KALISPELL — While many of us were sitting at home during the lockdown that happened during this week last year, one Kalispell City Councilman dived into creating a conversation between community members virtually for all to see.
Ryan Hunter may be a familiar face for those in the Flathead community, as he serves on the city council in Kalispell, but the pandemic brought him to his new project.
“Last year during the lockdown with pandemic lots people were hunting for information about what was going on and so I wanted to be a resource for the community,” Hunter said.
So, Hunter took to YouTube to facilitate a conversation with nonprofits creating the channel Kalispell Connections -- a space where Hunter interviews leaders of local food banks, nonprofits, and even those experiencing homelessness.
“This was just kind of my own personal project of wanting to interview people in the community who are doing great work,” Hunter told MTN News.
But interviewing people was not something Hunter was new to, “I had a radio program up in Whitefish community radio years ago and so I picked up on that and wanted to do it again.”
With 29 episodes uploaded and nearly 2,000 channel views, Hunter hopes to engage community members to see who they would like to see next.
“I look forward to hopefully you know the public can engage and provide suggestions to me about folks they would like to see interviewed,” Hunter said.
Hunter hopes to continue the channel and to continue to engage viewers well beyond 2021. You can visit Kalispell Connections on Youtube to join in on the conversation.
