BUTTE — Butte is expecting to serve even more displaced people with more homeless shelters in Montana closing down, including Missoula’s recent decision to shut down the Johnson Street Temporary Emergency Shelter.
“It’s a bummer, those resources, there’s only so much housing in our state, only so much places to go and so we’ll see an impact here,” said Butte Rescue Mission Director Brayton Erickson.
Missoula recently decided to shut down its Johnson Street temporary shelter.
The Butte Rescue Mission is there to help anyone in need.
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“Our front door is open 24/7, we’re here all the time, so we literally save lives on a daily basis,” said Erickson.
The Butte facility gave shelter to more than 660 different people and served more than 106,000 meals in 2024.
The sub-zero temperatures Butte experienced earlier this winter filled the shelter to overflowing.
“Our nightly average was more than double our capacity, so we were seeing 32, 35 people staying here,” he said.
Watch related coverage: City of Missoula announces Johnson Street Temporary Emergency Shelter to close
Shelter officials credit the generosity of the Butte community and the many people who drop off food or clothing.
“You don’t know the stories to the people who are homeless and if I see a stranger on the street, I give them five or 10 bucks,” said Lynette Vetos, who dropped off donated clothes to the shelter.
The Butte shelter is working to expand its rooms and services to not only provide shelter but also to help people get employment and permanent housing.
“You’re valuable, you’re a human and we want to see you succeed in life,” said Erickson.
