MISSOULA - A group of Missoula advocates is holding a sit-in downtown this week, to bring awareness to the struggles people experiencing homelessness often face.
The Hope Health Alliance is organizing the event on the courthouse lawn, to show support for people experiencing homelessness in Missoula.
A small group showed up Wednesday afternoon in the shade of a nearby tree to talk about pressing issues such as rising housing costs and being unsheltered in the heat.
Tyler Steinebacher says they hope to support people who may not be comfortable speaking out themselves.
"They're the people that have the hardest time speaking up, because they feel like they're going to get in trouble for speaking up,” Steinebacher said.
“What we're trying to do is show them that it's okay, and we're here to defend them for doing so," Steinebacher continued. "This is the first of many things to start."
Steinebacher says the nonprofit is training people to canvass so that they can go door to door and have people share their stories with the community.
