The holidays are traditionally a time of celebration and gathering with loved ones, but the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus has also made this a time of caution as people travel and gather in close quarters.
The holiday season reignites the spirit of giving in the hearts of many. The Family Crisis Center (FCC) in Rexburg offers year-round volunteer opportunities to help supply food, clothes and recovery services to individuals and families in need. In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, FCC Service and Shelter Coordinator Marie Harris expressed gratitude for community support especially during the holidays.
Janalyn Holt will replace Christopher Mann as the CEO and president of the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce this coming January. Holt feels that her knowledge as a previous business owner will give her insider understanding about the needs of the business community in Rexburg. In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, she explained why this new position is a perfect fit for her.
Shortly after the pandemic shut down in-person classes, high school junior Savanna Shaw desired to remain connected with her choir friends by posting music videos on YouTube. Because she was too shy to perform alone, she asked her dad Mat to sing with her.
Inspired by a wall of giving three years ago, Valorie Blanchard organized the first Idaho Wall of Warmth as a unique take on a coat drive. Through collaboration with Sunny Harker, the Hall Foundation partnered with the Wall of Warmth to increase its outreach. During its first year of operation, the wall placed nearly 600 coats in the hands of those in need.
The Seniors Solutions Christmas Parade is a holiday outreach which brings live music, Christmas treats and human conversation to the doorsteps of the elderly with low mobility or without family in the area for the holidays.
Tim Goodsworth, the Treasurer for the Bingham Arts Council and art teacher at Snake River High School, started the Legacy Art Show at the Candy Jar Art Gallery in Blackfoot to commemorate the artwork contributions of retired and elderly Bingham County residents. The art show also stands as a posthumous display of work completed by residents who have passed away.
Music is considered the universal language because it transcends physical understanding and reaches the human soul. Kevin Brower, the artistic director and conductor for the Anam Cara Chamber Choir, is very much acquainted with the impact of music.
Throughout November and December, the Idaho Food Bank is expediting efforts to feed the hungry during this festive season with its Hope for the Holidays Campaign. Kia Shaw, the Eastern Idaho Branch manager for the Idaho Food Bank, shared the projected goal for meals distributed in Idaho during this campaign.
As the spirit of Halloween shifts into the spirit of Thanksgiving, James and Teresa Stoker, owners of the Haunted River attraction, transform that spooky Halloween site into a magical Christmas trail. Their business venture with these river attractions started in 2019 when James decided to become self-employed. That’s when he hosted the Haunted River on his own property for the first time.