AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY

Hope House's young new leadership starts a new chapter for the philanthropic organization

by CHRISTIAN WEANER

When Anna Pine began volunteering at Hope House back in December 2021, she had no idea that less than a year later, she and her husband, Eli, would be tasked with running the organization.

Anna simply saw a need and was looking for a way that she could help make a difference.

"[I realized] that there was a serious need in the community, and there are many people that can't afford basic things like toilet paper, hygiene products, even clothing," Anna explained. "I felt like I needed to do something to help."

However, in the spring of 2022, when Hope House founder and director Aimee Christopherson announced that she and her family would be moving away, the organization—which has been serving Boundary County for 15 years—was in jeopardy of closing its doors.

"If no one would have taken [Hope House] over after Aimee [moved], it probably would have just shut down," Anna said. "I personally didn't want to see that happen, so I talked to Eli."

After considering the time commitment and responsibilities of the position for several months, Anna and Eli eventually agreed to take over Hope House, officially beginning as the new directors in July 2022.

Under their leadership, the organization has held several successful events, started a new soup kitchen, and was recently named 2022 Bonners Ferry Living Local's Finest Organization with a Cause.

"Aimee put so much time and effort into this organization," Eli explained. "And we just want to do it justice."

Hope House has been operating at its current location in Moyie Spring since 2011.

The organization aims to help individuals and families by offering free clothing, food, baby supplies and other household items that cannot be purchased with food stamps. The organization is open every Friday and Saturday with pickup times from 1 to 5pm.

In addition to their normal services, Hope House also sponsors several special events throughout the year, like a winter clothing giveaway and, most notably, the Back to School Bash barbeque and school supply giveaway held every August at the fairgrounds.

In January, Hope House began a new weekly soup kitchen, which offers free meals each Friday evening from 5:30 to 7pm at the Seniors Hospitality Center.

Starting a soup kitchen in Bonners Ferry had been a dream of Eli's since