First Interstate Bank surprises Newby-ginnings with $25,000 grant

A surprise $25,000 grant from First Interstate Bank landed Tuesday afternoon at Newby-ginnings of North Idaho just as the Post Falls nonprofit is trying to keep pace with more veterans and military families asking for help. Executive Director Theresa Hart stepped outside her office at 570 S. Clearwater Loop, Unit A, and found an oversized check, balloons and bank employees waiting for her.

The money arrives at a critical moment. Newby-ginnings is preparing to move into a new Post Falls building about twice the size of its current space, a change Hart says should let the organization do more than store donated items and hand out referrals. The larger site is expected to make room for partner organizations, more on-site services and a setup closer to a community center.

That expansion reflects the level of need already flowing through the nonprofit. Newby-ginnings says it has served more than 7,600 active servicemen and women and Gold Star families in 10 years, averages about 150 visitors on the days it is open and enrolls at least 10 new veterans a week. It provides resources, referrals and essential personal and household items at no cost, with no income-eligibility requirement and no proof-of-need requirement.

The organization has been at its current Post Falls site since 2016. In January 2025, it launched a $10 million capital campaign to find a larger location, and later reporting said it was working to raise $7.5 million to buy a building and expand veteran services. The bank gift helps bridge that transition, giving the nonprofit more room to absorb growing demand while it works toward a permanent move.

First Interstate said the donation was part of its Believe in Local campaign, which awarded $1 million in total grants to 40 nonprofit organizations across its footprint, with each recipient getting $25,000. Employee nominations helped identify the organizations selected for the program.

For Newby-ginnings, the grant is both immediate support and a signal that the community sees value in what it does for veterans, active-duty service members and Gold Star families in North Idaho. In a county where the nonprofit is already seeing 10 new veterans a week, the extra space may prove as important as the check itself.