COLUMN: Family gets suite treatment
There was room at the inn this Christmas for one young family at the Holiday Inn Express in Kalispell.
Actually, a deluxe suite.
And while we can’t confirm that shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks that night, we do know that the couple treated to a room have an infant who was just 3 weeks old at the time, along with a 2-year-old.
Holiday Inn Express reached out with good tidings to Canvas Church this past holiday season to find a family the inn could host Christmas night. The hotel invited them to stay in one of its suites, and the church provided baby-sitting services so the couple could enjoy a little time to themselves, perhaps even take in a movie.
“We wanted to share some joy and cheer during the holidays,” said Beth Higgason, sales coordinator at the Holiday Inn Express. “A little pampering was just what those young parents needed.”
The young family also was treated to a delicious breakfast the following morning.
The hotel, which opened eight years ago, has a history of community spirit. Last year, its employees got together and donated food to provide a family with Thanksgiving dinner. The inn has also contributed in a number of ways to the local animal shelters by donating bedding and towels as well as sponsoring kitten adoptions for the Spay and Neuter Task Force.
December’s newsletter from the Flathead Food Bank reminds the community of the stories staff and volunteers hear every day from people forced to choose between paying rent and heating bills or buying medicine and food.
Thousands of our neighbors, coworkers and the elderly in Northwest Montana have found themselves in need of emergency food assistance.
When you donate to the food bank you help fund programs such as the mobile food bus, Backpack for Kids and senior commodity delivery. The food bank is often the last safety net when other social service agencies fall short of meeting basic needs.
The newsletter reads: “Because of your help, hope is planted, dignity is restored, lives are transformed and new chapters in people’s lives are written.”
As one local fourth grader put it, “When I see my backpack full of food, I feel surprised and thankful I don’t have to be hungry all the time.”
Another first-grader said when she sees her backpack, she “would be thankful because my tummy would be full!”
Consider giving a monthly, quarterly or year-end gift this year or take time to volunteer. Visit www.flatheadfoodbank.com; mail a check to Flathead Food Bank, 1203 U.S. 2 W., Suite 2, Kalispell, MT 59901; or call the office at 752-3663.
Community editor Carol Marino may be reached at 758-4440 or by email at community@dailyinterlake.com.