MISSOULA — Family dinners can mean a lot, especially during hard times.
Now, those staying at the emergency Meadowlark Family Housing Center can count on an expanded menu of nutritious, kid-friendly dinners five nights a week.
Local groups teamed up to start the program, with the Missoula Senior Center staff doing the cooking and Family Promise of Missoula volunteers serving it up. They hope it will support families, like the over 100 that used the Meadowlark last year.
“I think residents have noticed how different the food has been and how much broader of a range the food has. Because it'll be, you know, chicken strips one night and then the next night it'll be, you know, French dip with au jus,” said Family Promise program manager PJ Willett. “I think it runs the runs the gamut of things that kids and adults both like.”
The Meadowlark provides short-term shelter for Missoula families, defined as those with at least one child under 18 or pregnant women in their third trimester. Residents also receive support in finding permanent housing during their stay.
While what food is on the table might seem irrelevant to finding housing, Willett said the two are absolutely connected. The dinner program aims to help.
“A lot of families that come in will be employed or they'll have a little bit of money, but this helps offset the cost of housing applications and saving up for deposits,” he said. “For families that are actually unemployed, it helps with the food that they can't afford.”
To keep mouths full, Family Promise is accepting financial donations to the program running long term.
