Wednesday was a busy day for a lot of people, and it took a lot of people to make that work possible. And thanks to all those people and all that hard work, more than 100 Boundary County families gave thanks on Thursday that included not only those things they had that were blessings, but for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner gracing their tables.
Those tables were full thanks to Bonners Ferry’s Community Action Partnership (CAP)and the generosity and hard work of those many … especially to a new and vital force who stepped up and took charge, Samantha Cote Banuet.
And she accomplished the feat in record time after meeting with CAP director Liz Bixby-Sanborn in October to offer her help, only to learn that those who’d headed the drive in the past had moved and no one else had stepped up.
There are those in just about any community known for donating to benefit the people of their community as a matter of course, and Bonners Ferry is blessed in that department. What sets the Boundary County community apart is that so few here are averse to getting their hands dirty when the need arises.
Samantha didn’t know that … yet. She only knew she wanted to give back.
But having to raise $6,000 in less than a month to reach the goal of distributing 100 Thanksgiving dinners, even the effervescent and ever-optimistic Samantha wondered for a time if she could do it.
Her husband son had no doubts, offering to be the brawn supporting her brain, stepping in to cheer her up and offer encouragement. Liz, impressed with Samantha’s drive despite the discouragement that fleetingly darkened her visage, had the sense that a blessing was working reveal itself and she, too, was steadfast in her support
And so Samantha kept slogging.
Samantha had worked food drives in the past, typically large scale affairs with a cast of a hundred or more working to tend to the myriad details. Doing it alone, even with the strength and support of the Liz and two men in her life.
And then magic happened. Business owners and other donors gave generously, and asked, “anything else you need?”
In more places than not, “anything else you need?” is akin to “how are you?” Both are considered polite inquiries and an honest answer is neither expected nor in good form. Samantha slipped and gave one anyway and discovered to her amazement something those who grew up here take as normal: those are honest questions here, deserving an honest answer.
At Beck’s Furniture, Samantha not only picked up a donation, but an offer to help deliver the turkeys. When the time came, Rich, Sherry and Rob Beck were surprised and delighted to see and deliver so many, saving almost a ton of wear and tear on the backs of Samantha and her family.
A group of Badgers showed up and went to work boxing up feasts, their hands helping make light and fun work of a demanding but tedious chore.
In addition to a monetary donation, Safeway donated most of the turkeys, what they didn’t Grocery Outlet gave, along with the pies. Sharlene and Becca at Alliance Title & Escrow went the extra mile, giving the totes, Maria at Boundary Shipping provided prints.
Donors were unified, but so diverse — BF Frederickson’s Garbage and Bonners Books, PIFCU, the Log Inn, Froyo Mama, Chapman Excavation, North Haven Campground, Selkirk Kennels. Kaniksu Community Health, Mugsy’s Tavern and Grill, Martin Wood Products, Pro X Western Building Center, the Monroe Family.
Highland Flats Tree Farm, Wink Inc., the University of Idaho Extension, Medicine Man Pharmacy and Mike Wold’s State Farm Insurance.
While Samantha did suffer doubt in the early going, she talks now like she did little to nothing, as if she simply pointed to the goal, Cinderella twirled her magic wand and Simon, Heidi, Howie and Sofia hold hands and slap the golden buzzer as one and everything just … occurs.
Were it not for Liz setting the record straight, folks might not realize what she saw from outset.
“When one door closed,” she said, “another opened and and sent a huge blessing in the form of Samantha Cote Banuet.”