About Us

Did you know that The MONARCH TRAIN is an acronym? It stands for The Mission of Nicholas and Ayden: Reaching Children’s Hearts Through Reading, Art, Imagination, & Nature. Our mission is to advance literacy and music education in North Idaho.

A LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER

I was raised by a loving single mom. We didn’t have a lot of money. My mom didn’t have a lot of time either, raising two kids on her own. When I started kindergarten, I wasn’t prepared to read. I was far behind my classmates. This continued into the third grade, when I finally caught up after some special service interventions from the school.

This is why I’m so passionate about early childhood literacy. I believe that introducing children to books early on in life can help instill a lifelong love of books. Literacy is the key ingredient for success in both life and in school.

That’s not the only reason why The MONARCH TRAIN came to be, though.

Just weeks after my seventeenth birthday, I fell madly in love for the very first time. His name was Nicholas Struckman. He became my everything. I got to spend two years of his very short life with him. He died at the age of nineteen.

I pledged to myself that he would never be forgotten and that his beautiful life would not be in vain.

Nick and I shared a belief and that belief is now the foundation of The MONARCH TRAIN. Music, reading, and writing can change lives. Children who are introduced to music, reading, and writing at a young age, can discover their truest selves. They can be given a safe, healthy place to escape.

I don’t know where I would be today if I hadn’t been given my journal or my headphones. Being able to write down my feelings gave me a place to work out inner emotions I didn’t understand at the time. Being able to put on my headphones and escape into a world where I felt understood, saved me on so many levels.

This is why our goal is to bring programs to children in North Idaho that encourage a love of reading and music. We hope you’ll get involved and join us on this amazing journey. You can donate to us online or by mail. Your donation is completely tax deductible. Our EIN is 82-5287260.

The best way to donate online is through our Facebook page. 100% of the donation goes directly to us. You simply click on the large blue “Donate” button on the right side of the page, just below the lead image. You can even start a fundraiser for us and ask your friends and family to help. Birthdays are a great time to create fundraisers.

You can also donate through PayPal, but they do take a percentage of it.

If you would like to donate by check or money order, Please send it to the following address:

The MONARCH TRAIN
PO BOX 951
Pinehurst, ID 83850

Please like us and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. You can also get in touch via email at contact@themonarchtrain.com or by phone at (208) 718-2758.

You can meet our board here or get to know more about our namesakes, Nicholas and Ayden.

All the best,
Melody Alderman
Founder and President