17th Annual Cowboy Up Benefit for Samaritan House

 

Below is a statement from Samaritan House in Kalispell regarding the murder of Scott Bryan on Sunday, June 25th.

“We are all devastated by the brutal murder of Scott Bryan. On Sunday, he was asleep until two young, but adult men, decided to beat him, film it, and post his murder online. This was an unprovoked attack on a person in crisis who didn’t fight back. We wish we would have had the chance to know Scott better and help him get back on his feet.

 

Trauma like this reverberates. We feel for his family. We feel for the staff at Appleway Conoco gas station and the first responders who had to see and experience the scene. We feel for our guests who fear this will happen to them. And we feel for the volunteers and staff at our organizations as they process this tragedy and find a way to move forward.

 

We’ve never had violent acts like this toward our homeless community until recently. The increased rhetoric by some community leaders and the barrage of aggressive social media comments dehumanize people who live here. It doesn’t take long for verbal assaults to turn physical.

 

No one type of person is homeless. Kids age out of foster care. People flee from domestic violence. People are priced out of their homes. Mental Health services in this area are at an all-time low in the valley. Hotels and other long-term affordable housing scenarios have closed, and people have nowhere to go.

 

Our community has only one year-round low-barrier shelter doing everything possible to keep people safe and sheltered. We know that more services and beds are needed. Samaritan House is building 18 affordable two and three-bedroom apartments, 15 apartments dedicated to veterans, expanding shelter beds, and adding a cold weather overflow shelter. This will help, but it will take time.

 

We urge everyone to do some soul-searching and find care and compassion for our neighbors. We must come together to give people the support they need and help Kalispell be a safer community – for everyone.”

Great Fish Community Challenge 2022

 There's 10 days left in the Great Fish Community Challenge brought to you by Whitefish Community Foundation. We set a goal for ourselves to reach 20k and our community showed up. Then we set another goal for 40k, and you guys blew us out of the water! 

Let's get to $60,000 and beyond! Your donation to Samaritan House during the Great Fish Community Challenge goes directly towards supporting our mission and providing our homeless community with resources they need to build a new foundation in their lives. 

These resources look like stability, shelter, nutrient dense meals, clothing, hygienic access and resources, and case management. These resources together help create a community for our clients to thrive and step back into life feeling supported and successful. Click the picture below to be directed to our portal fund to make a donation today!

Immediate Assistance Available

Samaritan House has made space immediately available to accommodate the need for shelter as it pertains to recent developments in the sale of the Fairbridge Inn.  People in need of assistance can get the full compliment of services offered by Samaritan House including shelter, case management, kitchen/cafeteria and other co-located outreach efforts by other local organizations.  It is our wish, as well as the wishes of many in the Flathead, that no one sleeps outside.  

 

Additionally,  Samaritan House plans for campus growth to accommodate needs in the community. Increasing shelter capability, addressing the void of transitional housing and providing for another affordable housing option. This plan that will begin construction in 2023 and require extensive fundraising efforts to serve more individuals. In recent years, and through the pandemic demand for services has increased.    

 

For more information, to connect those in need or to donate contact: 

 

Samaritan House

124 9^th Ave W

Kalispell MT 59901

Ph 406-257-5801

Email:  info@samaritanhousemt.com

Website:  www.samaritanhousemt.com

Blog:  www.homelessintheflathead.com

 

Get Your Raffle Tickets!

 

Samaritan House's 25th Birthday and Volunteer Appreciation BBQ

 

Hypothermia

It is February in the Flathead Valley and until lately winter has not been nearly as severe as it could be. It’s easy to actually dismiss things as mild and we can go about our day because the snow isn’t piled up. That is a fair assessment. But what if you have to live in the elements?

Did you know it doesn’t have to be brutally cold to experience hypothermia? If a person suffers ongoing exposure to even 70 degrees without thermal protection and food or nutrients, he or she can become hypothermic. Honestly, some of the most dangerous environmental situations occur in temperate climates when the temperature drops suddenly. 

It is essential to try and recognize early symptoms of hypothermia is. There are three stages of hypothermia related to the body’s core temperature:

• Mild hypothermia, 90°–95°. This is when heart and respiratory rates increase. Other indicators are, hyperventilation, difficulty walking, slurred speech, impaired judgment, pronounced shivering, and frequent urination.

• Moderate hypothermia, 82°–90°. During this stage, a person experiences a lowered pulse, shallow breathing and slowed respiratory rate, slowed reflexes, shivering stops, confusion and disorientation, common cardiac arrhythmias, and paradoxical undressing.

• Severe hypothermia, less than 82°. The most advanced stage is evidenced by hypotension, slow pulse, pulmonary edema, coma, ventricular arrhythmias (including ventricular fibrillation), and possible asystole or “flat line” EKG.

At the shelter, cold weather contingency plans are in place and we hope to get everyone in from the cold that needs it. 

Please remember those who either live in the elements or spend great portions of their days outdoors in the winter. We welcome donations and right now warm hats, coats and socks can go a long way in helping save lives.

In Honor of Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month we wanted to share some statistics and facts to our community surrounding homelessness and racial disparities.

Did you know that most minority groups, especially Black Americans and Indigenous People, experience homelessness at higher rates than any other race due to long standing historical and structural racism?

The most evident disparity can be found among Black Americans who make up almost 13 percent of the general population but account for almost 40 percent of individuals experiencing homelessness in our country. Black Americans also make up more than 50 percent of homeless families with children. (These statistics can be found through endhomelessness.org for further research)

You may ask yourself...what causes would create such significant disparities in our country?

There are several actually: lack of socioeconomic opportunities, rental housing discrimination, incarceration, and access to quality health care.

All create a cycle for our Black American homeless population to remain chronically homeless and vulnerable.

Knowledge is power and by knowing these statistics we as a country can do better to serve the entire vulnerable population with grace and care.

A New Year for Case Management

This year has brought a new transition in Case Management at Samaritan House. Our Case Managers, Maya Negron & Nancy Lisk, have given the shelter program a success-oriented update and we are seeing the hard work of our staff and our clients pay off. Nancy and Maya both come from social work backgrounds and have given this community many years of their time and service.

 

Our program has been enhanced to assist our residents in pursuing goals of self-sustainability while providing connection in accessing resources. Case management services are striving to meet with each resident weekly and sometimes more if requested. During these meetings case management connects & refers our clients to local resources. Maya & Nancy use this time to give affirmation & celebrate recognition to our clients when they’re striving to rise above their circumstances. The shelter is working hard to provide a safe space where residents can decompress and share experiences. This program helps residents have a stronger support system and rapport with Case Managers, creating hope and confidence in their own journeys. 

 

One important aspect of case management that has shifted is the focus on autonomy. Nancy states “My favorites moments are when clients learn to self-advocate.” Samaritan House is seeing a trend in our shelter resident’s ability to be more financially stable in a shorter time period. Our case managers are using assessments and working with clients to develop employment and housing plans and then using these to hold clients accountable in tracking their success. 

 

Case Management is essential for our homeless community to move forward and overcome homelessness. Without adequate access to resources and services they are left in the same debilitating cycle. Samaritan House is working hard to evolve and change to the needs that our clients are seeking. 

2020 Great Fish Community Challenge

The 2020 Great Fish Community Challenge starts today.  It is a 7 week campaign that will wrap up on September 18th.  There are 56 local area nonprofits participating and Samaritan House is honored to be one of them.  

Nonprofits in the Challenge work to raise money during the campaign.  All gifts are processed through the Community Foundation.  At the end of the campaign, Whitefish Community Foundation will provide a percentage match on the first $20,000 raised by each participating nonprofit.  

There are several ways to donate. You can donate by mail, online or at one of the pop up donation sites that will be happening through the challenge.  

Samaritan House is hoping to use funds from the Great Fish Community Challenge to provide for Case Management services at the shelter.  This type of Case Management work is what helps our clients have a greater success in conquering their homelessness.  Last year, 85% of the clients served in Samaritan House Transitional Housing were no longer homeless when they left our facility. We could provide just a meal and a bed for the night but Case Management is what fixes homelessness.

This means, every dollar donated to Samaritan House through the Great Fish Community Challenge will directly help our work to fix homelessness locally.

 
Please consider a donation designated to Samaritan House through the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Great Fish Community Challenge.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Life as we know it has changed

Life as we know it has changed.

This is not a hyperbolic exaggeration or a metaphor to paint a picture; it is reality. You and I are living different that we were a month ago so we can take personal accountability and help save lives by abiding by precautionary measures. The COVID-19 virus is not a respecter of income or geography and it doesn’t care about your job title, politics, or last name.

One of the most important things we can do is shelter-in-place and quarantine ourselves. Social distancing polices ask us not to congregate in groups larger than 10 people and to maintain a bubble of 6 feet when we have to interact with others. For a lot of us, this might be inconvenient or tiresome, but it’s not difficult because we have homes to provide sanctuary.  But what happen if you are homeless or living in a shelter? 

Homelessness presents unique and immense challenges on its own, but this current pandemic increases every problem to potentially lethal levels. Basic things like hand-washing and sanitation prove to be life and death matters when there is no access for these amenities. 

COVID-19 or novel coronavirus has symptoms similar to the flu. People with symptoms have fevers, coughs and also shortness of breath. The virus spreads mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). This happens by droplets from an infected person’s coughs or sneezes getting into another person’s mouth, nose, or lungs. If a person touches a surface, object, or a sick person’s hand that has the virus on it from the sick person’s cough/sneeze droplets, the virus can infect the well person when they touch their own mouth or nose. Most people recover without medical intervention and have mild symptoms. But certain people do face a higher risk of having more severe symptoms, including pneumonia. Those folks tend to be older, have weakened immune systems or have underlying medical conditions (things like heart or lung diseases).

Hand-washing is important, but access to hand-washing facilities is limited for folks living without shelter. Sanitizer is also effective. If someone is sick, it will help them not spread germs from their lungs or nose to other things they touch. If they are well, it will help them not pick up germs from things they touch and spread them to their mouth, nose or eyes.

Folks should do what they can to avoid touching their noses, eyes, and mouths. Cover coughs: Any cough, even if someone otherwise feels well, should be covered — not with someone’s hands but by coughing into an elbow, a mask or a bandana. As much as possible, encourage those you’re working with to limit sharing personal items, particularly cigarettes, food, phones, utensils and other items.

Use disinfectant wipes that say “kills human coronavirus” on the back. Follow the instructions on the label. Most important is to not dry off whatever is wiped with sanitizer or a wipe. Whatever is wiped will need to stay wet for the amount of time listed on the label. This step is important because that contact time is what is required to kill the germs.  Wipes can be used to clean high-touch items like phones and other surfaces.

Samaritan House is doing all we can to help provide safe shelter for those who need it. We welcome and appreciate any and all donations at this time. Thank you for partnering with us as we face a new reality together.

*Information courtesy of National Alliance to End Homelessness

Cowboy Up Benefit - Postponed

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic we have decided to postpone the upcoming 13th Annual Cowboy Up for Samaritan House Benefit.  When it is rescheduled we will let you know.  

In the meantime, we are committed to providing a safe place for the people we serve and this includes our work to address the potential spread of the virus.  We have implemented significant measures to do so...gloves, masks, hand washing (see above photo) and a rigorous schedule of cleaning all common areas.  So far, everyone is healthy and we will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly.  

The immediate impact we have experienced so far is that:

• Demand for shelter has increased, this means that we have essentially continued our winter weather contingency plan in order to meet the rising demand for services. 
• Employment opportunities for clients are becoming harder to find as many employers adjust to the new reality.  
• Many people are asking how they can help. We are in need of cleaning supplies of any kind. 
• Postponing our fundraiser will have a financial impact on Samaritan House.   
• The latest news seems to change by the hour.

Thank you for reaching out.  Your help is appreciated.
Together we can make it though this.

Winter Warm Up - January 31st at Gateway Community Center

Volunteers are still needed for this event.  

Call 406-257-5284

Four Ways You Can Help Samaritan House During the Holidays

1.

1. Volunteer

You can volunteer to serve at meal times, or work on projects that will benefit the shelter. During the holidays, many people love to feed the homeless and assist with meals. No need to be a culinary wizard this is incredibly helpful and happens all throughout the year.  The Samaritan House Volunteer Coordinator coordinates the meals served by volunteers.  Her name is Missy and she can be reached at 406-257-5801. Currently, the last two Thursdays and Mondays of each month are available for volunteers to serve a dinner meal. 

2. Take a tour

Taking a tour of the shelter is educational and informative.  Many times, when people take a tour of our facilities they say that they have learned more about homelessness in Flathead County and mention new and innovative ways that they can help.  It's fun for everyone.   

3. Donate household items or items from our Needs List

Donated items such as dishes, furniture and most any type of household items can be donated and are tax deductible.  Samaritan House staff keep a consistent and changing Needs List of items that are needed at the shelter.  
Here are a few ideas of things that would really help Samaritan House:

Clorox Wipes

Laundry Detergent

Lysol

Bleach

Three Shower Curtains

Towels, wash rags, hand towels

Milk

Fruit

Office Supplies

4. Donate Money

Giving money will provide clothing, education, food, and shelter. It will help the homeless in more ways than you may realize and the more money that is given, the more services and help can be provided. There are several ways that you can donate.  

You can donate on our website:  samaritanhousemt.com 

On our blog:  homelessintheflathead.com  

On the Facebook page:  facebook.com/homelessintheflathead

Or you can Venmo money to Samaritan House, scan this code.

Or you can donate to Samaritan House via PayPal.  

Whatever your holiday traditions are we want to thank you for taking 

time to consider Samaritan House during the Holidays!

Homelessness and Sleep Deprivation

Conventional wisdom says that the average adult should aim to get about eight hours of sleep each night. Children need significantly more sleep time while older adults may manage with less. Before the invention of effective artificial lighting, the cycle of night and day regulated sleeping patterns. People worked during the daylight hours and when night fell they went to bed.

But what happens if you are not able to get the proper amount of sleep necessary for a healthy lifestyle? One of the things we are proud of at Samaritan House, is that our residents are able to get a good night sleep. Sleep deprivation causes difficulties for everyone, regardless of where you live, but the homeless are at higher risk of not getting the proper amount of sleep.

The fact that you become tired and need to sleep at times proves that this is vital to the body's functioning. Just as you need to eat and drink a certain amount and exercise to stay healthy the same applies to sleep. The optimum sleep time varies between individuals, but if an average person gets less than six hours of solid sleep each night, they are sleep deprived. Your body needs this rest to recoup energy expended during the day. A serious lack of sleep weakens the immune system to increase the likelihood of infection. This is compounded for children, who need even more sleep than adults. Many homeless children are more susceptible to becoming physically run-down when they can't sleep.

Lack of sufficient sleep makes a person grumpy and irritable. It is easy to say or do things you later regret if overtiredness prevents you from thinking before speaking or acting. Consider how many business and social relationships disintegrate because one party says or does something without sufficient forethought. A good night's sleep ensures that you are much better equipped to respond well to the challenges that invariably come up in human dealings. Applying and interviewing for jobs when sleep deprived is a tough obstacle to overcome.

While genetic and diet factors are key determinants of whether or not an individual is prone to develop diabetes, lack of sleep also plays a role. According to some studies, getting sufficient sleep helps the body process glucose. If you usually sleep less than five hours per night, your body is unable to effectively perform this function and risks of developing type 2 diabetes increases.

When you invest in Samaritan House, you help change lives in real and practical ways like helping families and individuals get a restful night sleep so they can face a future with hope.

-resources from facts.com

Current Needs

This February 33.2 inches of snow fell in Kalispell, making it the snowiest February on record. Daytime temperatures hovered in the low single digits and the wind chill plummeted well below zero on several occasions. And while winter weather in the Flathead might fluctuate between nasty and brutal, our needs at Samaritan House remain consistent. Here are some items we can always use.

Temporary beds like the one pictured above.  We at Samaritan house feel that bunk beds offer less dignity and respect but are in need of adding more beds. ($129 at WalMart.)  This will give us more ability to flex as demands rise in the colder months.

Donations of warm socks, and boots. Our residents might begin and end their days in the shelter, but they also spend a great portion of their time outside the shelter pursuing employment opportunities as well as going to jobs they have. Many of them walk or rely on public transportation so warm gear is a lifesaver.

Toilet paper and bathroom supplies are also coveted and appreciated. These items are easy to take for granted when they are always on hand, but imagine what it would be like if you need them but don't have them. Personal hygiene is essential to fostering feelings of self confidence and if these items are donated, we are able to use our resources for other things we need.

Cleanliness is an important (as well as state-mandated!) virtue for us so we also really appreciate cleaning supplies. We want to do our best to provide a clean environment for our residents, staff, volunteers, and guests. Spending a great deal of our time in community necessitates keeping things clean and sanitary to reduce the risk of sickness.

All of these items are appreciated because we use them often. Thanks for all that you do to make Samaritan House a place that meets the needs of its residents on a daily basis. Treating people with dignity and respect are important to us and you help us do that. If you have any questions, please call our office.

12th Annual Cowboy Up for Samaritan House Auction

Where were you 12 years ago?

It's an interesting question because we tend to focus on the present and the future, but sometimes the past gets little fanfare. And, "Why 12 years?", you might ask? Because in a few weeks it will be the 12th annual Cowboy Up Benefit for Samaritan House. We have been hosting this fundraiser as long as it takes a child to go from Kindergarten to Graduation. And it's been quite a journey for us, as well. We are honored to host this Auction and the longevity of this event shows its importance.

This year's event will be held at Gardner's Auction, which provides an ideal venue for all we have to offer. Single tickets can be purchased for only $40 or a table for 8 can be reserved for $300. Doors open at 5 pm and an incredible dinner will be served at 6 pm. Use this opportunity to catch up with friends while having a wonderful time and donating to an important cause.

Because that's what this is really about- there is a point to be made and lives to be changed. There are a thousand different things you can spend or invest your hard-earned money on but none might count so much as this Auction in regards to saving lives.

Yes, there will be phenomenal music by Smart Alex. You will have a great time and enjoy yourself dancing the night away. And the auction items are worth the experience by themselves, with a wide variety sure to tickle anyone's fancy- there will e something for everyone. But the entire night is a reminder that homelessness in the Flathead Valley is a real issue. We gather to raise money and resources so we can provide opportunities to change lives. This will be an epic night with so many wonderful moving parts aimed at a singular goal: Addressing homelessness in our community so that our community will be strengthened.

You can play a part in this and we hope to see you there! Please call our office if you have any questions regarding the auction or this night.

Cold Weather Plans

Homelessness presents unique challenges and obstacles for daily life. Homelessness in Montana, in the winter, can be deadly, which is why Samaritan House has its own Cold Weather Contingency Plans aimed at saving lives. We will find a place for you. 

Director Chris Krager adamantly states that, "The nature of homelessness in Montana is such that at certain times of the year it can be fatal." If you have lived through a few winters in the Flathead Valley, you know the potential brutality firsthand. This past week windchill dropped well below zero, reaching nearly -25, depending on where you lived. This could be a death sentence for someone living in a tent or other structures not suitable for intended dwelling. 

These are not just words on a screen as we learned this week, see the photo above.

Samaritan House is equipped with mobile beds and we are putting them to good use. Any safe place in our shelter has been turned into a makeshift sleeping unit because we recognize this is an extremely important issue. Living outside, in the exposed elements, is difficult in the best conditions so when homelessness is exacerbated with frigid wind, snow, and ice, we need to get involved. Heart failure, hypothermia, and frostbite are all real possibilities.

Thanks for all you do because your financial support and donating resources allowing us to do our best to take care of those who need a place to shelter from the weather. 

Winter Warm Up

Winters in Montana can be quite inhospitable and sometimes resources are hard to come by. Winter Warm Up, a Project Homeless Connect event, offers a multitude of opportunities for the community to unite together and provide all sorts of services for anyone who needs them. Over the years, thousands of individuals, families, and Veterans have received everything from free tax services  and clothing to pet care. There is a wealth of resources available and volunteers to help you navigate through the process.

Medical and cosmetic services along with great resources to assist with employment opportunities are just some of the incredible things you will find. There will be free food and live music and treats for the kids, so please take advantage of Winter Warm Up Winter Warm Upbecause once it's over, it won't be back for another year!

Homelessness is More Than A Word

Homelessness is more than a word.

It is a lifestyle that encompasses more than statistics and reports. Its a condition that reaches past point-in-time census reviews. The four little letters at the end of the word represent something larger than not having a livable habitat; they ask us to consider that some people are caught in a cycle that most of us have never had to experience. Homelessness is lived and experienced and not fixed to the words typed on this blog. When we are done reading about homelessness, we move on the next thing in our day.

If you experience homelessness, your day takes on a whole different meaning.

Eradicating homelessness would be an amazing thing but it involves more than providing temporary shelter to keep families off of the street. If homelessness is truly a fluid lifestyle that takes the shape of an individual's specific circumstance, then the way to address it is to understand that unique situations call for specific measures. Giving a person shelter from the elements for a few nights is one thing (a great thing!) but helping them establish a lifestyle to sustain them involves a lot more moving parts.

We live in a world of stereotypes and prejudgements that make it easy to ignore diseases and focus on symptoms. If someone is chronically homeless, they have been caught in a net of poverty and transient circumstances that very well might condition them to reject measures to help them find permanent residence. Combating these issues is a process that transcends conventional ideas that assist people who are rendered homeless due to sudden circumstances. Homelessness manifests itself in different ways and calls for person-specific solutions.

Samaritan House has been addressing chronic and episodic homelessness for decades. We have gathered some amazing tools over the years and we will never stop doing all we can to save lives by treating each person, individual, or family as their own set of circumstances. We have resources and staff who are dedicated to helping our residents take the next step in a journey no person should have to experience. We believe that addressing the obstacles in a person's life means more than identifying them.

Many of you have been contributors for years and we absolutely could not do what we do without your kindness and generosity. Thank you for all that you do... It is our heart to help people escape a lifestyle and not just circumstances. You make a difference by allowing us to make a difference.