Campaign to assist Gateway Center makes push toward finish

Two years ago a fundraising campaign launched to support the Gateway Community Center and now that effort has reached its halfway point with a push to cross the finish line by the end of the year.

From 1973 to the late 1990s, the Gateway West Mall, a former center of thriving commerce, sat almost empty. In 2000, the United Way of Northwest Montana realized a unique vision for the space to become a dedicated resource for nonprofit organizations. The United Way purchased the old mall in 2015 and transformed the building into the Gateway Community Center.

In 2020, the United Way began its Gateway 2 Miracles Campaign aiming to raise $4.2 million for a reserve fund, to pay off the mortgage and enhance the interior and exterior of the facility. Despite a brief interruption with the Covid-19 pandemic, the capital campaign has $2.1 million remaining to raise.

“It’s time to wrap it up, and if we don’t meet the goal, we’ll just keep working hard,” said United Way’s Campaign Chairman Carol Nelson.

GCC leases space to 23 nonprofits and over 100 organizations use the conference room, library, and a handicap-accessible parking lot to conduct their operations. The building provides a space for effective and unified collaboration from groups with varying missions. A few organizations that use the building include CASA for Kids, Coffee with Survivors, Serious JuJu and Montana Conservation Corps.

Subsequent renovations for the building include repairing the roof, adding new carpet, improving the parking space, and painting the building’s exterior. The funds raised will significantly reduce rent for tenants and ensure a safe and productive work environment, organizers note.

Nelson said that many of the donations have come from individuals rather than big donors which speaks volumes about the community’s belief in the project.

“This is a place where a lot of people are getting help. It allows our nonprofits to have a professional space that is set up for them to really be successful. It’s a unique model that other places would like to use,” she said.

CASA Advocacy Program Director Cindy Basnett noted that the building provides easy access for collaboration.

“The location is really nice,” she said. “It’s a family-friendly space and we use the conference room for monthly meetings and training for staff.”

The nonprofit agencies that operate at the GCC serve nearly 2,000 clients per month, according to United Way.

To learn more about the campaign or to make a donation, visit www.unitedwaycares.org/center-community-change. Donations can also be sent to the Gateway Community Center, Northwest Montana United Way, 1203 U.S. 2 W., Suite 31, Kalispell, MT 59902.

The building is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m and tours can be scheduled by calling 406-752-7266.

Reporter Summer Zalesky may be reached at szalesky@dailyinterlake.com.