Raising the roof

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

After 50 years at the same address, Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. is embarking on a capital campaign to open a modern campus across the street from its current location. While it’s a long way to go and a lot of money to raise, PSNI staff and board members are optimistic and excited about the move.

With a stated mission to “champion the self-respect, economic empowerment and social inclusion of individuals with disabilities within their communities,” PSNI has been quietly improving the community with every one of its many services and activities.

“Our services not only launch individuals with disabilities into adulthood successfully, but we also play a big role in the health of our community,” said Executive Director Trinity Nicholson. 

Nicholson outlined several of the many positive impacts PSNI achieves, including providing school-to-work transition programs; preventing homelessness and institutionalization of individuals; providing crisis intervention; education and training in tandem with law enforcement for individuals with disabilities coming out of the justice system; providing more than 40 jobs; supporting local employers through employment programs and life skills training to shop, live and play locally; as well as advocating for medical and dental care and funding needed for critical disability supports and services.

The campaign to build a modern PSNI campus is split into several phases to accomplish the eventual goal of moving across North Boyer Avenue.

Phase 1 involves organizing fundraising efforts to prepare for a long-term capital campaign to acquire the proposed $7.3 million necessary to reach the goal toward a modern campus.

Phase 2 will begin after funds have been committed to complete the construction of the core services unit. 

A contractor will be selected and PSNI will continue to use The Cottage Thrift Store and begin construction of the service core, including the adult day care unit, life skills training unit, the administration unit and services area. Phase 2 is projected to be the most costly of the project, with $4.25 million needed to complete the entire phase.

Phase 3 will see the addition of a work services unit and Phase 4 will include the expansion of the adult day care unit and life skills unit, as well as the creation of the cafeteria and kitchen area. Landscaping and parking will be completed during this phase, as well. 

Once everything is completed, PSNI will then consider the option of discontinuing the lease at the current facility at 1424 N. Boyer Ave. and move across the street to the new campus.

A final phase will establish an endowment fund, which will aim to offer financial security for decades to come.

Funding for the move will come from a variety of sources, Nicholson said, but a lion’s share will likely come from private donors.

“We have always received donations from private donors, especially donors with an understanding of how vital our services are, either through a disabled relative or other experience with our program,” she told the Reader. 

So far, PSNI has raised approximately $900,000 toward its goal thanks to donations, both big and small.

Nicholson said PSNI currently has a waiting list of more than 40 individuals who are seeking services, but the current location does not present the opportunity to expand. With a region growing as fast as North Idaho, the decision to launch a new facility to expand with PSNI’s growing services became a common goal for staff and board members.

PSNI engaged with Reid Weber, of North Root Architecture, to take on the lengthy project, which Weber told the Reader he was excited to join. Having grown up in Sandpoint, Weber admitted he didn’t know much about PSNI until starting on the project.

“Learning how much PSNI contributes to this community has been amazing,” Weber said. “I definitely feel really thankful to be on this team with such a committed staff and board of directors. It’s great when everyone is on the same page in wanting to accomplish this thing.”

Weber said if fundraising efforts prove fruitful, shovels can be in the ground as soon as two years from now, with the final phase possibly taking anywhere from five to 10 years to fully build the modern facility.

For Nicholson and the PSNI board of directors, the services they provide are driven by a profound truth: “Disabilities are entirely unbiased,” Nicholson said. “They transcend age, race, religion, economic status and culture, reminding us that they can impact anyone at any time, making our role vital to everyone. 

“For adults, programs like ours are essential in ensuring a high quality of life — not only for the individual with a disability, but also for their families.”

For those interested in donating to the PSNI capital campaign, visit panhandlespecialneeds.org.