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Making a difference in the community

| July 9, 2020 1:00 AM

If you’re needing some good news as an elixir to the heavy headlines of the day, the Inter Lake routinely publishes stories about local individuals and organizations that are making a difference in people’s lives. Like so many of these projects with a purpose, a couple of recent feel-good efforts are noteworthy.

The Women of Rollins have been making quilts for pediatric oncology patients at Kalispell Regional Medical Center for the past four years and recently wrapped up this year’s batch of 20 quilts that will provide comfort for kids with cancer.

Beyond their quilting prowess, these dedicated ladies help support their community in myriad ways, and have been doing so for nearly 80 years. The Women of Rollins donate to area fire departments, the West Shore Food Bank, and offer college scholarships each year. They clean up highways and raise money to support the upkeep of the historic Rollins School House that serves as a gathering spot for various functions. This kind of dedicated service is what keeps our communities strong. Our hats are off to the Women of Rollins.

Local high school student Noah Jensen also stepped up in a big way by organizing the Paws for Pups program in an effort to help families that have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

Through the program, the Glacier High School junior asked for donations of lightly used sports cleats to be distributed to prep athletes in need.

“COVID has cost a lot of people their jobs. A lot of those families have kids that want to play sports and they may not understand why their parents can’t buy them what they need to play,” Jensen told the Inter Lake.

Sports cleats aren’t cheap, and this donation drive will go a long way in helping families struggling to make ends meet. The first round of donations are to be distributed at Glacier’s upcoming football camp, and Jensen hopes to expand the program to include Flathead High in the near future.

Jensen’s effort to launch Paws for Pups should be admired as a true display of compassion and tenacity to make a difference in our community.