The Bonner and Boundary Forever Fund fuels new opportunities at Panhandle Special Needs.
Sandpoint’s Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. (PSNI) has been on a mission for more than four decades: to empower people with disabilities to live with greater independence, dignity, and purpose. With programs offering vocational training, life skills coaching, and community integration, PSNI has become a cornerstone of opportunity for individuals who often face limited pathways.
This year, thanks to a $20,000 grant from Innovia Foundation’s Bonner and Boundary Forever Fund, PSNI is taking a bold step forward. The funding is fueling the creation of expanded employment opportunities like PSNI’s greenhouse, thrift shop, and cardboard recycling programs. These job opportunities allow participants to gain real-world experience, earn income, and build confidence to engage more
fully in community life.
“There has to be a place like ours. We’re not just serving individual—we’re supporting whole family units,” shares Trinity Nicholson, Executive Director of PSNI. “We are the only facility in the area where clients can spend the day in a safe, productive environment.”
Every morning, more than 40 individuals with disabilities arrive at PSNI to participate in life skills classes from cooking to budgeting. The camaraderie and confidence resulting from participation in the day programs often lead individuals to imagine new possibilities.
There has to be a place like ours. We’re not just serving individual—we’re supporting whole family units. We are the only facility in the area where clients can spend the day in a safe, productive environment.”
“We see clients in our program successfully working jobs and moving into their own apartment,” says Trinity. “When others in the group start to wonder if they could do the same, we are there to support them,” she adds.
Looking ahead, PSNI is developing plans to expand into a new facility—designed with accessibility features throughout—that will double capacity for training programs and streamline connections to social services, transportation support, and community mentorship opportunities. This next chapter aims to reach more families in Bonner and Boundary Counties, ensuring that limited space or resources are never barriers to participation.
The grant to PSNI was recommended by Innovia’s Bonner/Boundary Leadership Council. “When you hear the stories of how PSNI is transforming lives, it’s heartwarming,” shares Leadership Council member Chris Bessler. “As PSNI prepares to build a new center, it was an easy decision for the Bonner/Boundary Leadership Council to support what they are doing for our community.”
For the adults and young people who walk through PSNI’s doors, this grant represents more than financial support—it’s a promise that their community sees, values, and invests in their future. And for Sandpoint, it is a reaffirmation that when opportunities grow, so does possibility.
