Compassion and collaboration will prevail

With spring around the corner, all of us are looking for renewal and fresh growth. That includes the Flathead Warming Center, a seasonal shelter for the homeless that operates between October and April, with limited services throughout the warm weather months. This past winter was harsher than usual in more ways than one.

As just about everyone knows, the city of Kalispell revoked our permit to operate last September. Since then, temperatures dipped below zero multiple times. In such conditions, anyone attempting to sleep outside faces the likelihood of the loss of life or limb.  It’s an indisputable fact of life in the Flathead Valley. That’s why the Flathead Warming Center exists: to provide a warm and safe refuge for those with nowhere else to go.

Winter tested our community. We challenged the city’s revocation in federal court and were able to re-open in November after the judge ruled the Warming Center’s case was likely to prevail based on the permit revocation being unconstitutional. The people of Kalispell had difficult conversations about homelessness, property rights  and the role of government. Through it all, one thing has remained clear: the need for our services is great.