Community outreach program offers hope and meals to Rathdrum teens

RATHDRUM, Idaho — A Rathdrum man is using food and conversation to create a lifeline for local teenagers at risk.

Every Thursday, the aroma of hot food draws teens to a tent across the street from Mountain View Alternative High School. This week, it’s chili cheese fries bringing them to Garry Mickelson and his Outreach Eats crew.

“We’re here for these kids and for these kids alone,” said Mickelson, who has provided free meals to local teens every Thursday for the past three years.

With suicide remaining a leading cause of death among teenagers, Mickelson saw an opportunity to make a difference through food and conversation.

“For somebody that young, with so much in front of them to feel like there’s no other option than to take their own life, it just breaks our heart,” he said.

The mission is personal for Mickelson, whose own difficult childhood gives him insight into what some teens experience.

“My childhood was there, left a bit to be desired. I know what it’s like just to kind of be on your own,” he shared.

While the food draws teens in, the true purpose goes deeper. “It’s less about feeding the kids, although they wouldn’t think that. It’s less about feeding them and more about pouring into them,” Mickelson explained.

That “pouring” comes as encouragement, motivation, and reminders of worth. Every Thursday, teens find not just a meal, but a place where they matter.

“They have worth,” Mickelson emphasized. “And no matter what they are going through, they’ve always got somebody that will listen.”