Caring for one another doesn’t need to be complicated. Sharing a meal with your neighbor will always be more impactful to our community than a financial donation to a national nonprofit or corporation running a fundraiser. And the kicker is that when you help someone else, you also help yourself! So here’s to taking care of the basics of community care, one small interaction at a time.
Cold Weather and Survival Gear
We’re expecting rain and overnight temperatures below freezing through the rest of the week, signaling a transition into dangerous and difficult months for unhoused or housing insecure Boiseans.
Luckily, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel to help each other. Boise Mutual Aid provides weekly updates about the needs of unhoused community members and distributes goods every Monday at Rhodes Skate Park. Even if you can’t contribute cold weather gear or goods right now, donating to them is one way to make sure your money is going directly to survival gear for folks who need it.
Give Food
If you have extra nonperishable food or can afford to buy some, food drives are already ramping up for the winter (though needs are present year-round). Here’s where to donate:
- The Idaho Foodbank in Meridian, during business hours.
- The Boise State University campus food pantry, for students and staff.
- A new group on the block! Check out the Boise Bagel Club.
I’m a big fan of the Boise Kitchen Collective, which distributes hot, home-cooked meals to anyone who needs them every Wednesday at Rhodes Skate Park. They make dropping off food super easy, and it’s a great way to take direct action. There’s little that can positively impact a person’s day more than a good meal.
The collective’s menu is full for this week, but you can sign up to cook weeks in advance, and they’ll roll out a Winter Supply Drive soon.
