Interfaith Sanctuary opened our doors 20 years ago. They’re still open | Opinion

It was 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, 2005, when my phone rang. The temperature outside was near zero. Jane Post was on the line with an urgent request: “Do you have a key to the church? There are people trying to get in. Can you go open it and put on the coffee?”

That call made me, in some ways, maybe the first volunteer for what would become Interfaith Sanctuary. Though really, I was just the guy with the key who let people in.

For months, a remarkable interfaith coalition had been planning to open Boise’s newest homeless shelter at First Congregational United Church of Christ. This was during Advent, the busiest season for most churches, yet First Congregational’s commitment to social justice never wavered.

When I arrived at the church that frigid afternoon, a couple stood shivering at the door. The woman had just undergone brain surgery and desperately needed warmth. I unlocked the door, a simple act that would mark the beginning of something extraordinary.

The next person through the door introduced himself, announcing he was head of security and would patrol the church perimeter. I told him that was fine and to come in for coffee whenever he needed it. Minutes later, a Boise Fire Department inspector arrived, finding several code violations but understanding our critical mission. “Fix these as soon as possible,” he said, “and you can stay open.”

By 8 p.m., we were at full speed with 45 guests, men in the Fellowship Hall, women and families in the cozy Fireside Room. The planning and coordination I witnessed was astounding. The LDS churches had provided sleeping mats, pillows and quilts. The Hare Krishnas brought nourishing vegetarian meals. We probably had the healthiest shelter food in the nation. Christian Scientists provided fruit. Catholic churches offered leadership, staff and financing. The Jewish Temple and Unitarian Universalists were deeply involved.

It was the most amazing religious collaboration I’d seen in my 80 years.

I continued volunteering for years as Interfaith moved from the Carnegie Library building (courtesy of the Episcopal Diocese) to the Presbyterian Church, then to semi-permanent facilities, and finally to its current location. I’ve done everything from feeding paralyzed guests to providing medical assistance with my Navy Hospital Corpsman training, to de-escalating conflicts. Mostly, though, I stayed near the front door, helping wherever needed.

What strikes me most is that Interfaith Sanctuary has never closed, not for a single day or night, since that freezing December afternoon. Through economic downturns, pandemics, and countless challenges, the doors have remained open.

Now, as Interfaith prepares to move into its new 42,500-square-foot facility this January, I reflect on how far we’ve come. From 45 guests in a church fellowship hall to a comprehensive shelter serving nearly 1,000 people annually. From borrowed sleeping mats to private family suites, medical care units, job training programs, and childhood education.

I take no credit for Interfaith’s success. I was simply there to turn a key when needed. The real heroes are the interfaith leaders who envisioned this sanctuary, the countless volunteers who’ve served meals and provided comfort, the staff who’ve dedicated their careers to this mission, and most importantly, the guests who’ve shown us what resilience truly means.

Being part of Interfaith Sanctuary’s founding remains one of the greatest honors of my life. Not because I did anything special, but because I witnessed what happens when a community decides that everyone deserves shelter, dignity, and hope — and then actually does something about it.

Steven F. Scanlin, MSW, JD, was among the first volunteers when Interfaith Sanctuary opened in 2005. A Navy Hospital Corpsman veteran and retired attorney, he continues to support the organization’s mission.