MISSOULA — Mountain Home Montana offers transitional housing and helpful programs to young mothers in need.
However, as they’re renovating a new facility, the organization has been in need of financial support, and that’s where the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation stepped in — by donating $1 million.
“We normally do not give capital grants, we only give service grants,” Mike Halligan, Executive Director of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation told MTN.
The foundation normally only supports volunteer efforts, but in the case of Mountain Home Montana’s expansion, Halligan shared that they couldn’t turn down the chance to help.
“Because of the absolute need for childcare and these types of services for young moms and that sort of thing, you know, [we said] that we're gonna go ahead and do it.”
Halligan explained why the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation has worked with Mountain Home Montana for 20 years.
"We consider Mountain Home Montana to be one of the top two organizations in the state that is helping young mothers."
Mountain Home Montana provides shelter and therapy services for young mothers in need.
“Our whole model is to strengthen community two generations at a time. We find when families can get into stable housing and don't have to worry about the day-to-day of what they're going to eat, how they're going to even make it through the day, they're able to start actually planning their lives,” explained Mountain Home's Director of Development and Impact Kelsie Severson.
Mountain Home is working on opening a new facility on Missoula’s Hillside Drive to grow the number of people they can serve at a time. They’ll have 20 more spaces available for housing.
“At our current residence [on South Avenue]. We have a six-bedroom group home in five transitional living apartments. So, it would more than double our capacity for housing," Severson explained.
Severson shared that Mountain Home staff are very thankful for the foundation’s donation.
"This million-dollar gift is such a blessing to us and gets us one step closer to be able to renovate the entire building.”
