The hunched over mound remained motionless, wrapped in a well-used sleeping bag. On the pavilion lay two more slumber bags as the daytime temperature was 10 degrees. No one was stirring in the breezy pavilion as cars drove the streets. Winter solstice was in the air as the longest, coldest night of the year approached the Flathead.
“People have dropped off so much food today,” suddenly came a voice from within one sleeping bag. Another uttered he couldn’t take food now as it was too cold outside his cover. We awkwardly tucked food under his blanket, to stay warm, knowing the brutally cold forecast.
We had dropped provisions at Winter’s Kitchen community feed. Rebecca Couture runs a rag-tag team of locals helping other locals on the wintertime streets. You’ll find them on Facebook if you want to help bridge relationships with hurting and hungry locals or send an email at [email protected].
At home I threw another log in the fire while noting blizzard forecasting windchills of 40 below during the nights of Holy Week. Who knows what chaos that created last week but some of Flathead’s reported 300 homeless humans may or may not have survived outdoors.
I don’t know. I just don’t know. That kind of dangerous cold and a blanketed person squatting against Kalispell’s pavilion, seeking cover from wind, remain in memory.
The Flathead Warming Center on Meridian has room for 50 guests seeking shelter from weather. The Warming Center is open nightly until springtime. Last week the center remained open 24 hours on Solstice Day while exceeding capacity. It’s easy to donate to the Warming Center’s efforts through their website.
Samaritan House is a homeless shelter and transitional living program. They help provide shelter and some basic needs for homeless people with self-respect and human dignity.
The Samaritan House runs a shelter with capacity to house 32 individuals, four families, and four veteran pods. They run 14 more individual transitional apartments. Find the Samaritan House online to donate help.
Chris Krager and the team at the Samaritan House do a great job. Your generous donations will go far and be used wisely with this local non-profit.
A Ray of Hope in Kalispell runs a women and children’s shelter providing nine bedrooms to keep moms with their children. You don’t need to be a mom to receive their services, single women are welcome. A Ray of Hope runs a shelter and a thrift store. They welcome your Christmastime donations via their website.
The Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana provide housing and resources for unaccompanied homeless high school students throughout the valley with a goal to graduate.
Darby Duval of Sparrow’s Nest in Kalispell said that the origination hosts a sleep-out fundraiser every winter to raise money and demonstrate to locals the dire conditions which some youth in the Flathead face every single day.
Sparrow’s Nest has helped house 45 youth in the Flathead since 2016. Sparrow’s Nest is found online and donations help local youth. Remember, it’s for the kids. Homeless kids. As we seek the warmest wishes for these holidays, donate to Sparrow’s Nest.
I realized again last week that I wasn’t Christ-like enough to bring the humans camped at the pavilion to the farm even during brutally cold daytimes. Surely, I must seek my voice, this ink, your compassion. It’s Christmastime, readers; donate to help alleviate valley wide homelessness amongst fellow humans.
The fine woodworker at Winter’s Kitchen said, as we dished warm food into serving trays, that this was only the beginning. What I’ve seen in the valley, he said, with money flipping houses, that’ll put more people living on the streets. “Don’t heat the ham too close to the stove pipe,” he stated, “that’s the hottest part of the woodstove.”