By Mail:
Viriditas Center for Engaged Spirituality
1770 W. State St., #102
Boise, Idaho 83702
By Phone:
208.441.8702
By Email:
admin@viriditasspiritualcenter.org
Educational & Service Opportunities
A schedule of classes, study groups and service opportunities will be listed through posts and sent to our email list.
Spiritual Direction & Integral Life Mentoring
Spiritual Direction is also referred to as Spiritual Companioning, Soul Friending, Spiritual Guidance, and Spiritual Mentoring. Essentially, spiritual direction is holding the space for another to come into deeper relationship with the Divine (God, Great Spirit, the Ultimate Reality), and to manifest that deepening in their lives.
Our approach is interspiritual* and we have years of collective experience in Christianity, Buddhism, Metaphysics, and Earth-based Traditions. We specialize in working with individuals who are called to the path of compassionate service and those who are in social service or healing professions. We also provide this service pro-bono to those who are living on the street, in shelters, or transitioning out of homelessness.
Email to schedule a complimentary initial session. Sessions are usually scheduled monthly either in person or by phone and last one hour. Cost: $50.
* Interspirituality is the deep unity of wisdom that exists at the core of the world’s spiritual traditions.
NextStep Fund
Charitable Giving Program for individuals who are homeless or transitioning out of homelessness. Gifts are often small and are for expenses such as bus tickets, identification cards, phone cards, post office box, cleaning supplies, emergency prescriptions, household furnishings, special projects, etc. Our giving is currently limited to individuals who are living in the Boise, Idaho area.
Jayne Sorrels, Director
I’ve been on an intentional spiritual journey all of my life. This journey led me to several ‘wells’: Christianity, Earth-Centered Traditions, Metaphysics, Sufism, Hinduism, Contemplative Spirituality, Mysticism, Buddhism and Vedantism. What I discovered is that my heart is most aligned to the river of eternal truth that flows beneath these wells. The best term I’ve found for this is ‘interspiritual’; the space between traditions or the spiritual common ground.
I am called in two directions and the running question for me is how to effectively integrate both. One is about being the presence of love and compassion in the world -embodying this as fully as I can. This is about personal transformation. The other is about outer transformation and how best to respond from compassion to the suffering of the world. Beacons of light for me on this path are Mother Antonia (the Prison Angel); Dorothy Day (co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement), and Catherine de hueck Doherty.
I was a founding board member and now the Shelter Director for an interfaith homeless shelter in Boise, Idaho. Working at the shelter has been a great practice ground for learning how to lean into and open my heart wide to pain and suffering - not shielding - not running. I think it was Pema Chodron who used the phrase ‘training in the fire’ - in talking about the path of the warrior-bodhisattva. That would be an apt description.
I am a buddhist practitioner who is deeply interspiritual and am actively engaged in an integral life practice.
Current Work:
- Interfaith homeless shelter director
- Spiritual Direction & Integral Life Mentoring - for people who are incarcerated, homeless or otherwise in need as well as those who are living lives of service.
- Boise Catholic Worker
Roshelle Pederson, Co-Director
Roshelle Pederson is a life time student of Spirit. Embracing a real world approach to service and spritual development, she offers insights and guidance that works in today’s world. Her years of shamanic study and service experience come together to assist men and women to heal the stories of their life and expand in to their true potential as spiritual beings. Her training in education, communication, facilitation and leadership provide a solid foundation for her role as mentor and life coach.
If you are in the Boise area and are homeless and need assistance, please feel free to contact us by phone at 208.441.8702. This is a voice mail number so feel free to leave messages at any time. We are notified immediately when messages arrive and will do our best to return your call promptly. We are also great at e-mail, so feel free to e-mail us at admin@viriditasspiritualcenter.org. This is often the best way to communicate especially if you don’t have a personal phone or voice mail.
Boise Area Homeless Services and Resources:
Note: This list is growing endeavor and is not comprehensive. If you know of a key resource that’s missing or information that is incorrect, please e-mail us and we’ll add it to the list!
Overnight Shelters
Interfaith Sanctuary Housing Services, Inc.
Overnight Shelter and supportive services for men, women, and families. Shelter is behaviorally-based and will accept individuals who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Open on a year-round basis. Individuals and families seeking shelter do not need to call in advance, but can show up at 9:00 pm (Spring/Summer Hours). Hours: 9 pm - 7 am (check-in by 10:00 pm), 7 days per week. Located at 1620 W. River Street. 208.343.2630
Contact: info@interfaithsanctuary.org
River of Life men’s shelter & City Light Home for women and children in Boise and Lighthouse Rescue Mission in Nampa. Each facility provides: Three meals daily, Nightly shelter, Food boxes, Clothing, Job search assistance, A year-long New Life Recovery/Discipleship Program and Employment Re-Entry Program, Community events (holiday banquets, Christmas toys, back-to-school supplies and winter coats). Visibly intoxicated individuals will not be admitted & curfew exists.
Contact: River of Life - 208. 389.9840 , 575 S 13th (by River St); City Light - 208.368.9901, 1404 W Jefferson; Lighthouse Rescue Mission - 208.461.5030, 72 Nampa/Caldwell Blvd in Nampa.
Open to single women & single men with children, intact married families & children of any age. Clients must leave M-F from 8-4. May stay up to 90 days. Breakfast, sack lunch & dinner provided free 7 days a week. Call for phone interview. Possible waiting list.
Contact: 208.343.5429, 4308 W State Street (administration offices)
Day Shelter
Offering hospitality, friendship, and dignity for all guests. Services include: Men & womens shower facilities, laundry facilities, clothing, mail distribution, message delivery, local telephone access, computer center for correspondence and learning, hot and cold non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, storage of backpack during day, limited amount of guest storage in locked units. Open 6 days per week (closed Sundays except for morning church services) from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Contact: 208.426.0045, 525 Americana Blvd.
Housing Assistance
Project CATCH (Charitable Assistance To Community’s Homeless) is managed by the City of Boise and enlists congregations and members of the faith community to provide housing for homeless families and youth. Application process and possible waiting list.
Contact: Greg Morris at 384.4158 or gmorris@cityofboise.org or Jan Rinker at 384.4158 x120 or jrinker@cityofboise.org.
Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority
Administers several federally-based housing programs and manages multiple properties owned by their agency. Application process and waiting list (approximately 9 - 12 months). Site lists current available rentals that have been referred by landlords.
Contact: 208.345.4907, 1276 W River St., Suite 300
Boise City Housing & Community Development
Manage below market value studios, 1 & 2 bedrooms units, and several larger units.
Contact: 208.384.4158 X100,1025 S Capital Blvd.
Assists new homeowners with low-rate loans, income based, potential help with down payments & closing costs. List of affordable housing (which offers fixed belowmarket rents), & subsidized housing (where sliding scale rents are tied to tenant income) in Ada County.
Contact: 208.331.4877, 565 W Myrtle St.
Jesse Tree of Idaho
Emergency rent assistance. Must have paid rent for previous 3 months, must have eviction notice, must participate in case management, have proof of income & be an Ada County resident.
Contact: 208.383.9486, 1025 S Capital Blvd.
S.H.I.P. - Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships
SHIP transforms the lives of people in recovery by providing supportive, sustainable and sober housing, recovery support and treatment services, peer involvement and employment opportunities in green building practices. Through innovative and inclusive partnerships SHIP helps those in recovery to develop skills, find jobs and rebuild lives. SHIP manages clean and sober houses for individuals in recovery. To be considered for SHIP Affiliated Housing, an applicant must have a minimum of 30 days of sobriety or have completed a detoxification program.
Contact: 208. 331.0900, 1405 W. Grove or admin@shipinc.org
Dorothy Day Place & Thomas Merton House
The two Boise Catholic Worker houses of hospitality are Dorothy Day Place for women and Thomas Merton House for men. Both have been in existence since March 2005 and provide transitional housing to chronically homeless individuals. Their main focus has been to provide safe hospitable housing for those who are mentally ill and/or suffering from addictions and seeking treatment. Waiting list.
Contact: Ellen Piper at 208.891.6372 or 208.345.8584 or ellen@boisecatholicworker.org.
Community Meals
- City Light for Women & Children - 368-9901
Lunch at 11:45am M-F, dinners at 5 for women & children only. 1404 W Jefferson
- River of Life (Boise Rescue Mission) - 343-2491
Serve breakfast, lunch & dinner for men, women & children daily. This is a community kitchen and is open to all. 575 S. 13th St. (corner of 13th and River St.)
- St. Michael’s Cathedral Church - 342-5601
Limited sack lunches available. 518 N 8th M-F 9-3. Summers M-Th 9-1
- Sunday BBQ at Julia Davis Park
Vineyard Christian Church - 377-1477
Serves food from 2 to 4pm. Best to arrive by 3:00. Rain or shine. Located in back of the zoo.
- Every Sunday First United Methodist Church
717 N 11th (Enter on Franklin Street), 5 pm (best to arrive by 5:15)
- 1st Thursday of month First Presbyterian Church
950 W State, 6 pm
- 1st Friday of month All Saints Episcopal Church
704 S Latah, 6 pm
- 2nd Thursday of month St. John’s Catholic Church
Currently serving at St. Paul Baptist Church, 607 N 13th (Bannock & 14th), 6 pm
- 2nd Friday of month Sacred Heart Church
811 S Latah, 6 pm
- 3rd Thursday of month First Presbyterian Church
950 W State, 5:30 – 7:15 pm
- 3rd Thursday of month First United Methodist Church
717 N 11th (Enter on Franklin Street ), 6 pm
- 3rd Friday of month Whitney United Methodist Church
3315 Overland by Owyhee, 6-8 pm
Sack lunches from 11-1pm on Saturdays
- 4th Thursday of month Wright Community Church
4821 W Franklin, 6:30 pm
- Last Thursday of month Friendship Feast, First Presbyterian Church
950 W State, 6 pm
Note: This is the LAST Thursday of the month. Sometimes this falls on the 5th Thursday.
For other resources, please see the Self-Rescue Manual.
