Crisis Center receives $1,337 donation

Alex Litz of Coeur d’Alene turned his Ironman 70.3 training into a fundraising effort for the Northern Idaho Crisis Center.

Litz raised $1,337 to benefit the Crisis Center, saying it is a community service close to his heart.

“As I read more about the Crisis Center and the services it provides to our community, it really resonated with me,” he said. “My mother committed suicide and I find there is still a stigma around mental health, even a hesitancy to get people help. The Crisis Center is a solution to that.”

The Northern Idaho Crisis Center is a non-profit community organization, created to help people who are having a mental health crisis or a drug or alcohol problem. The Crisis Center is a joint project between Panhandle Health District, Kootenai Health, and Heritage Health. Staff members care for those that come to the center and help facilitate outside resources before each person leaves. The center is free, safe, private, and voluntary.

“It’s people like Alex that make our community so special,” said Claudia Miewald, director of Kootenai Health’s Behavioral Health Services. Alex's efforts help to decrease the stigma around mental illness and create an awareness that it is ok to reach out for help." 

If you or someone you know would benefit from the Northern Idaho Crisis Center, call (208) 625-4884, to learn more, visit nicrisiscenter.org.