As we enter the holiday season, which is always our busiest time of year, we are taking a quiet moment to reflect on the year behind us. Although it brought many obstacles and challenges, such as the closure of the Johnson Street Shelter, it also brought many opportunities and successes.

This year, some moments that brought us hope included:

When Leo exited service in the Marines, he had a hard time adjusting to civilian life. A very independent man, he accepted help from our Veterans team, who worked with Veterans Inc. to help him find an apartment with a river view. His new job as a delivery driver pays for the apartment, and he is enrolling at the University of Montana next fall.
Joshua came to Missoula with a job lined up; when that fell through, he turned to the Poverello Center to have a place to sleep. While in shelter, he saved money, did chores, and shared photos of his newborn with staff. When he’d saved enough, staff sent him on his way with lots of snacks from the food pantry to thank him for all the work he’d done.
Chloe was a long-time resident of the Johnson Street Shelter, known to staff and fellow residents for her resilience, warmth, and quiet determination. For months, she struggled to find stable housing while managing complex health challenges. After years of waitlists, she moved into permanent supportive housing at Blue Heron Place, and now has a space of her own—a door she could lock, a bed she didn’t have to give up, and the stability to begin focusing on her health and future.

Successes come in many shapes and sizes, but they are only possible through the support of the community; volunteers who give their time to serve a hot meal, donors who bring hygiene items or cold weather gear, and the community that keeps our doors open.

This holiday season, we are asking if you can continue this legacy of compassion and transformation. Every dollar you give goes directly to providing essential services for our community’s most vulnerable and to creating a Missoula where everyone has a place to call home.

Poverello Holiday Campaign

By Poverello Center, Inc.

Poverello Holiday Campaign

Successes that Give us Hope