Friends of the Restorium, founded in 2004, strive to benefit the residents of the Boundary County Community Restorium by providing resources that will enhance the quality of their lives.

The purpose of Friends of the Restorium shall be to attract financial support and to provide resources for the Boundary County Restorium, an assisted living facility, and to promote public education and awareness of that facility.

There are currently almost 500 members of Friends of the Restorium, and the 2013 membership drive is underway for new and renewed memberships. This year's goal is 500 new members. Dues are $5 per member, and everyone is welcome to attend meetings at noon on the third Thursday of each month at the Chic N'Chop Restaurant in Bonners Ferry. To become a new member or to renew a membership, send your annual dues to Friends of the Restorium, Inc., PO Box 1362, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.

Each year, Friends of the Restorium sponsor an annual barbecue, this from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 30. The Friends of the Restorium buy the meats and supplies, ladies from many churches in the community provide salads, and ladies of the Church of God in Christ Mennonite furnish all the pies. Hamburgers and hotdogs are grilled to perfection, local musical groups provide continuous entertainment. Residents of the Restorium participate, as do people from throughout the community, and everyone is welcome! Basket raffles are held during the annual barbecue, as well as at the Friends of the Restorium booth during the County Fair, and at Akin's Harvest Foods on Valentine's Day and Easter to increase awareness of the needs of the Restorium. Contents of the baskets are donated, and all proceeds from the raffle sales benefit the residents of the Restorium.

Since its inception, Friends of the Restorium have funded or collaborated on numerous projects at the Restorium, including a new stove for the kitchen, a greenhouse, dining room table tops, drapes in resident's rooms, new carpet and furniture for the family room, entry rugs, raised vegetable beds, a grill for barbecues, a generator to power the facility in the event of an outage, laminate flooring in the hallways, dining room and kitchen flooring, dining room chairs, a walk in tub and other furnishings.

Friends of the Restorium's ongoing projects include the Adopt a Room program, in which individuals or groups contribute $1,500, plus or minus, to "adopt a room" in honor of or in memory of a special person or loved one. The "adopted" rooms are completely refurbished, from the removal of the "popcorn" ceiling, retexturing and fresh paint,  to new countertops, carpet, lighting and plumbing fixtures. A few rooms were recently completed prior to the onset of the Adopt a Room program, but budget cuts at the Restorium did not allow the continuation of room refurbishing, hence the program. For each room "adopted," a plaque will be placed on the door to indicate to whom the room is dedicated.

In mid September, 2012, the elevator installation began and should be completed by the end of November, 2012. The elevator will facilitate transport for elderly day care residents who go from the lower level to the upper level for meals and activities and will allow full-time resident to utilize the lower level of the Restorium for crafts, computer access, private family gatherings and other activities.

The elevator will also provide more safety for transporting residents to the hospital for out-patient test and therapies.

Friends of the Restorium, Inc., is a 501c3 organization, and all donations are welcome and tax deductible.

TO FIND OUT MORE:

Friends of the Restorium, PO Box 1362, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805

President Janis Kerby

Vice President Charlene Wells, (208) 290-1496, charlenebrownwells@hotmail.com

Secretary Mary Moss

Treasurer Janet Sapp, (208) 267-8828

Membership Chairman Judy Dirks, (208) 267-3859, judydirks@meadowcrk.com