For many hard-working people, an unanticipated event like a car breakdown, illness or accident can escalate into a crisis, particularly when access to support and assistance are not easily available. Linnis Jellinek understands that well. As Director of the Community Resource EnVision Center (CREC), Jellinek is dedicated to providing help to those in need and ensuring that the process is streamlined and accessible to all.
Backed by letters of support from community stakeholders, including Innovia, Jellinek successfully applied for designation as a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) EnVision Center. It is one of 100 EnVision Centers dotted across the nation, offering a one-stop hub for those seeking support and resources in times of need. By inviting a diverse group of nonprofits to come together under the same roof, EnVision fosters coordination and collaboration among aid organizations.
As one of the few Northwest-based EnVision Centers, Jellinek and her team have transformed the building formerly known as the Sandpoint Community Resource Center into a facility equipped to meet the operational needs of 7 full-time and 25 part-time nonprofits. The designation allows the center to receive in-kind support from HUD, while maintaining the financial flexibility needed to meet local needs as they arise. One of the partners onsite is the EnVision Media Center, and it is furnished with live-streaming and video equipment to help nonprofits achieve visibility. The center is actively recruiting nonprofits seeking to expand their impact by becoming part of the synergistic space.
"I believe transformation begins with compassion and seeing the value of each person we serve, and then inviting them into the process that can change their life," says Jellinek."
As Jellinek looks toward the future, hope and self-sufficiency are at the core of her dreams for the kind of impact the center will have on the community. An unexpected illness or accident doesn’t have to spell disaster for residents of Bonner and Boundary counties living on the edge of poverty. With compassionate support and easy access to resources, the EnVision Center offers those in crisis immediate support and long-term hope. By meeting needs before they intensify, the EnVision Center aims to break the generational cycle of poverty, empowering people toward self-sufficiency that transcends every kind of barrier.
