The higher the bid this Friday, Feb. 5, the more money that will be raised for Interfaith Sanctuary.
All proceeds from the "Creative Good" benefit auction will go directly to the emergency, family shelter in Boise.
The shelter heavily relies on donations from the public, according to Interfaith Sanctuary Executive Director Jayne Sorrels. Right now, they are in the middle of their fundraising season. However, she says they're coming up short.
Luckily, this week presents a new opportunity for people to show their support.
"Interfaith Sanctuary was founded initially ten years ago as a community response to homelessness, and we've not let go of that... community is one of our values," Sorrels says. "So, we really work with people who want to get involved in this work."
Sorrels says they house anywhere from 150-165 men, women and children each night.
Since 80 percent of their operating budget stems from community donations, with only a small portion coming in from grants, it's crucial they have ongoing support.
"If we did not have funding from the public, we would close our doors," Sorrels says.
The co-owner of Thrive Web Designs and the organizer for the Boise Graphic Design group recently contacted Sorrels to let her know Interfaith Sanctuary would be the recipient of a benefit auction.
What makes this benefit stand out is what is being auctioned off. On the list includes services from creative professionals who will donate their time to create a business's web design, logo or touch up photos, provide marketing advice and even the development of a custom iPhone "app."
"He [one of the creative professionals] is offering 80 hours of custom 'app' development. And this normally goes for around $8,000," says Aaron Day, co-owner of Thrive Web Designs.
Bidding business owners get top-notch services at a discount and professionals get their name out there, all for a good cause.
Creative professionals who have something to offer have until Thursday, Feb. 4 to sign up through this website: http://creativegood.info.
"This is rather unique and we're hoping that it catches on because this is our first year doing it," Day says. "I think it's going to have a lot of success, and I really hoping that it does because we want to do this year after year."
Doors to the benefit auction open at 1:45 in the afternoon this Friday inside Boise State University's Simplot Ballroom. The bidding starts at 3 p.m.
Plus, you get a free parking pass if you register online at http://creativegood.info.
Registration is $10 online or $15 at the door. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are included in the entry fee.
