Community partners celebrated by St. Luke’s for improving health across southern Idaho

At St. Luke’s, the mission is “to improve the health of people in the communities we serve.” That means more than just outstanding care inside clinical spaces.

St. Luke’s recently hosted nonprofit leaders and community partners from across southern Idaho for its annual Community Impact Celebration, recognizing organizations that are improving health and well-being in their communities throughout the Treasure Valley, Wood River Valley, plus Adams, Elmore and Valley counties.

The event celebrates recipients of St. Luke’s Community Health Improvement Fund, which supports nonprofit organizations addressing a wide range of community needs, from access to health care and behavioral health services to youth development, family support and basic needs.

“Community partners are essential to improving health beyond the walls of our hospitals,” said Theresa McLeod, St. Luke’s administrator of community health and engagement. “Together, we are addressing the unique needs of our communities and creating healthy impacts for the people we serve.”

In addition to celebrating community impact, attendees also participated in a learning session led by Kevin Bailey with the Nonprofit Center for the Idaho Community Foundation focused on community advocacy and elevating a nonprofit’s voice and impact.

Five community organizations shared stories about the impact their programs are having in their communities. Speakers included Nancee Baaken of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho in Boise, Aleshea Boals of Camp Hope Idaho in Nampa, Nicole Cruser of West Elementary School in Mountain Home, Sonya Wilander of Men’s Second Chance Living in Hailey and Mayor Julie Good of New Meadows Youth Center.

Their stories reflected the many ways community partners are addressing health and well-being, including supporting children and families during medical crises and expanding access to childcare, to helping individuals overcome adversity and build brighter futures.

Supporting families through challenging medical journeys

For nearly four decades, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho has helped ease the burden on families with ill or injured children receiving medical care away from home.

What began in 1988 as a four-room facility has grown into a 48-room house near St. Luke’s Boise and a family room in Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center serving families from across Idaho and beyond. Today, the organization provides lodging, meals, day-use services and other resources designed to help families focus on their child’s care rather than the financial and logistical challenges that often accompany a medical crisis.

In 2025 alone, Ronald McDonald House served nearly 2,500 families through the house and family room, provided more than 9,300 nights of lodging and served more than 4,700 individuals through the day-use program.

“Our goal is to remove barriers and reduce burdens so families can focus on what matters most, which is the health and wellbeing of their child,” said Baaken, executive director.

Baaken highlighted the organization’s longstanding partnership with St. Luke’s, which helps connect families to needed resources and support when they need it most. “The generous funding we receive through the CHIF program fuels our growth and ensures every family that walks through our doors is feeling welcomed and supported,” she said.

Helping men rebuild their lives and restore hope

In the Wood River Valley, Men’s Second Chance Living is providing men in recovery from substance use disorders with the support they need to rebuild their lives and create lasting change for their future.

Since opening its first sober living home in 2018, the organization has expanded to four homes serving men in the Wood River Valley through a combination of recovery housing, behavioral health support, education assistance, financial literacy programming and employment resources.

“Most of the men who come through our doors have lost everything to their drug or alcohol addiction. They’ve lost their homes, their families, their finances, their jobs, their confidence,” said Wilander, founder and executive director. “We’re trying to give them their hope back and a second chance in their lives.”

“Recovery requires more than just helping someone stop using drugs,” she said. “It’s learning how to manage stress, repair relationships, build healthy routines, discover purpose and make the changes possible and have hope in themselves.”

Wilander emphasized the importance of community partnerships in this work, including support from St. Luke’s, in helping residents access critical health and behavioral health resources that support long-term recovery.

Among the services at Men’s Second Chance Living, residents receive preventative and restorative dental care. Part of the CHIF funding helped provide 15 medical and dental appointments for residents. One resident said: “Having new teeth has helped me gain the confidence and self-esteem to socialize and get better employment.”

The organization recently celebrated several resident milestones, including individuals who completed college degrees and professional certifications while participating in the program, helping pave the way toward stable employment, stronger families and healthier futures.