United Way serves nearly 500 at Winter Warm Up event

When it comes to providing services to help people in need, it’s important to meet them where they are, says United Way of Northwest Montana Interim Executive Director Kyle Waterman.

Just finding a place to begin can feel like a monumental task for many in a tough situation, he adds.

“The internet is one thing to navigate, but if you don't know what you're searching for then you can't connect with a professional who is able to be like, ‘here's some of the resources that are available to you’ and it's always regrettable when we have services that you could have accessed earlier,” Waterman said.

At the nonprofit’s annual Winter Warm Up on Jan. 27 the United Way and other partners served nearly 500 people — giving out food and clothing, and connecting them to needed services. The event started a decade ago as a way to bring representatives of resources to one place in order to better reach people in the community.

Those involved in the event included the Flathead City-County Health Department, Greater Valley Health Center, Job Service Kalispell, Veterans Affairs and Community Action Partnership, as well as housing assistance providers, among others.

Around 400 hamburgers were served and about 60 people got haircuts during the event.

“It's not easy to be homeless or in this type of crisis in the Flathead,” Waterman said.

Kalispell has seen an increase in the number of homeless individuals over the past several years. According to the 2022 Point in-Time survey, Kalispell has the second highest homeless population in the state, just behind Missoula. Around 30% of local homeless individuals say they do not have shelter and are not taking part in any emergency housing services.

It’s been a topic of discussion in the community as Kalispell City Council considers ordinances that would restrict access to public park facilities, which came in response to complaints about the presence of homeless individuals in the structure. Flathead County Commissioners also recently issued a letter placing blame on shelters and outreach organizations for the rising homeless population.

In response, Waterman said he doesn’t believe there are enough services offered for unhoused individuals in the Flathead Valley. But, he said it’s not just City Hall or the county’s responsibility to help tackle the issue, it’s the entire community.

He said local nonprofits “live within their means” and primarily serve people who are from here.

He doesn’t agree with claims that organizations aren’t asking for accountability from the individuals they serve.

“That's true about all of our agencies, that they are asking for accountability. They are working their best to meet individuals where they are. But, getting somebody rehoused or helping somebody through their addictions and their recovery is long work and sometimes takes years for individuals to get to that point of recovery,” Waterman said.

Why someone might find themselves in a crisis varies by individual. But, Waterman said because many more people are finding it harder to pay their rent and buy groceries, it’s easy to turn toward some unhealthy coping mechanisms.

“We did grow — things have gotten more expensive and doors have closed. It's not as easy to access all the services. Part of the situation we're in is that I think people aren't able to afford their housing, and they're turning to bad coping mechanisms to be able to help navigate themselves. And we don't have enough support systems to be able to help people not get into the crisis,” Waterman said.

Looking forward, Waterman said, those behind the nonprofit are looking to “breathe new life” into the United Way and are working on some strategic planning.

The organization bought the Gateway West Mall in 2015 and transformed it into the Gateway Community Center, with a mission to create a hub of organizations that serve the community. GCC leases space to 23 nonprofits and over 100 organizations. Some current tenants include the Flathead Food Bank, Glacier Queer Alliance and Montana Conservation Corps.

Their Gateway 2 Miracles Campaign has raised half of its $4.2 million goal, which aims to pay off their mortgage and enhance the interior and exterior of the facility.

Waterman said things are going really well with the building, which gives the United Way time to focus on their work.

“I think that some of those goals are presenting themselves around housing, but also around behavioral health, including suicide. We're going to be looking at community health plans and at some of those common goals that are there to put some support behind,” Waterman said.