Event raises awareness, funds for homeless youth

Despite a chilling temperature of just 12 degrees and an ample amount of snow, about 84 people camped outside Saturday night in tents and vehicles to raise awareness and donations to shelter homeless, unaccompanied teens in the Flathead.

“You’re cold. You really don’t sleep much,” said Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana Chairwoman Marcia Bumke, who slept in a truck. “Imagine if you had to get up and go to school. That’s why some kids are early at school, to go some place and get warm. Think of how hard it would be on weekends, holidays and summer when school is closed.”

The sleep-out was held outside St. Peter Lutheran Church in Whitefish and marked the third annual “When the Night Comes,” an event organized by Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana.

Sparrow’s Nest Executive Director Jerramy Dear-Ruel spent the night in a tent.

“It was a pretty restless evening,” Dear-Ruel said. “The event gives the opportunity for participants who sleep out [to experience] firsthand what it feels like if they had to do that on a daily basis.”

Participation increased from last year’s event, when 54 people attended and just under $90,000 was raised, according to Bumke. She said it was great to see the participation level rise since the inaugural “When the Night Comes,” event was held in 2014 with 12 participants.

Pledges and donations continue to come for this year’s event, which concluded Sunday. Dear-Ruel anticipated the donations would be counted by Wednesday.

Proceeds benefit Sparrow’s Nest, whose mission is to set teens up for success in a safe, supportive environment that enables them to focus on graduating from high school.

Sparrow’s Nest is in the process of opening a shelter for homeless teens at 204 Seventh Ave. W. in Kalispell. Currently the nonprofit is working with the city of Kalispell on finalizing renovation plans for the building, according to Dear-Ruel. Bumke and Dear-Ruel hope that process will be completed by the end of the year so renovation work can begin. Demolition already has been completed. The house on Seventh Avenue West is expected to shelter up to eight homeless teens.

Earlier this year, the nonprofit opened its first home for homeless youth in Whitefish. The Whitefish home currently shelters three teens, with two youths currently going through the intake process.

Sparrow’s Nest began in 2012 with a group of concerned Flathead High School parents and turned into a grassroots community-wide effort to establish a safe place for homeless, unaccompanied teens to live.

For more information on Sparrow’s Nest visit sparrowsnestnwmt.org, email admin@sparrowsnestnwmt.org, or call 406-309-5196.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.