For most Kootenai County residents, items like socks and body wash aren’t high on a Christmas wish list. But some local teens don’t have even that much.
“It is a growing trend where we see more students who are couch surfing or just kind of going from place to place but are still able to find a connection with the school,” said Jennifer Shute, registrar at Lakeland High School.
The Meals on Wheels organization in Washington, D.C. recently sent mailers to North Idaho residents soliciting donations to support the national program.
However, it's easy to keep those dollars in the community and support seniors in Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens and Hayden when donations go to Lake City Center's Meals on Wheels.
The Post Falls Food Bank has been so busy it ran out of turkeys last week.
“It’s not good, but it is the reality. Post Falls in particular is growing so much and every month we’re setting records," Executive Director Leslie Orth said Friday. "We've never had this many visits."
Both Orth and Rickard said they believe more people are turning to the food banks due to economic struggles in trying to keep up with inflation, higher grocery bills and now with colder weather setting in, rising utility bills