Building a bridge to the north: CCI expands social services while strengthening support statewide

A view of Coeur d'Alene from above. (Stock photo)

By Eddie Trask

CCI Executive Director

For 25 years, Catholic Charities of Idaho (CCI) has been committed to serving individuals and families across the state—regardless of demographic or geography. Much of that support has happened quietly, often virtually, reaching Idahoans in rural towns, farming communities, and counties far from our physical offices in Boise and Pocatello.

As we enter the final week of Advent—a season of preparation, promise and trust in God’s faithful presence—CCI’s mission of accompaniment takes on renewed meaning. This is a time when the Church looks forward with hope to the coming of the Lord.

At the same time, CCI looks forward with hope to what lies ahead for the families we serve.

Now, as CCI prepares to open its third location next year, that statewide commitment is taking an important new step forward.

In 2026—having intently listened to clients, donors and parishes—CCI will establish a greater presence in Northern Idaho, operating from St. Pius X Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene. This new office will focus on case management, crisis intervention and comprehensive social services—the same person-centered, mission-driven care Idahoans have come to trust.

But this expansion is not a shift away from the rest of the state. It is an effort to build a bridge—both practical and pastoral—ensuring that families in every corner of Idaho can continue receiving support for their varying needs. In other words, we are not moving from anywhere; rather, we’re moving toward greater statewide service. This is about reinforcing our mission, not redirecting it.

The need in the north mirrors what CCI sees statewide: families overwhelmed by the cost of living, seniors isolated without support, immigrants navigating complex systems, parents facing crises they never expected and individuals struggling with mental-health challenges without a safety net.

This expansion will provide another hub for Idahoans to receive in-person services, as well as strengthen the virtual approach that connects our existing offices to outlying, small communities.

Northern Idahoans have received CCI’s help for years through telehealth counseling, immigration legal services, virtual case management and statewide referral systems. But many situations—especially crisis intervention and complex case management—benefit profoundly from an on-the-ground presence.

The Coeur d’Alene office will allow CCI to respond more quickly, partner more effectively with local parishes and agencies, and ensure families in the northern counties receive the same access to care found elsewhere in Idaho.

As CCI prepares for this expansion, the organization is eager to work alongside the community leaders who have long supported families in the region.

“We cannot wait to join the community of Northern Idaho agencies serving the poor and marginalized,” said Deacon Chris Stewart of Coeur d’Alene, a CCI Board Member. “Especially the well-established experts at our St. Vincent de Paul, a collaboration that will complement and enhance the execution of CCI’s portfolio of services.”

Together with local partners, CCI hopes to strengthen the network of care that meets families where they are.

Boise and Pocatello will continue to serve as strong hubs, each with its own network of partners, donors and community members. Programs in both regions will remain fully supported, active and essential. In fact, the new office strengthens our statewide model by creating a three-point network—north, east and southwest—allowing CCI to collaborate more broadly and respond more efficiently to regional needs.

CCI Social Services Program Manager Kayla Eachus added: “Idaho is growing, and so are the challenges families face. Opening a northern office helps us tap into unmet demand and ensure better coverage across our large state—including the communities we’ve served for years. In the last three months, the percentage of inquiries coming from northern counties has increased from 5% to 13%!”

As Advent reminds us to wait in hope and trust in Christ’s coming light, CCI looks with that same hope toward a future in which more families receive the support, dignity and compassion they need. Readers across Idaho are invited to support this next chapter. Your generosity has already touched every corner of the state through CCI’s virtual services. Now that same support will help firmly root our mission in Northern Idaho, enabling increased tangible assistance.

As St. Leo the Great said over 1,500 years ago, “If God is love, charity should know no limit, for God cannot be confined.”

That belief inspires CCI’s hope-filled work and our desire to reach more people throughout this great state.

To help make this expansion possible and support CCI’s operations statewide, an envelope is included in this ICR issue. Gifts of any size help ensure we can continue strengthening Idaho in compassion, unity and hope. Last fiscal year alone, we served over 3,300 Idahoans.

As we prepare for Christmas, we also prepare for this new beginning. As part of this season of discernment and transparency, CCI plans to host a public information gathering for anyone in the region who would like to learn more about our mission in Northern Idaho—why now, what gaps this new presence will help fill and how we hope to serve alongside existing partners.

There will also be time for questions and conversation.

We have reserved space at St. Pius X Catholic Church on January 21, with two opportunities to attend: 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. We warmly welcome all who wish to come and learn more.

Please pray for us as we take these next steps—trusting in God’s timing, guided by faith and hopeful for what Christ will bring in the year ahead.

Together, we remain committed to our vision of loving and strengthening Idaho, one person at a time.