BOISE — Providing dignity and expanding partnerships has been the central focus of Jessica Abbott’s work as executive director of the Corpus Christi House.
Corpus Christi is located at 525 S Americana Blvd. and adjacent to overnight shelter Boise Interfaith Sanctuary, which is scheduled to move to 4306 W State St. in 2025, and CATCH Idaho, an organization dedicated to connecting persons experiencing homelessness with permanent housing. Corpus Christi has been a staple in Boise since 2003.
The city’s dynamics have changed much since then and, until recently, Corpus Christi had changed very little. Nonetheless, it has always been a place for Boise’s homeless population to seek shelter throughout the year.
CHANGE IN EXECUTIVE ARRANGEMENTSAbbott, who was brought into the operation in September of last year, now fills a central role in Boise’s apparatus of organizations that are working to reduce homelessness in the area. Before coming to Boise about 20 years ago, she worked for Concerned Citizens, a non-profit operating out of Forks, Washington, that provides childcare and preschools services, offers employment programs and operates an adult family home.