eternal One will answer; Then, when you call, God will say: “Here I am!” – Isaiah, chapter 58

“Interfaith Sanctuary is an answer to Isaiah’s plea…to care for our brothers and sisters on the streets. The prophets remind us, again and again, that our piety is pure hypocrisy unless our faith is translated into action. Thanks for the very hard work of many people of faith, from many different traditions, through Sanctuary we now have the opportunity to do our part to help clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and break the yoke of homelessness and poverty.” – Rabbi Dan Fink, Congregation Avahath Beth Israel

“All of us at the Boise Rescue Mission are pleased to have another partner in serving homeless people in the city. The numbers of people facing homelessness continues to grow and having an additional 100 beds available here will relieve pressure on both the Rescue Mission’s shelters and staff and our homeless guests who need to know that safe, clean shelter will be available. The Mission will continue to offer our full support to the staff and guests of the Interfaith Sanctuary shelter group.” – Rev. Bill Roscoe, Boise Rescue Mission

Interfaith Sanctuary Housing Services is a collaboration of people of faith and people of conscience who have joined together to shelter and serve individuals and families with children who are experiencing homelessness in Boise, Idaho. Since 2005, Interfaith Sanctuary has operated an emergency winter shelter and has served over 700 men, women and children. Our partners include El-Ada Community Action Partnership, S.H.I.P – Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships, The Interfaith Alliance of Idaho and the Interfaith Religious Leaders Network, Catholic Charities of Idaho, and Corpus Christi House.

In November 2005, Interfaith Sanctuary was created in response to a crisis of homelessness in the City of Boise. Community-based organizations that serve people who are homeless reported to a gathering of faith leaders that 250 – 300 homeless individuals were sleeping on the ’streets’ and were either unable or unwilling to go to other shelter services in the city. In response, Interfaith Sanctuary opened a temporary emergency shelter, first in a local house of worship and then in a downtown warehouse.

From December 8, 2005 – March 31, 2006, 300 different individuals were served. Of those 300; one-third were women and children. Nearly 75% of the total group had significant alcohol or other drug issues and most needed mental health and/or health assistance. More than 45% of those people served by Sanctuary were employed.

By plan and necessity, the Winter Emergency Shelter was closed on April 1, 2006. When the shelter closed, two-thirds of the people who had been staying at Sanctuary either moved to other shelter services or found housing, typically being assisted by El-Ada Community Action Partnership and S.H.I.P. (Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships). The rest returned to the street.

Interfaith Sanctuary opened it’s doors again on November 1, 2007 for the winter season. For the first month, Sanctuary was hosted by several downtown Boise congregations including Cathedral of the Rockies – First United Methodist Church, St. John’s Cathedral and First Congregational United Church of Christ. In December, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church invited Sanctuary to use their newly acquired space at the Carnegie Public Library Building. Sanctuary offered services at this location throughout the season until closing on April 1, 2007. During the 2006 – 2007 Winter Sheltering Season, Sanctuary served nearly 400 different individuals with daily averages between 85 – 105.

The Sanctuary board and committee continue work to develop and secure a year-round permanent facility and plan to open our doors again by November 1, 2007.