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Panhandle Special Needs Volunteer Lois Miller Is Sandpoint’s Citizen Of The Year By Gail Jokerst It all started with Oprah. At least, that is what Lois Miller says when explaining how she helped raise $80,000 to renovate the Panhandle Special Needs building in Sandpoint. “The Circle of Friends group I belong to had $100 in the kitty and we needed to figure out the
best way to spend it,” recalls Lois. “I suggested we try what Oprah recommends, ‘Pay It Forward.’ That means you do something for someone else instead of expecting things to come back to you. In turn, you hope those people will do something good for somebody else.” Since Lois had always worked for agencies such as Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. (PSNI) that help the developmentally disabled to find employment and be independent, her ideas about the money naturally turned in that direction. “Initially, I thought if we could buy a new set of dishes for PSNI’s kitchen, we’d be making progress,” remembers Lois. Little did she realize those plates and bowls represented just the beginning of a beautification project she would later come to say, “Took on
a life of its own.” The building that houses the non-profit PSNI was formerly an industrial cut-shop for a woodworking business. For the past 27 years, it has served as a training center for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, the features that made the building an asset to the original occupants - its cement walls and flooring plus its openness - were not appropriate (Cont’d on page 30)
Gather the Hidden Eggs Just for fun, we have hidden 7 Easter eggs throughout this issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. Can you find them and let us know the page numbers on which you found them? We will award a $20 prize to the person who finds all of the eggs. If there are multiple correct entries, the winner will be determined by a drawing. None of the hidden eggs is located within an advertisement. Have fun!