Many Idahoans may not be familiar with the name Jannus Inc., but they may know the outstanding work this remarkable nonprofit social service organization has accomplished during its 50 years of operation in the Gem State. It operates a wide range of programs that benefit virtually every segment of our society – veterans, preschoolers, refugees, seniors, the needy, students in grades K-12, you name it.

Jannus' 24/7 Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline has handled 23,827 contacts from desperate individuals. The Agency for New Americans oversees Idaho's highly regarded refugee program, which welcomed 1,270 refugees to Idaho in fiscal year 2022, including 512 from Afghanistan and 329 from Ukraine. Refugees strive to achieve self-sufficiency for themselves and their families, and Idaho's refugee agencies provide them with temporary support to achieve that goal.

Global Talent is a popular Jannus program designed to help refugees gain the skills to practice their profession in their new country. The program recently included former Afghan military pilots seeking government certification to fly commercially in the United States.

Idaho Voices for Children advocates for a variety of programs to help Idaho's children. When lawmakers rejected $36 million in federal child care funding in 2023, Voices rallied the support of lawmakers across the political spectrum to restore $28 million in funding and help so many child care centers stay in business. Voices was instrumental in passing legislation this year to protect children in the state's foster care system. Senate Bills 1379 and 1380 passed overwhelmingly.

Jannus operates Early Head Start centers in northern Idaho, the Idaho Out-of-School Network, and a number of other respected programs. In recognition of the outstanding work the company has done to improve the lives of the 58,821 people it has served, the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce presented Jannus with the 2024 Nonprofit Excellence Award.

Imagine the surprise when the incongruous Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) launched a broadside against Jannus last month, claiming that she was “funding handouts for illegal immigrants.” The only support IFF gave for this outrageous claim was that “a video surfaced on social media purporting to show migrants getting off a bus in West Boise.” The author of the IFF rant admitted that there was no confirmation that the people were illegals or that Jannus' activities were “promoting illegal immigration.” But that didn't stop them from strongly implying that Jannus was using “taxpayer money to fund welfare for illegal immigrants.”

So it looks like the IFF bullies have found another target besides teachers and librarians to defame with false accusations. Their game is to gain political and financial support by stoking fear and outrage against innocent victims.

In fact, some Jannus programs are designed to help immigrants to the U.S., but the recipients are legal immigrants. Refugees are allowed to enter the U.S. only after a comprehensive background check. They have the right to work in the country and are eager to make their own way. They receive counseling, language classes, temporary housing assistance, and other necessary support to help them adjust to a new country. They do not receive handouts of taxpayer money.

I had the privilege of serving on the Jannus Board of Directors for three years after retiring from the Idaho Supreme Court. I can attest that the organization works hard to raise funds for programs that benefit underserved segments of Idaho society. That's why I recently contributed to the Jannus campaign for endowment funds as the organization moves into its next 50 years.

It is disheartening to read the IFF's false claims about an organization that has done so much good for the people of Idaho. Jannus was truly a sparkling jewel in the Gem State's nonprofit crown. Nothing the IFF says can distract from that truth.