Volunteers aid Aid for Friends

For the Journal

POCATELLO -- On Thursday, the 2008-2010 Leadership Pocatello class completed its volunteer day by making improvements to the Aid For Friends emergency shelter, 653 S. Fourth Ave.

Earlier this spring, B.J. Stensland, director of Aid For Friends, received a call from Steve Olson, a facilitator in the Community Leadership Program, asking if the program members could use the shelter for their service project in May. Stensland readily agreed and gave them a tour of the shelter to decide which improvements were needed. The main items on Thursday's agenda were repainting the men's area in the basement, working on the foundation, cutting down the bunk beds to provide more head room for the occupants, putting up a lattice and doing maintenance on the dog kennel. However, the leadership class went beyond those plans and decided to purchase and install a new stove and complete other miscellaneous repairs and yard work around the shelter.

"I was just amazed at how well organized they were," Stensland said. "They not only took on our suggestions, but they also improved on their own things."

Leadership Pocatello is a two-year program for community members. Participants submit an application and pay a fee to be accepted in the class. Often companies such as Simplot or Farmer's Insurance will pay the fee for their employees who take the course. Other organizations provide scholarships to cover enrollment fees.

The purpose of the program is to create community leadership in Pocatello. Every month features a different class theme that is centered around the community. This month's class, and the final class before this group of participants graduate from the program, was volunteer day. On this day, the members do a service project -- this year they chose to help the Aid For Friends shelter.

"I knew B.J. Stensland," Olson said. "I called her and told her what we were doing, and she said she had plenty of projects and to come on down."

Stensland said the group's help was needed.

"We are so appreciative," Stensland said, "because we are on a very tight budget. Plus, the emergency shelter takes more money than we have a budget for, so many repairs go undone."

The Leadership Pocatello also challenged its members to donate meat, which Stensland says the shelter always needs. Other generous donations were given by the United Way, which provided the paint, and Lowe's, which donated many of the materials used in the project.

By Tiarra Stout

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