On July 22, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene welcomed Amanda Krier, Executive Director, and Nicole Hammons, Development Director, from Safe Passage as our guest speakers. We were also pleased to be joined by several members of the Kiwanis Club of Post Falls, who visited for the presentation and fellowship. Together, we learned about the breadth of services this remarkable organization provides to adults and children throughout North Idaho, while also hearing about an exciting new partnership with our club.
Safe Passage has been serving our community for nearly 50 years, providing free and confidential support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and child abuse. While many people associate the organization primarily with its emergency shelter, members learned that Safe Passage offers a comprehensive network of services that includes a 24-hour crisis helpline, hospital response, court advocacy, counseling, housing assistance, prevention education, and a Children’s Advocacy Center. Their mission extends far beyond helping people escape immediate danger—they work to help survivors build safe, stable, and independent lives.
The numbers tell the story of the tremendous need that exists in our community. Each year, Safe Passage serves approximately 1,300 to 1,500 individuals and provides nearly 7,000 consultations. Their advocates respond to roughly 100 to 150 hospital sexual assault cases annually, while their emergency shelter offers a safe haven for individuals and families in crisis. As Amanda emphasized, immediate safety is always the first priority, but helping survivors achieve long-term stability and healing is the ultimate goal.
Members also enjoyed hearing about Lucy, Safe Passage’s certified facility dog. Since joining the Children’s Advocacy Center in 2022, Lucy has provided comfort and emotional support to children during forensic interviews and court proceedings, helping young victims feel safe during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Lucy has become an important part of Safe Passage’s trauma-informed approach to caring for children.
One of the most exciting announcements was a new project centered around Lucy. Safe Passage is developing a children’s book titled The Hero and the Helper, featuring Lucy as the central character. The book, along with a companion stuffed “Lucy” dog, will become a therapeutic resource to help children process trauma while also serving as a fundraising tool through online sales.
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene is proud to be part of this effort. Our club has funded the illustrations for The Hero and the Helper and will partner with Safe Passage to introduce the book throughout the Kiwanis family. With more than 7,600 Kiwanis clubs serving communities around the world, we hope this partnership will help bring Lucy’s story – and Safe Passage’s mission of hope, healing, and empowerment – to children and families far beyond North Idaho.
We thank Amanda and Nicole for sharing their inspiring work with our club. Safe Passage’s dedication to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community reminds us that creating a better future for children often begins by ensuring that families have the safety, support, and compassion they need today. We also wish them great success with their EnVision Gala on October 3 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, an important fundraising event that helps make their life-changing work possible.
Photograph: (left to right) Amanda Krier, Nicole Hammons, Jeannie Nugent
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Posted: July 28, 2026 by Matt Palmer
Amanda Krier and Nicole Hammons – Safe Passage
On July 22, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene welcomed Amanda Krier, Executive Director, and Nicole Hammons, Development Director, from Safe Passage as our guest speakers. We were also pleased to be joined by several members of the Kiwanis Club of Post Falls, who visited for the presentation and fellowship. Together, we learned about the breadth of services this remarkable organization provides to adults and children throughout North Idaho, while also hearing about an exciting new partnership with our club.
Safe Passage has been serving our community for nearly 50 years, providing free and confidential support to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and child abuse. While many people associate the organization primarily with its emergency shelter, members learned that Safe Passage offers a comprehensive network of services that includes a 24-hour crisis helpline, hospital response, court advocacy, counseling, housing assistance, prevention education, and a Children’s Advocacy Center. Their mission extends far beyond helping people escape immediate danger—they work to help survivors build safe, stable, and independent lives.
The numbers tell the story of the tremendous need that exists in our community. Each year, Safe Passage serves approximately 1,300 to 1,500 individuals and provides nearly 7,000 consultations. Their advocates respond to roughly 100 to 150 hospital sexual assault cases annually, while their emergency shelter offers a safe haven for individuals and families in crisis. As Amanda emphasized, immediate safety is always the first priority, but helping survivors achieve long-term stability and healing is the ultimate goal.
Members also enjoyed hearing about Lucy, Safe Passage’s certified facility dog. Since joining the Children’s Advocacy Center in 2022, Lucy has provided comfort and emotional support to children during forensic interviews and court proceedings, helping young victims feel safe during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Lucy has become an important part of Safe Passage’s trauma-informed approach to caring for children.
One of the most exciting announcements was a new project centered around Lucy. Safe Passage is developing a children’s book titled The Hero and the Helper, featuring Lucy as the central character. The book, along with a companion stuffed “Lucy” dog, will become a therapeutic resource to help children process trauma while also serving as a fundraising tool through online sales.
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene is proud to be part of this effort. Our club has funded the illustrations for The Hero and the Helper and will partner with Safe Passage to introduce the book throughout the Kiwanis family. With more than 7,600 Kiwanis clubs serving communities around the world, we hope this partnership will help bring Lucy’s story – and Safe Passage’s mission of hope, healing, and empowerment – to children and families far beyond North Idaho.
We thank Amanda and Nicole for sharing their inspiring work with our club. Safe Passage’s dedication to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community reminds us that creating a better future for children often begins by ensuring that families have the safety, support, and compassion they need today. We also wish them great success with their EnVision Gala on October 3 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, an important fundraising event that helps make their life-changing work possible.
Photograph: (left to right) Amanda Krier, Nicole Hammons, Jeannie Nugent
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Kiwanis Club of Coeur d'Alene
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d' Alene meets every Wednesday except the last of the month from noon to 1pm at MacKenzie River Pizza , 405 W. Canfield Ave.
Anyone welcome to join us for a meeting to see what we're all about!
Building Stronger Communities Through Giving!
At the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d'Alene's meeting on October 21, we welcomed Emma Hoagland, Community Engagement Associate for North Idaho with the Idaho Community Foundation.
Emma shared how the Foundation connects generous donors with nonprofit organizations throughout Idaho, investing charitable contributions and distributing grants that help strengthen our communities.
We were particularly impressed by the Foundation's impact right here in North Idaho!
During the 2026 Forever Idaho grant cycle:
đź’™ $315,000 was distributed to local nonprofits.
đź’™ 40 organizations received financial support.
đź’™ Approximately $1.2 million has been distributed in our region over the past four years!
We were also pleased to learn more about the Foundation's support for Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR), an organization with close ties to our Kiwanis Club.
Emma also highlighted Idaho Gives, an annual four-day fundraising event that brings Idahoans together to support nonprofit organizations. In 2026, North Idaho donors contributed more than $776,000 to 112 local nonprofits!
📅 Mark your calendars for the next Idaho Gives: May 3–6, 2027.
The Foundation's commitment to strengthening communities aligns closely with our own Kiwanis mission of serving children and improving lives. We look forward to exploring opportunities to collaborate in the future.
Thank you, Emma, for an informative and inspiring presentation!
👉 Read more about Emma's presentation, the Idaho Community Foundation, and its impact on North Idaho on our website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/idaho-community-foundation-investing-in-the-future-of-north-idaho/ ... See MoreSee Less
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🥫🚗 320 FAMILIES SERVED — ANOTHER GREAT DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE! 💙
On October 8, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene once again teamed up with Second Harvest Inland Northwest to distribute food to local families at Community United Methodist Church.
The need was clear! Cars began lining up a couple of hours before the scheduled start, so volunteers got to work early. Over the next 4½ hours, 320 families received much-needed food assistance!
đź‘Ź We were grateful to be joined by volunteers from the United Women in Faith, Wells Fargo Bank, our Aktion Club, and other community members who generously gave their time.
🌟 A special shout-out to our amazing Aktion Club members! Several joined us for the distribution, enthusiastically pitching in and enjoying the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their community. Seeing their pride, energy, and joy in serving others was one of the highlights of the day!
Events like this remind us what can be accomplished when neighbors and community organizations work together.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this another successful food distribution!
📸 Read the full story and see photos on our Kiwanis website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/kiwanis-and-community-partners-serve-320-families-at-second-harvest-food-... ... See MoreSee Less
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Celebrating a Great Year of Kiwanis Service! 🎉
Our annual Installation Banquet on September 30 was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate an incredibly busy and successful year for the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene—and, most importantly, to recognize the members who made it all happen.
Throughout the past year, our members gave generously of their time, talents, and resources, participating in a remarkable variety of service projects, supporting local organizations and young people, strengthening our community partnerships, and enjoying plenty of fellowship along the way. Thank you to every one of our members who helped make the year such a success!
And, of course, the banquet marked the beginning of a new Kiwanis year. Kim Cummings was installed as President, Jeanie Nugent as President-Elect, with Kathy Bush continuing as Secretary and Matt Palmer as Treasurer. Mike Lane moves into the role of Immediate Past President, and we welcomed our new and returning Board members.
The evening also included a special recognition as Matt Palmer was named our 2025–26 Kiwanian of the Year, honoring his service and contributions to the club during the past year.
We’re grateful to everyone who served in a leadership role this past year and to those who have stepped forward to lead us in 2026–27. But most of all, thank you to all of our members. Everything our club accomplishes is possible because of your willingness to serve.
It was a great year—and we’re excited to see what we can accomplish together in the next one!
👉 Read more about the past year's accomplishments, our new leadership team, and the Installation Banquet on our website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/celebrating-a-great-year-and-welcoming-our-new-kiwanis-leadership/ ... See MoreSee Less
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