Supporting local nonprofits supports our neighbors By Jillian Chandler
It is amazing to see the impact that local community members and businesses can have on area nonprofits. It is especially heartfelt to see the way the community comes together during the holiday season. With so many local nonprofits, there is no shortage of ways to show your support to a variety of causes throughout Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho this holiday season. One nonprofit to put at the top of your list is Newby-ginnings.
October 15, 2022, marked the nine-year anniversary of Newby-ginnings. Founded by Theresa Hart after the struggle and heartache from losing her son SPC Nicholas Newby—who lost his life 10 months into his 12-month deployment in Iraq when an IED was detonated near the Humvee he was in—she was called to a begin anew, with Newby-ginnings born to help her heal while helping others in the process.
What began in her garage would grow into a new space of 1,700 square feet in Hayden, then 2,900 square feet in Dalton Gardens. After continuing to grow and expand to meet the needs of the community, they now reside in a 10,000-square-foot facility in Post Falls, which, as Theresa says, “we could easily double—the blueprints are already in my head. In the nine years we’ve been in operation, we’ve expanded five times!”
Newby-ginnings is a hub for veterans. Accepting donations—anything from clothing and shoes to houseware, appliances and furniture—they’ve made it their mission to support area veterans, active military and Gold Star Families who are in need of a little help. And the most incredible part is that everything is free! “All that is required is a government issued form of ID, filling out a brief enrollment form, then they are added into the system and can come in and start shopping,” smiles Theresa.
Newby-ginnings provides services not just to veterans, active service members and Gold Star Families in North Idaho but the entire Inland Northwest. “If they can get to us, we can help them,” affirms Theresa.
They currently have well over 5,000 veteran families enrolled in their program, and it continues to grow, enrolling five to 10 new families every day. On average, they see 130 to 160 people a day shopping for their clothing and household needs. “Some days it feels like they all come in at the same time,” Theresa laughs.
Newby-ginnings does not receive any government funding and is 100 percent dependent on donations and fundraisers. “Every day that we get to open our doors is a gift from this community,” affirms Theresa.
Since September, Theresa and her team have been gearing up for their “Adopt a Family” program. The program has continued to bless dozens of families each Christmas, with 2022 marking its ninth year. “We were brand new, had no money, but we had families that needed assistance, families with kiddos who needed help with Christmas. So, we reached out for the community’s support, and they answered our call,” recalls Theresa.
“Each year, we match sponsors from the community with our families that need a little bit of help at Christmas.” Last year they helped brighten the lives of approximately 75 families and their children.
How it works is simple. Families fill out a form with their name, address, phone, email, and children’s names, ages (18 or younger) and gender, and some of their favorite things. Families are then matched with a sponsor. From there, the sponsor connects with the family directly, goes Christmas shopping for the family, and makes arrangements to drop off presents (as well as items needed for a beautiful holiday meal or gift card to purchase food themselves) at the family’s residence prior to Christmas.
There’s also Santa’s Workshop, which kicks off right after Thanksgiving, with Newby-ginnings converting and decorating their boardroom into a holiday oasis where they put out brand new toys, unwrapped, as well as items for Mom and Dad. “We allow our enrolled children to come in and shop,” Theresa shares. “It gives our littles the chance to shop for their brothers, sisters and parents.” Gift and toy donations can be dropped off on-site and will be accepted through December 15.
You can help support those who served and sacrificed for our county, and their families, throughout the year. Monetary donations can be made online at Newbyginnings.org. If you would like to bless and sponsor a military family this Christmas season, or are interested in donating your time, call 208.610.6996. For those looking to drop off items for donation, Newby-ginnings (located at 570 South Clearwater Loop, Unit A, in Post Falls) is open 9am to 5pm Monday through Thursday. Appointments can also be made outside of those hours.
The season of giving us upon us, and your generosity means more than you could even know.