The CdA Backpack Program, part of the national Feeding America initiative, launched in November 2010 to address child hunger in Coeur d’Alene. Starting with just 16 students at Lakes Middle School, it now provides food kits to more than 550 students across 15 schools within the Coeur d’Alene School District each week — a number that continues to grow as community needs increase.
With a family legacy deeply rooted in the culinary scene, husband-and-wife David and Inez Hall, along with their son Derek, are carrying on the tradition of providing incredible food paired with impeccable service through their family owned and operated restaurant, Rokkos Teriyaki & BBQ, in downtown Coeur d’Alene.
“I was extremely blessed to grow up in a good home with parents who loved and mentored me,” Carla Hofstee reflects. “At a young age, I remember listening to my parents’ dream of owning a dairy and starting their own business. I watched them over the years take a dream and turn it into a successful business with hard work and discipline. I learned early in life that it was possible to reach for dreams and achieve them.”
At age 20, Carla visited an orphanage in the Bahama Islands, a life-altering experience that opened her heart to children without families. “I will never forget the sad looks in their eyes and the toddlers who had their arms stretched up wanting me to pick them up to hold them,” she recalls. “Dozens of babies lay in cribs crying because the orphanage was understaffed and couldn’t attend to all of their needs.”
This heartbreaking visit fueled a new dream for Carla — to provide a home and family for children in need. She prayed daily, asking God to bring the right person into her life and to provide a home and the resources to support a large family. Her prayers were answered just months later when she met Jim Hofstee on a blind date.
As their relationship blossomed, Carla shared her desire to one day adopt. Jim, who had hoped to have a large family, was open to the idea. After marrying, they had four biological children — two girls and twin boys and — and when their twins were 4, they started the adoption process. Over the next six years, Carla and Jim adopted eight children, including two additional sets of twins.
With their expanding family, the Hofstees moved into a larger home, and Carla took on the challenge of organizing a household of this size. “In an average month, when all of the children were home, I washed 170 to 180 tubs of laundry, matched 420 pairs of socks, made 240 school lunches, averaged 60 to 70 hours of homework and managed a 5,000-square-foot home without hired help,” Carla explains. “I learned to prepare several meals in advance and had a schedule that allowed me to have my house in order by 8am.”
Friends and neighbors often came to Carla for advice on managing their own homes, seeking her guidance on reducing stress and creating order. She shared her personal schedules, checklists and meal-planning ideas, and eventually, the demand grew. “With more and more women coming to me for information, I came up with the idea to teach a class so I could help several people at one time. To my surprise, 250 women attended my first class!” Carla exclaims. From that point on, she was regularly invited to speak at churches, parenting groups, foster care agencies and more.
As the classes grew, so did the challenge of providing materials for each attendee. With encouragement from others, Carla gathered her instructional handouts and transformed them into a book, Organization with Ease, which she self-published in 1996. Available on Amazon, Carla shares from her personal experience, how to manage a large home with ease. She has created declutter questionnaires for specific rooms throughout a house to help readers start decluttering their homes immediately after reading her book. Organization tips, sample schedules for mom and children, menu planning, pull-out charts and check lists are all included in her book.
“I hope my information will help women bring order to their homes, relieve stress, help them manage their family more efficiently and help them find more time in their day to accomplish everything they want to do,” Carla says with a smile.
Reflecting on her journey, Carla finds fulfillment in empowering others: “I love helping people with information that will help them be a better wife, mom, and help them manage their homes with less stress. I enjoy teaching them time management tips that will help them find the time to reach and accomplish their dreams.”
With her 12 children now grown, she is a proud grandmother of 18. Enjoying life with her husband in beautiful Post Falls, Idaho, Carla continues to help families through Organization with Ease classes on occasion, as well as through her additional ventures: Dutch Baked (Facebook.com), where she sells homemade pastries and breads and teaches children’s baking classes; and My Girls Hats, featuring her beautiful crochet items such as hats, animal rugs, backpacks, ponchos, stuffed toys, boot warmers and so much more, which she sells online (MyGirlsHats.etsy.com) as well as at local craft shows. She also teaches crochet skills through adult and children’s classes.
Carla plans to offer a series of classes early next spring, teaching women how to declutter and organize their entire home. Contact Carla if you are interested in attending a class.
Carla Hofstee
Author of Organization with Ease
getmeorganized@yahoo.com
OrganizationwithEase.com
Summit Funding Inc. is hosting a fundraiser for Lake City Center Home Delivered Meals (HDM) program to assist local seniors this holiday season. On Friday, November 15, join them at River City Lanes (965 West Seltice Way) in Post Falls for a night of strikes and turkeys as they roll through November with prizes, raffles, bowling competitions, fun and more! The fun kicks off at 5:30pm, with bowling from 6 to 8pm. The cost is $15 per person, and all proceeds will go to the HDM program. Be sure to RSVP by November 3. Call 208.667.4628 or email director@lakecitycenter.org. For more information about Lake City Center Home Delivered Meals program, visit LakeCityCenter.org.
CDA ACT, Inc. (Celebrating Different Abilities through Art and Community Theatre), formerly Out of the Shadows Theater, is unlike any other theatre organization in North Idaho.
“CDA ACT is unique in that it is one of about a dozen disability theatres in the U.S.,” says Janet Waterdown, board vice president for the nonprofit organization. “Each of our actors have some type of disability, be it physical and/or developmental. We are able to highlight the talents of our special needs community where they would not otherwise get the opportunity to perform.”
“It’s our responsibility to maintain healthy land environments for generations to come,” Patrick Shepler explains.
Born and raised in North Idaho, Patrick spent his youth and adult life exploring the endless forest roads, rivers and lakes. “Camping, logging, clearing ATV trails and anything involving a chainsaw is what gets my blood moving,” he emphasizes. “My heart and soul has always been in the woods.”
Mike and Charity Wixom began their journey in the food industry with a humble hot dog cart and stand, which they ran for eight years. Their shared passion for food and connecting with people led them to open Pepe Caldo Pizzeria in 2009, where they swapped hot dogs for handcrafted, gourmet pizzas. Now, as November 2024 approaches, they’re celebrating 15 years of serving the community.
Dave Pulis, owner of The Moose Lounge in downtown Coeur d’Alene, has opened a second location! The original Moose Lounge, a local favorite for over a decade known for its great drinks and live entertainment, now has a new sister location: The Moose Lounge North.
The Culinary Stone: Where Coeur d’Alene comes to sip, shop and savor
In the heart of Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone lies a true culinary gem offering one-of-a-kind experiences — The Culinary Stone. Spanning over 5,500 square feet, The Culinary Stone welcomes neighbors, friends, and visitors into its beautifully inviting space. Here, guests can shop a wide variety of lifestyle products, from pots and pans, kitchen tools and small appliances to cutlery, tableware, linens, home décor and gourmet foods.
St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho’s biggest annual fundraiser, SOUPort the End of Homelessness, took over the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Thursday, October 3, with an impressive show of community spirit.
My name is Jillian, and I have been an editor and writer here in Coeur d’Alene since 2006, during which time I’ve had the opportunity to work for nine publications across North Idaho, into Spokane and as far as Gig Harbor, Washington. I am grateful to have the opportunity to now focus all my attention, energy and passion on my local community, finding and sharing heartfelt stories, spotlighting the incredible people, showcasing local businesses, organizations and nonprofits, and of course highlighting the many wonderful events our area has to offer.