POST FALLS, Idaho — North Idaho Arms hosted a ‘Coffee with Your Sheriff’ event on Tuesday, November 19 where Kaffee Meister and La Tea Da teamed up to provide coffee and pastries to attendees. The event doubled as a food drive for 3rd Avenue Marketplace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves families in need from Post Falls, Rathdrum, and Hauser — the goal was 5,000 pounds of food, just in time for Thanksgiving celebrations.
“Every penny is community funded,” shared Director Leslie Orth who converted Post Falls Food Bank into a marketplace for struggling families. “We have never taken government funds.” Orth said at least 50 percent of those currently being served are young families and each one receives peer counseling and connection with other local services.
3rd Avenue Marketplace has been operating for 40 years and has an on-site case worker who assists families to establish income verification and identify other areas of need and what community resources might be available to those families. Programs provided by the marketplace include:
- Weekly shopping.
- Nutrition and financial literacy classes.
- Food share (providing food to over 30 other local nonprofits).
- Weekend food packs for Post Falls School District children.
- Local farmer support.
- Senior lunches twice a week.
- Senior activities: cribbage, bingo, and ping pong.
- Monthly food boxes for seniors.
Brian Zielinski, owner of North Idaho Arms which opened at the beginning of 2024 in Post Falls, is one of many Americans from eastern Washington who have flooded into North Idaho to escape the repressive regulatory and left-leaning policies of the Democrat-controlled Evergreen State.
Zielinski said it was important that his family-owned business contribute to the community instead of being ‘a parasite’ like so many of the big corporate stores. North Idaho Arms raffled off a pistol and anyone who donated food during the event received a raffle ticket.
Sheriff Robert “Bob” Norris and members of his command staff interacted with community members and therapy dog Rocket received plenty of attention. Rocket’s handler Chaplain John McSwain is the director of the Sheriff’s Chaplain Program, providing guidance and support for deputies and staff as well as holding weekly church services for inmates. Lt. Jeff Howard, Lt. Christopher Wagar, Lt. Scott Maxwell, Capt. Kevin Smart, Dep. Andrew Mohawk, and Undersheriff Brett Nelson were available for conversation and to answer questions.
The next community event with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is the Toys for Tots donation drive on December 7 at Cascadia Pizza Co. in Coeur d’Alene.
