Panhandle Special Needs - PSNI

10/10/2026

Another sweet feature from our friends at 9B.News. Pull out your tissues folks!

Sad to see our friend leave, but we know this is what’s best for Jeremiah and his family. We’re going to soak up every minute we have left with him!

After more than a decade at Panhandle Special Needs, Inc., Jeremiah Morgan is preparing to leave Idaho. Before he goes, his mother, Colleen Bowles, reflects on the people and place that changed their lives.

“PSNI was the final piece necessary to create a calm, safe life.”

For Colleen Bowles, those words describe what happened when her son, Jeremiah “Jer” Morgan, finally found a place where he could learn, build relationships, and spend his days among people who understood him.

Before PSNI, Jeremiah attended another center that wasn’t the right fit for him and his family. They knew what they were looking for, but finding it took patience. Jeremiah spent two years on PSNI’s waiting list. When the call finally came, Colleen remembers it as a day of “victory” for them both.

Jeremiah began attending Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. (PSNI) in February 2012. More than 14 years later, his last day will be October 30. He and Colleen are preparing to leave Bonners Ferry and move to Washington to be closer to Jeremiah’s sister, who is now his guardian.

It’s a new chapter for the two longtime Boundary County residents. But before they go, Colleen has a few things she wants people to know about the place that became a large part of their everyday lives. Read more about Jeremiah at https://9b.news/2026/10/09/jeremiah-and-colleen-a-place-that-became-family-one-boundary-county-familys-story/

10/09/2026

Our first feature in Boundary County, and we’re just getting started!

A HUGE thank you to our new friends at 9B.News for helping us turn paper into paychecks, and our work into a story worth telling. Their feature spotlights our shredding program and the meaningful work happening behind every bin of paper.

Our participants are learning real job skills, taking on real responsibilities, and earning real paychecks, and we’re proud to share our story with more of our Boundary County neighbors!

Boundary County, we’d love to take some paperwork off your hands. Our shredding crew is ready to work!

Do you have sensitive papers for your home or business that need to be shredded? Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. can help! Not only will they come right to your door and bring you a bin, they help to employee special needs adults across the Idaho Panhandle.

For Panhandle Special Needs, document shredding protects confidential information while giving people a chance to learn, earn a paycheck, and build independence.

Everybody has paperwork they'd rather see disappear; old bank statements, outdated files, documents containing information that shouldn't end up in the recycling bin. At Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. (PSNI), making that paper disappear creates an opportunity for something else to take shape: meaningful work.

Founded in Sandpoint in 1975, PSNI serves more than 200 participants annually through programs including Life Skills, Adult Day Health, employment services, and homeless services for people with disabilities starting at the age of 18. They can even help with the transition from high school into the adult world.

That work that Panhandle Special Needs does extends into Boundary County, too. Approximately 20 participants come from Bonners Ferry and the surrounding area utilize the shredding service at Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. PSNI is the only developmental disability agency between the two counties, giving local individuals and families access to services closer to home. Read more at https://9b.news/2026/10/09/shredding-with-psni/

Photo by 9B.News - PSNI shredding (L to R - Christie H., Natasha F., Ethan N., Bradley S. and Jasmine V.)

10/03/2026

Last night, PSNI joined the Love in Action Idaho dinner—not because we’re all doing the same work, but because sometimes the people we serve cross paths, and the work of one organization can make a difference in the life of someone connected to another.

Mostly, we were there to say **thank you**

Thank you to the people at Love in Action who keep showing up, doing the hard work, and giving so much of themselves to make Sandpoint a stronger, more caring community.

Different organizations. Different missions. Same community. And a whole lot of people worth showing up for.

10/01/2026

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! 💙

For many of the individuals we serve, employment is about so much more than a paycheck. It’s about building confidence, learning new skills, forming friendships, finding purpose, and participating in the life of our community.

Through programs like our Student to Work Transition, center-based work training, social enterprises, and community-based employment services, PSNI helps people with disabilities discover what they can do and show the world what they have to offer.

That work happens in a lot of different places—from The Cottage and our Greenhouse to Farragut State Park, ACE Cardboard Recycling Services, and local businesses throughout our community. Wherever the work happens, the goal is the same: creating opportunities for people to build skills, gain experience, contribute, and find their place in the workforce.

This month, we celebrate the talents, dedication, and accomplishments of workers with disabilities—not just in October, but every day.

Thank you to the employers, community partners, families, and supporters who help create opportunities where everyone has a chance to shine. 💙

09/30/2026

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…..

But something is happening in the greenhouse!

We’re busy behind the scenes getting everything ready for our annual Christmas Market, coming November 30–December 20.

Follow along for hours, details, and a few surprises. More to come soon. 🎄

09/25/2026

We couldn't do what we do without the support of our community! Thanks so much SPOT BUS for everything you do for our participants!

Every rider has somewhere to go.
Every ride has a reason. ❤️

SPOT helps connect our community to the people, places, and moments that matter.

09/25/2026

A big thank you to our friends at Sandpoint Living for shining a little extra light on Panhandle Special Needs, Inc. and the people who make PSNI what it is!

We’re grateful for the opportunity to share more about our work, the people we support, and the connections that make this place so special, and we always appreciate the opportunity to share our story with our community.

If you haven’t picked up the Fall 2026 edition yet, be sure to grab a copy and check out our spread on page 20! And while you’re at it, take a look at everything else Sandpoint Living has to offer. It’s a great way to stay in the loop with local events, businesses, organizations, and the people and happenings that make our area such a great place to live.

Thank you, Sandpoint Living, for taking the time to tell our story and for continuing to highlight the people and organizations that help make our community what it is.

09/14/2026

We made the trip down from Sandpoint to participate in the YPN Kickin’ It Forward Charity Kickball Tournament, and we were thrilled to be part of such a great event supporting Specialized Needs Recreation.

We showed up ready to play, have some fun, and most importantly, support a great cause. It was a fantastic day filled with teamwork, community, and plenty of laughs!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the event possible and to everyone who came out to support this wonderful organization. We’re proud to have been a part of it! ❤️

08/16/2026

Being part of a community means more than just being in it. It means showing up, supporting the people doing good work, and finding ways to give back whenever we can.

While several of our participants volunteer with SASi each week delivering Meals on Wheels to local seniors, today, PSNI staff were happy to show up and support the Sandpoint Area Seniors (SASi) Uncorked W**e Tasting Fundraiser.

Different people. Different organizations. Different ways of giving back to the same community we are all so proud to be a part of.

Cheers to a fantastic event, friends.

And thank you for giving us an excellent excuse to support our community with a glass of w**e in hand. 🍷

08/06/2026

"It's not just charity for the sake of giving them money or solving a problem. It's about figuring out what would give them a really good life where there was peace and safety." — Trinity Nicholson, Panhandle Special Needs - PSNI

Hidden homelessness in Bonner County looks different than what you see in bigger cities — and that's exactly what makes it so easy to overlook in a community like ours. Trinity Nicholson of PSNI, Rebecca Little of Bridge Haven., and Todd Lewis of Helping Hands Healing Hearts joined Birdie for one of our most powerful conversations yet. This one will stay with you. 🎙️

Find episode 6 of A Little Birdie Told Me podcast on Spotify and YouTube. 🏠💖