MISSOULA — Project Community Connect returned to Missoula after a four year hiatus on Wednesday.
The event included over 70 organizations that had services from health care, mental health, dentistry, pet vaccinations, clothing, basic needs, first aid, and many more.
Project Community Connect — organized by the Missoula Public Library — featured various organizations that provide assistance to community members who may not have access to services.
Whether it’s an LGBQT+ support group, legal help, or the food pantry, it was truly a one-stop shop.
“For me personally, it’s just that sense of community come together and to provide mutual aid for our neighbors and for everyone to come together and receive the things that they need in one place," Project Community Connect organizer, Selay Avila told MTN.
Having everything in one place is perhaps the most unique aspect. Someone could show up for general medical care, including wound treatment. That’s what Partnership Health Center does.
Chaz Rourke, outreach manager at Partnership Health Center said that besides dealing with physical wounds, he often deals with wounds dealt by a system that he feels leaves out the most vulnerable.
“When someone asks says ‘Thank you for talking to me today’ like everyone deserves to be talked to like a human.”
While this event is open to the general public, event organizers say that they are mainly aiming to help those that are typically underserved and in need of immediate assistance.
Immediate assistance can look different from person to person. But whatever it might be, Project Community Connect and all the organizations tried to make sure that help would be available.
“I was homeless here, about two and a half years ago, and I found the 4D club I found recovery, said Justin Stantistevan, a board member of the 4D Club, an organization that helps people through addiction.
"I really enjoyed the program, the 12-step program, and worked myself from being homeless to actually being in charge of a hotel, to not being homeless anymore and working through my addiction to get some clean time together.”
While he found the 4D club outside of the event, Stantistevan felt that it was important for the club to attend Wednesday's event.
He said the 4D club was instrumental to his recovery - and now he hopes to help others who struggle with addiction to “come to the other side.”
He said “on the other side” is: “Surreal. It means sitting here and actually not... I don’t know. Sitting on the board and doing a nonprofit and giving back to my community that’s a — I never in a million years thought I would be standing here or sitting here or well dressed or having my own clothes or doing any of this. So it’s surreal.”
One thing that emerged from the event was that no matter whether someone attended looking for help or was part of an organization giving help, this was a major event for community members.
It's an event where they could try and do their part to help their fellow community members in need.
