Franklin Shelter Home

Pros

• The staff are awesome.
• Dinner was great.
• The lunch meal was great.
• The staff are very friendly and the facility is clean.
• Volunteering there is a wonderful experience.
• It is a great place for those in need to receive acute assistance.

Cons

• The reviewer believes the building should be sold or torn down by The Salvation Army to give the family rooms to an organization that can actually keep them open.
• The shelter is closed far more often than it is open.
• The reviewer suggests moving the food bank back to the core on 12th and letting someone else keep the shelter open.
• It is implied that the Winter Emergency Shelter may not happen because grants have to be paid back, leaving 13+ rooms idle while hundreds of families are left to rely on Boise or be on the streets.
• Leupold High School is described as very unprofessional.
• Residents are described as being scared to post reviews because they might get kicked out or CPS called.
• The shelter manager Natalie is said to harass residents, with multiple reports about her, and staff are not addressing it.
• Natalie is described as imposing chores, sharing personal life details, changing rules at night, and lying about what she told residents, creating a personal attack.

Review

A diverse set of voices paints a complicated picture of a Salvation Army facility and related shelter operations in the Treasure Valley. On one hand, there are affirmations of care, food, and supportive people who show up to help when there's a need. On the other, there are persistent complaints about access, management, funding, and the overall viability of keeping a family shelter open in difficult times. Taken together, the notes reveal a patchwork of experiences that range from grateful to frustrated, with several recurring threads that shape how people view the organization's work.

Several reviewers express deep concern about how often the shelter appears to be closed, and they question whether the building is being used efficiently to serve families. The criticisms go beyond occasional closures: some argue that the space intended for family rooms could be better managed or even sold to benefit a more stable operation elsewhere. There are explicit calls to move the food bank back into a central core location (12th Street) and to allocate a different building to keep family shelter services running. The discussion also touches on funding challenges, including skepticism about the Winter Emergency Shelter, with fears that grant repayments could jeopardize already fragile services. In short, the sense conveyed is that current arrangements may be short of the reliability families rely on when winter pressure intensifies.

A further layer of concern centers on the practical impact of these decisions on families. Reviewers describe a scenario where 13 or more shelter rooms could sit unused even as hundreds of families face the prospect of Boise's options or the streets. The critique is not merely about numbers; it's framed as a moral and social failure by some who see the lack of stable shelter as a direct consequence of the choices surrounding funding, space, and program focus. The tone ranges from lament to anger - an insistence that a community's resources should prioritize keeping families housed rather than preserving a structure that may not be serving that core mission effectively at present.

Interwoven with the policy and funding discussions are intense, often personal accounts about management. One portion of the notes centers on a manager named Natalie, described by several reviewers as unprofessional and, in some cases, harassing toward residents. Some reviewers claim there have been multiple reports about her conduct, with references to ongoing discussions or posts about her on various websites. Allegations include that she enforces chores aggressively, interprets actions through a personal lens, and even uses personal life details as leverage. One reviewer writes that chores should be paid or handled differently, while another laments being targeted by personal commentary during a time of vulnerability. Because these are resident and volunteer reflections, they are presented as experiences and perceptions rather than documented facts, but they are persistent enough to color how some people view the shelter's leadership.

Despite the criticisms, there is also a steady undercurrent of appreciation for what the facility provides. Several entries praise the staff as friendly and helpful, and a number of visitors speak positively about meals and overall cleanliness. A review notes that "the dinner was great" and expresses gratitude for the work done by those who feed and assist the residents and the public. A different entry calls the staff "awesome," and another emphasizes how the shelter offers a path for those in need to receive acute assistance to help them get and stay on their feet. Volunteers highlight constructive experiences, including moments of connection with the residents and with their own families while volunteering. There are comments about the space being clean and welcoming, and about the outreach work being "functional" and meaningful compared with other programs.

For some, the experience blends the good with the bad in equal measure. A common thread is the feeling that the staff's integrity and the shelter's mission are sometimes at odds with how the day-to-day operations unfold. On one hand, volunteers report a positive, community-oriented environment - nice people, a sense of purpose, and opportunities to contribute alongside family and friends. On the other, residents and volunteers recount tensions around management decisions, the cadence of chores, and the seeming disconnect between promises and lived realities for those seeking shelter. In this mix, the shelter's place in the community emerges as both valuable and fragile: it can be a lifeline for families and a point of contention for those who question how resources are allocated and managed.

Ultimately, what emerges is a portrait of a facility wrestling with the harsh realities of funding, governance, and service delivery in a high-need area. There are genuine moments of humanity - meals that people praise, volunteers who feel they have made a meaningful difference, and residents who appreciate approachable staff and a clean environment. At the same time, there are loud cautions about access, consistent openings, and the legitimacy of leadership decisions, including accusations that a particular manager's approach may create a stressful atmosphere for residents. The shared takeaway is clear: the shelter's value to the community is undeniable, but its future stability will depend on addressing both the practical logistics of keeping rooms open and supervised, and the interpersonal dynamics that shape everyday life for residents and volunteers alike.

This part of Nampa, Idaho, offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for seniors seeking a comfortable and accessible living environment. Within close proximity, you will find several cafes such as Flying M Coffee Garage and Starbucks, providing opportunities for socializing and enjoying a cup of coffee. There are also various dining options including Stella's Ice Cream and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen for a variety of culinary experiences. Medical care is easily accessible with physicians like Lifestages OB/GYN and Saltzer Medical Group nearby, along with pharmacies such as Walgreens and Albertsons Pharmacy for medication needs. Places of worship like College Church of the Nazarene cater to spiritual well-being, while parks like Lions Park provide outdoor recreational opportunities. Additionally, hospitals such as Davita Healthcare are within reach for any medical emergencies. Overall, this area offers a balanced mix of amenities to support a comfortable and fulfilling senior living experience.

Cafes

• Flying M Coffee Garage (0.8 miles)
• Moxie Java (1 miles)
• Starbucks (1.9 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (2 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (2.3 miles)
• Starbucks (2.3 miles)
• Starbucks (3 miles)

Restaurants

• Stella's Ice Cream (0.9 miles)
• Domino's Pizza (1.4 miles)
• McDonald's (1.5 miles)
• Freddy's Frozen Custard (1.8 miles)
• Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (1.8 miles)
• Express Lucky Star Mongolian BBQ (1.9 miles)
• Jack In The Box (2 miles)

Physicians

• Chatterbox Pediatric Therapy Center (1 miles)
• Lifestages OB/GYN (1.6 miles)
• Intermountain Eye And (1.7 miles)
• Primary Health Medical Group - South Nampa (2.3 miles)
• Randell Page (2.3 miles)
• Dr Jon Hlavinka, MD (2.3 miles)
• Saltzer Medical Group (2.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• Albertsons Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Caremark Rx (2.5 miles)
• Good Neighbor Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.8 miles)
• Sav-On Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• College Church of the Nazarene (1.7 miles)
• Crossroads Community Church (1.9 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (3.8 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (5.3 miles)
• Rockharbor Church (7.5 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (7.9 miles)
• Iglesia Damasco (8 miles)

Parks

• Lions Park (2.1 miles)
• Fuller Park (5.7 miles)
• The Park (8 miles)
• Settlers Park (8.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Davita Healthcare (2.6 miles)
• St Luke's Center for Breast Imaging (3.3 miles)