Liberty

The idea of liberty saturates our identity as Americans. I mean, how many other nations have state mottos that scream anthems like "Live Free or Die!"? And while we didn't invent freedom, we have uniquely adapted it to suit our way of life. Liberty, as a concept, provides an environment of independence that allows us to make choices that are beneficial to our betterment.

Every day we are inundated with decisions and some people have even argued that the pressure to make all these choices is almost like its's own sentence that restricts us. We have so many options that we can become overwhelmed by the magnitude and abundance of our freedom. I suppose this is an excellent dilemma to have because we are not the Land of the Free for no reason. And sometimes our life is so chalked full of options that it mirrors those cool 'choose your own adventure' books we read as kids. Each decision leads to the next which provides more opportunities to succeed if we play our cards right.

But often, the deck can be stacked against us from the beginning. All of our staff have spent time listening to the stories of our residents and each one of us have heard first-hand accounts of lives that held limited options. In a country that espouses liberty as a defining characteristic, too many people (often children) have few choices available to them because of limited resources, finances, or even time.

1 out of every 5 children in Montana go to bed hungry. These kids are not picky eaters or have turned up their collective noses at what food is presented. They simply have an inadequate amount of food to eat on a regular basis.

Single parents have the highest percentage of multiple part time jobs because the schedules can be amended to allow them to spend enough time at home to avoid the high cost of childcare. Many of these jobs pay minimum wage or only slightly higher, which is the reason people have to work more than one job just to survive.

Schools usually offer many extracurricular activities and sports, but lack of transportation can exclude those kids whose families have no car. The child is deprived of an incredible opportunity to grow socially, physically, and academically if they are not able to attend.

Living on a hand-to-mouth paycheck disallows the liberty to shop for certain ingredients that can supplement a healthy diet. When an individual doesn't make enough money to constitute a living wage, then corners are cut to ensure survival. Heat is kept low in the winter and air condition is sacrificed during the summer, which can both lead to dangerous conditions. Medical care is often skipped due to the fear of being buried by costly bills.

Liberty is a grander and nobler idea than simply telling others that they may not tell you what to do or how to live your life. True liberty allows us to function on a level which permits life to be not only tolerable, but enjoyable. Many homeless in America have learned to live as secondhand citizens by not being able to partake in choices available to others. It is our hope to provide the opportunity that allows our residents to rediscover what it means to be an American... To be liberated in ways that allow them to flourish.