Pocatello homeless shelter hosting fundraiser event during summer lull in donations
Sam Ross
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI)– Aid for Friends is hosting their 13th annual ‘Splish and Splash’ fundraiser event in August to raise money for their shelter and support services during summer, a traditionally slow time for donations.
The Splish and Splash fundraiser will take place at the Ross Park Aquatic Complex, and event tickets include admission to the pool and water slides, dinner, and entry into raffles with prizes donated by local businesses.
Aid for Friends leaders and event organizers said the event is necessary to keep their shelter operational through the summer, when donations are more scarce than during the winter and holiday seasons.
“The Splish and Splash comes dead in the middle of summer, it’s about six months after Christmas when, historically, our donations are low–not just for us, but for every charity around the world,” said Jessica Buckley, grant and program administrator for Aid for Friends. “Splish and Splash was one of our ways sort of helping to pull up out of that slump and start to get a little bit more funding midway through the year.”
Buckley said they have a goal to raise $15,000 during this year’s Splish and Splash fundraiser, a record amount to support a record number of homeless people the shelter expects to come through their doors this year.
According to Buckley, Aid for Friends is looking at a 10-15% rise in people seeking temporary housing at their shelter; due, Buckley said, to economic hardships forcing more people out of their homes this year.
Aid for Friends shelter manager Tami Moore said fundraising efforts are vital in garnering community support and securing the money they need to continue offering their temporary housing and relocation services.
“A lot of the people that come to the homeless shelter are people from our community that have some kind of hardship or something happened in their lives where they needed to utilize us,” said Moore. “As long as our doors are open, we are that helping hand… this is a community thing and we need community support.”
The Splish and Splash fundraiser will be Saturday, August 2. Aid for Friends is looking for volunteers to help with the event, as well as donations of swim suits for their shelter guests to participate in the fun.
For more information, you can visit the Aid for Friends website.