Phase One

Starting a project can be a mixed blessing. Depending on the size of the project, a person can spend an incredible amount of time, energy, and resources devoted to achieving the desired goal. Some people love beginning new projects. They are excited by the prospect of embarking upon a new challenge. I am not one of these people. My preference is to slide in at the very end of a project and try to convince everyone else that I’ve been there the whole time. Well, not really, but I would much rather work in a collaborative process so the other (brighter) ideas make up for my (dim bulb) suggestions.

Sometimes a person can hide out in a project. The process becomes so involved and multi-layered, the task overtakes the goal and immersion into the project outweighs finding a solution. This is a potential hang up for me, too. Often, I mean well but end up becoming so focused on the finer details of a task and I forget that finishing the project trumps the daily grind of working through it. So, why all this ‘project-laden’ talk, anyway? There has to be something more interesting to write about, right?

Well, one major project Samaritan House has looming on the horizon is the publication of our five-year plan to address homelessness in the Valley. Our hope is to issue a publication that envelops other social services providers in Kalispell. We want to work together in the community with like-minded organizations who are also seeking to provide solutions to those in need. We began this project a few months ago by releasing our State of Homelessness in Kalispell, Montana, in 2012. Okay, I admit the title is hardly riveting, but the purpose was to kick-start some dialogue in the community regarding homelessness in our own backyard(s). Who is homeless, and why are they homeless? What are the specific causes native to the 59901 and how do we compare with this problem on a national scale? The results were very interesting and if you would like a copy, you can pick one up at our administrative center located at 1110 2^nd Street West, in Kalispell.

But this was only Phase One of our greater plan, which is to provide solutions. So many of you have donated time and finances to us and we want you to know that our goal is not just to identify the causes of homelessness and poverty. We are doing our best to create conditions that remedy these problems. So, as this begins to take on new life and we run with vigor headfirst into this project… please keep us in your thoughts. 

Thanks so much for all you already do for us.