Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

Many times we try to distinguish between a want and a need. The line is blurry and we tend to label these ideas according to value. A need is defined as something necessary for survival while a want is typically thought of as anything that would be enjoyable but perhaps not vital. Examples are helpful.

Need: Food.                         

Want: Steak and Lobster.

Need: Transportation.           

Want: An SUV.

So, what happens when a want becomes a need? When something that appears cosmetic is actually essential? One service that is instrumental to Project Homeless Connect is the dental work that local professionals provide. It can be argued that nice-looking teeth are a want because a person can survive without them. I will argue, however, that proper dental care is a need because the reality is that while it is difficult enough for many of our clients to find a job with a sustainable income, it is nearly impossible when their first impression is flashing a smile that hosts a plethora of dental problems. Employers want to hire people who can present an image of confidence and this characteristic is sometimes lacking when an individual is embarrassed or afraid to open his or her mouth.

At PHC the intent is to provide dental services so the client can walk away with more than a clean, toothy grin. And, while self-esteem is important, the end game is to put people in the best possible position to find work. The aspect of dental service is more than a want if it affords people the opportunity to better themselves and acquire what they need.

The Dog, the Bike, and the Learner

What if your best friend was not a human. Now, relax... I'm not conjecturing about space aliens or that imaginary 'significant other' fabricated so your mother stops pestering you at holiday get togethers. What if your best friend was your pet? Animals can fill various needs in our lives that other people sometimes can't. Some pets are companions while others help us in a more functional role by assisting as service animals we depend on for more than mere company. They are a necessary part of our daily routine.

What happens if your pet needs services but you can't afford them? The helplessness and guilt that accompanies every stroke of the fur or refilling of the food bowl. You care for something  but can't provide for its well-being?

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You need to pay your utility bill. Your rent is due. You need groceries.

All of these factors depend on financial resources. Most people want to work and feel the sense of pride and accomplishment attached to having meaningful employment. An important aspect of having a job is having the ability to get to that job on time. Forget the car; you haven't been able to afford the insurance and gas prices and the cost for a new transmission. It's been parked on the side of the street like a monument to frustration.

You've been relying on your bicycle but it has two stripped gears and needs a rear tire. You will be walking the 3 miles to work until this situation can be remedied.

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It's the box you dread the most. A simple "yes" or "no" that weighs on you and robs you of your dignity as well as economic opportunities. Have you graduated high school?

Close to 9% of Montanans have no high school diploma. For a myriad of reasons, people drop out or choose not to finish and are labeled on every application they fill out. Forget going to college. It's difficult to find sustainable employment with a high school diploma, so the odds of finding a job paying more than minimum wage without one is Herculean. Education is important and attaining a GED can be the beginning of a path that enables someone to create a better life for themselves and those they love.

Project Homeless Connect is honored to provided pet services, bicycle repair, and education services. We believe these are critical in partnering with those who are trying to improve their situations.

We (like to say) Support Our Troops

Bumper stickers are the perfect way to advertise what we want other people to think we think. They are an easy method to convey a message without the inconvenience of having to defend our position or explain why/how that message is worthy of being plastered on the back of our vehicle. In Montana, I've noticed all manner of drive-by-slogans ranging from opinions on constitutional rights, to keeping Missoula weird, to the passive aggressive 'Get Lost' campaign directed toward (attracting?) tourists. But every once in a while I notice a sticker that makes me want to stop the car and ask the driver if they truly believe what it says. My wife never lets me do this.

"We support our troops." Okay, how?

I am not doubting the sincerity of these people and I understand that I'm casting a wide net that will ensnare all types of people, so if this doesn't apply to you then please humor me because I am sure it applies to someone else. I know different people display these stickers... Friends of people in the military, parents of children serving, veterans who want to support those still in active service, spouses. These individuals have a vested interest in this idea. It is personal and intimate to them.

But what about the person who bought (or was given) one of these and simply slapped it on their Escalade or Outback and promptly forgot it was there. It's a great social sentiment but it means nothing more. How exactly, does a person actually support the troops? It involves more than "keeping them in our thoughts." I think about all sorts of things during the day: food, music, sports, my family, the weather, books, zombies, did I mention food? I support these things (okay, minus the zombies) by actively pursuing them and trying to effect positive changes in them. I act. Thinking about something is not the same as supporting that thing. If you can do something in the time it takes a traffic light to change, then I question how much support is actually involved.

One of the the most important things we do for the veterans at Project Homeless Connect is provide them with services. There is a mobile clinic for them to utilize as well as numerous personal items for them to choose from. We believe supporting our troops entails actually trying to provide for them in areas in which they have been neglected. Nearly 1 in 4 homeless people is a US veteran. Our mission is to move from a bumper sticker to a reality.

Please partner with us. If you want a way to support our troops, please donate to PHC or come out and help volunteer.

We Need Your Help

Lots of amazing things happened on June 8th.


In 452, Attila the Hun began his invasion of Italy.
In 1786, commercial ice cream was manufactured for the first time in NY City.
In 1986, the Boston Celtics won their 16th NBA championship.

Fast forward to June 8, 2013 (which technically hasn’t arrived yet), and YOU have the opportunity to play an instrumental role in world history. And while historians might neglect mentioning what will be unfolding at the Samaritan House Administration Center on this monumental date, we (at Samaritan House) will definitely think fondly and kindly of your actions.

We need a great deal of help preparing for our Project Homeless Connect event. On June 8th, we would welcome anyone interested in lending a hand to help us ready our facilities for this epic event. The work needed will entail sorting piles of donations and helping set up tables. There will be some light cleaning and tidying that needs to take place and there is always the element of the unknown… things that materialize from thin air that really need to be done.

So, if there is any way you would be willing to help us, we would be eternally grateful. Please come to our Administration Center between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, June 8th. We will be at the former armory located across from Peterson Elementary School, at 1110 2nd Street West, Kalispell.

If you are interested in volunteering to help but are unable to attend the massive work day on June 8th, please call the office to speak with Sean about dropping by anytime from now until PHC. The number is 257-5284. Thank you so much for your help and we look forward to seeing you (make history).

Why we do Project Homeless Connect

The coffee finally cooled to a drinkable temperature. She had been staring into the cup for a few minutes, like she was seeking answers from the tepid, milky void. The noise of the large room  faded into a symphony of background sounds that were indistinguishable from one another. A droning hum replaced the individual voices and activities of those around her, creating a wave of  comfortable isolation. She was totally alone in a room crowded with others.

That was fine because she preferred not standing out.

Before she went, she was unsure of whether or not she was even going to attend the event because similar past experiences left her feeling worse than when she arrived. There seemed to be an unspoken stigma attached to these sort of things that she would rather avoid; a passive-aggressive tone that segregated the participants into an "us and them" caste. But, by the end of this day she realized all she had gone through was unique to this day. It was a different experience that sought to help without embarrassing and assist without discriminating. It truly wanted to connect people in ways that were beneficial and empowering.

She re-shifted her gaze and let her eyes readjust to a reality she often dreamed was a dream, itself. It wasn't. Her circumstances were as real and genuine as the paper coffee cup she held in her grasp. Her's was not an existence that could be wished away. While her life had never been a Fairytale story, it had slowly devolved into a cautionary tale marked by one tragedy upon another. And so she sat in the large room at a nondescript table in a tiny corner of northwestern Montana. She sat and she thought. Then she thought some more.

Something was changing.

She discarded her victim mentality and embraced one of determined resolution. It wasn't an epiphany or sign in the heavens. The room was not going to break out into a choreographed musical, culminating with her standing on top of the table singing her life's new mantra in a ready-made, rehearsed chorus. It had been a process of deliberation that led her to this point in time. In spite of any help she received, she had to make the decision to take back her life. It would be incremental and not an overnight success, but she was prepared for the journey.

The woman folded the empty paper plate and discarded all her rubbish in the nearest trash barrel. She surveyed the papers and information collected during the previous 3 hours. She now had resources and knowledge and the tools to implement her methodical escape from the life she indifferently wandered through. And as she gathered all her materials and the few items she picked up throughout the day, she looked down into the stroller at her sleeping son.

His life would be different because she was changing hers.   

2013 Project Homeless Connect Information

2013 Flathead Valley

Project Homeless Connect

VeteransWelcome!!!!!!!

A two day event for the Homeless or those at risk of homelessness.

Come get the help you need from over thirty different agencies and businesses.

June 13: 11am to 6pm

June 14: 9am to 1 pm

Samaritan House Administration Center
1110 2nd Street West, Kalispell
(The old armory across from Peterson Elementary)

Free Services offered:
Medical and Dental              Employment Assistance
Pet Services                         Financial Education
Identification Services           Haircuts
Veterans Services                 Legal Assistance
Disability Services                Vision Services
Housing Counseling              Senior Services
Bicycle Repair.                     More...

Please call 755- 6565 if you would like to donate, volunteer, or if you have questions.

If you would like a free birth certificate or driver's license, bring a picture ID with a signature or two forms of ID. If you are a veteran please bring your DD214 or military ID.

The Trouble with Other Languages

Speaking a foreign language is tough. I've had a few years of Spanish and French and I can honestly say if I was lost in Barcelona or Paris, I would curl up in a fetal position and cry relentlessly until someone who spoke the language decided to save me either out of compassion or simply because my wailing had become annoying. I admire people who are bilingual because I know the effort involved with mastering more than one language, even if I can't do it.

It's natural to struggle in an environment where nothing makes sense. Foreign languages exclude people who have never been exposed to that culture or manner of communication. But what happens when we can't understand our own language... the very one we speak? We know what the words are but can't attach meaning to them. Have you ever watched a medical drama on TV and everything is fine until the doctors start rattling off technical jargon that makes sense to them but leaves the rest of us (who aren't doctors) clueless? This happened to me so often that I still hate Doogie Howser to this very day.

I realize this is a lame example, but I hope the premise rings true. My point is that many times we are in situations where we understand the words but the true meaning escapes us. This is why we offer legal service at Project Homeless Connect. Any of our clients who have questions regarding legal matters can meet with people who will take the time to 'translate' legal issues into a language that is understandable. One of the gravest ways that people are intimidated or discriminated against is due to legal actions against them that they cannot understand. Much is lost in the fine print.

Another advantage to the legal services provided at PHC is that many people would like to see if they have been discriminated against and whether they have a legitimate argument regarding any recourse they could take. Speaking legal-ese is difficult and often people give up if they're unfamiliar with how things work. Our volunteers hope to help our clients break through the foreign language of the legal system. This is a very key part of the PHC experience and we are very appreciative of those who help others in this potentially confusing area.