Avenues for Hope provides community safety net for housing nonprofits

The 8th annual Avenues for Hope Housing Challenge kicked off on Dec. 12. The online fundraiser, organized by Idaho Housing and Finance Association in conjunction with The Home Partnership Foundation, supports 55 participating nonprofits that manage the day-to-day work of serving the more than 7,000 students and 4,000 other Idahoans affected by homelessness.

The online campaign started during the economic downturn when the number of people on the brink of homelessness continued to rise, while those organizations working to help homeless Idahoans saw their programs’ support and funds diminishing.

Since its inception in 2011, Avenues for Hope has raised more than $2 million for nearly 60 nonprofits that aim to provide safe, stable, and affordable housing for Idahoans. The campaign, for many nonprofits, has become their single-largest fundraiser of the year. The 20-day campaign provides an opportunity for these nonprofits to share their story with their community and spread awareness of the types of issues homeless Idahoans face.

“Each December through the Avenues for Hope campaign CATCH spends 30 days inviting a conversation around the meaning of home, reminding each of us that every family and every person deserves a home,” CATCH Executive Director Wyatt Schroeder said. “The campaign is an opportunity to expand our definition of home and challenge the assumptions and stereotypes that too often afflict families experiencing homelessness.”

Avenues for Hope serves the chronic and temporarily homeless, including domestic violence victims, veterans, people with disabilities, vulnerable youth, seniors, and low-income residents. Any donation to the campaign supports emergency shelters, homelessness prevention services, and affordable housing programs throughout Idaho.

Donors can direct their tax-deductible gifts to one or more of the 55 participating nonprofits. You can also make a general donation to the campaign that will be used to address needs throughout the state. This year, every donation to a nonprofit will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to the first $3,000 raised.

“Through this community effort, we can help our neighbors struggling with homelessness receive the care and support they need,” Idaho Housing and Finance Association President Gerald Hunter said.

Nonprofits can also win monetary bonuses throughout the campaign based on a number of categories, including most donations, random drawings, or  social media efforts. The total prize pool and matching funds donated from 40 sponsors is more than $275,000.

The campaign runs from Dec. 12 through midnight Dec. 31, 2018.

Participating nonprofits:

North

Bonner Community Housing Agency	Bonner County Homeless Task Force, Inc.	Boundary County School District
Family Promise of LC Valley Inc.	Family Promise of North Idaho	Family Promise of the Palouse
Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho	Hope on the Homefront	Moscow Affordable Housing Trust, Inc.
Safe Passage	Salmon School District 291	Sojourners’ Alliance
St. Vincent de Paul of North Idaho	The Guardians Foundation, Inc.	Union Gospel Mission

Southeast

Aid For Friends Inc.	American Falls School District 381	Bingham Crisis Center
CLUB, Inc.	Community Resource Center of Teton Valley	Family Services Alliance of SE Idaho
Gateway Habitat for Humanity Pocatello	Habitat For Humanity of the Magic Valley	Idaho Falls Rescue Mission
Minidoka School District 331	NeighborWorks Pocatello	Southeastern Idaho Community Action Agency, Inc.
South Central Community Action Partnership	The Mahoney House	Twin Falls Optimist Youth House
Voices Against Violence

Southwest

Advocates Against Family Violence	Astegos, Inc.	Boise Public Schools Foundation
Boise Rescue Mission Ministries	CATCH	Corpus Christi House
First Story	Good Samaritan Home	Home Partnership Foundation
Hope House, Inc.	Idaho Youth Ranch	International Rescue Committee in Boise
LEAP Charities	Nampa School District McKinney Vento Program	NeighborWorks Boise
NWRECC Stepping Stones	Shepherd’s Home	Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SW Idaho Council, Inc.
The Community Builder	The House Next Door	The Jesse Tree of Idaho
The Salvation Army Nampa	Trinity New Hope	Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA)

Avenues for Hope Sponsors

Academy Mortgage	Alliance Title & Escrow Corp.	Bank of Commerce
Barclays	Boise Housing Corporation	Citizens Community Bank
Eide Bailly LLP	Essent	Evergreen Home Loans
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation	Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines	First Interstate BancSystem Foundation
George K. Baum & Company	Guild Mortgage Company	Hawkins Family Foundation
Icon Credit Union	Idaho Housing and Finance Association	Idaho Independent Bank
Idaho Mortgage Lenders Association	John Hale Family Trust	KeyBank Foundation
Landmark Promotions	Magellan Healthcare	Mountain West Bank
New Beginnings Housing	Northwest Integrity Housing Co.	P1FCU
Skinner Fawcett LLP	Stifel	Teton Valley Realty
Teton Valley Realty Management	The Pacific Companies	Thomas Development Co.
TitleOne Corp.	Valbridge Property Advisors	Wells Fargo
Wright Brothers