Bonners Ferry locals Bud Ewing and Darleen Jackson, founders of the Boundary County ministry Living Sanctuary, will be traveling to downtown Spokane Saturday to take food to the homeless, continuing a ministry they started before COVID. After a two-year hiatus due to illness, they resumed this spring, and they invite the community’s help.
Though they serve the homeless from Bonners Ferry to Spokane, the homeless population is more concentrated in Spokane and more can be served in a short time.
Living Sanctuary is a non-profit organization designed to feed and clothe the homeless in Boundary County but also in the more concentrated areas of the Northwest.
Tomorrow morning, Bud and Darleen will load up their van to head to Spokane with supplies, clothing, blankets, propane heaters, and a BBQ grill to cook up hot dogs and serve water, juice and chips or whatever supplies they have to show the homeless community that there is still hope.
“We have to seek them out, at first,” Bud says, “Then they realize we’re there to help them, and they come out. Many are elderly and recently displaced because of the economic situation.”
Many churches have stepped back, and shelters have closed.

“It’s a pandemic, really.” Bud adds. “It’s very sad, but we’re there to help.”
Every month, Bud and Darleen, along with one faithful volunteer put together right at 70 lunches to fed homeless and they could use your help. Ultimately, the goal would be to have more volunteers creating more lunches and helping reduce the homeless population from Bonners Ferry to Spokane and beyond.
They could use donations of chicken, turkey or beef hot dogs (no pork please), individual bags of chips, buns, cookies, sealed crackers, snacks, Capri Suns, water and power aid.
Additionally, they are seeking volunteers and are taking donations of supplies and clothing to keep on hand for needs of the homeless.
If you want to caravan with Bud and Darleen to Spokane or if you want to talk about how you can help, you can reach Bud at (208) 597-4054.
They plan to meet with anyone who wants to participate at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, April 26 in the parking lot at Super One Foods in Bonners Ferry.