Event to look at county’s needy side

For the first time anyone can recall, business leaders in Kootenai County will gather this week to discuss subjects they’re not normally inclined to talk about.

Poverty, homelessness, crime, hunger: Those topics and more will be on the agenda Wednesday as local social service agencies host what members say is a badly needed public conversation about unmet needs in the region.

“We think that two things are true,” said Amy Bartoo, organizer of the event, “The Other Kootenai County: Are We Headed for Disaster?”

“There are people who don’t see the reality of the community in which they live. And there are others who just wish someone would get the ball rolling to help.”

In general, Bartoo and other members of the Kootenai Alliance for Children and Families believe that the most successful people in the region don’t recognize the people who aren’t.

They don’t know that more than a quarter of county residents live in poverty, or that more than half of local students qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. They don’t know that the gap between the area’s wealthiest residents and the poorest is getting larger – with consequences for both.

By the time the 200 local executives and entrepreneurs leave the two-hour afternoon session, they’ll know more, Bartoo said. Ten local experts in issues ranging from child abuse and senior services to crime and unemployment will offer snapshots of need. The panelists will also answer questions.

“We feel that this event will be an example of true democracy,” Bartoo said. “Democracy is in the dialogue.”

It’s a conversation worth having, said Jim Elder, a business leader familiar with the dark side of this flourishing resort community. As vice chairman of the Lake City Development Corp., Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, he’s well acquainted with the region’s most financially successful projects. As a board member with the local Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, agency, he understands social and economic conditions that imperil the region’s children.

“The leaders aren’t aware of the problems,” Elder said. “We sweep them under the carpet. We don’t see the underbelly of this community.”

Elder believes raising awareness will be the first step to finding solutions to the problems, a belief shared by Gar Mickelson, a local pastor who’s part of the organizing team.

“We in the social service community have this idea that we’re the only ones who care, that other folks are just concerned about making money,” he said. “That’s not true.”

The well of untapped compassion has been evident as members of the Kootenai alliance have met with local business leaders and civic groups in preparation for this week’s event, Mickelson said. Organizers of the 56-member alliance hope to gain new ideas and new volunteers to help implement them as a result of the Wednesday gathering.

“We want them to say, ‘Oh, you’re kidding! I didn’t know that! How can I get involved?’ ” Mickelson said.

The meeting is one result of a five-year, $100,000 federal grant, said Bartoo, whose primary job is director of community and public relations for Idaho Drug Free Youth. A survey conducted through the “Communities That Care” civic improvement program adopted by the alliance showed that creating stability – stable jobs, stable homes, stable resources – is a pressing problem for North Idaho families.

Organizers are trying to keep expectations in check for this week’s event. Simply bringing people together is a good start, said Monique Lawee-Pierson, executive director of the Kootenai Alliance.

“One thing that would be great would be to find out what are some of the community’s perceptions on a crucial need,” she said. “I think we’re really looking to hear what the community and business leaders think and what they want to see come out of this.”