Clients of Our Place, the Good Samaritan Ministries-run addiction recovery drop-in center, spent much of Tuesday morning cleaning up the block in an effort to change public perception.
Good Samaritan Ministries and United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area were granted a conditional use permit by the Helena City Commission Monday night, allowing them to open a 25-bed emergency shelter for women at 649 Jackson St.
The commission heard hours of public comment ahead of the vote, some of which was in opposition to the proposed shelter. Those opposed cited littering and vandalism among their concerns.
“We are working very hard to humanize our unsheltered neighbors and get the message across that these people are not all criminals,” local United Way Director of Community Impact Jeff Buscher said Tuesday morning.
He said some of the Our Place clients came up with the idea of cleaning up the block during a group meeting.
“We’re giving them the tools to do what they want to do and that is clean up the neighborhood,” he said.
An Our Place client who goes by CJ said coexisting downtown will require both the business, property and homeowners and the unsheltered population to meet in the middle.
“We have to show them that we want to be good neighbors, but they have to understand that the status quo isn’t working,” CJ said while sweeping dirt off a Last Chance Gulch sidewalk ramp.
Rachell, another Our Place client, said her participation in the clean up helps her out. Rachell said she has been diagnosed with growing calcifications in her brain. She called them “brain stones” and said they have manifested obsessive compulsive tendencies in her.
“It’s nice to have my feet on the ground,” she said.
She said she has noticed many of the unsheltered in Helena do have mental health problems like her.
“They’re not trying to be disrespectful,” she said. “They are unable to make the right choices.”
Buscher said he hopes the clean-up will become a regular occurrence, but that it will take some encouragement.
“If we’re going to change the public perception and empower these people, it’s going to take the right tools,” he said.
After a homeless encampment was dismantled in November, tents and makeshift camps continue to pop up in the city, highlighting the need for additional emergency shelters.
A small camp made up of tarps sits in the back corner of Constitution Park in downtown Helena on Nov. 30, 2023.
In early November, deputies with the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office cleared out a homeless encampment a few miles south of downtown Helena, displacing those who called the camp their home.
The encampment — first on private property before it was moved to U.S. National Forest land — sprung up earlier this summer, and about 25 people lived there, according to coverage by KTVH.Now that the campsite has been removed, some of those unsheltered individuals moved into city limits where they could utilize the nonprofit resources and shelters, while others left the area.
Since then, new camps made up of tents and tarps have popped up within the city parks, on sidewalks and in alleyways, sparking community concerns about public safety while also highlighting the growing unsheltered crisis.
“There is not a spot within city limits that our community has opened up access for unsheltered to camp, [which] makes it very complicated,” Mark Nay, the street outreach coordinator for Good Samaritan Ministries, told Montana Free Press. “Folks that are living on the streets, you know, living in their cars, living in campers. What happens is they’ll kind of get themselves set up in a spot, and it really does go against what our city code is.”
So what is Helena’s stance on homeless encampments and urban camping?
Staying overnight is prohibited in any public or natural park within the city limits without permission from the city’s parks and recreation department, according to the Helena city code.
Although the code states that it’s unlawful to camp or sleep overnight in these areas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled in 2018 that local law enforcement can not cite or arrest campers if there is not adequate shelter available for the homeless. That decision is affecting how many cities throughout the West, including some in Montana, approach expanding homelessness.
Mark Nay, the street outreach coordinator for Good Samaritan Ministries in Helena, sits in his office at Our Place, a resource program for unsheltered individuals on Nov. 29, 2023.
According to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the help of United Way of Lewis and Clark, about 175 unsheltered people are living in the county. Helena does have multiple programs and nonprofits that handle transitional housing, Nay said, but only one emergency shelter without enough beds to go around.
Helena Police Chief Brett Petty told MTFP that officers address complaints about homeless people from the community on a case-by-case basis. One of the most frequent complaints, though, is about people camping in city parks. A goal of his department, Petty said, is to make sure that the parks are usable and safe for everyone in Helena.
“I think the main thing here is being unsheltered, being homeless, being considered transient is not illegal,” Petty said. “Just because you don’t have a house doesn’t mean you’re a criminal, and that’s the way we treat it. Now if you’re camping in the park, there’s an ordinance saying that you can’t, but we have to work with those folks because they don’t have other places to go.”
Petty also shared that the police department works closely with Nay at Good Samaritan Ministries to find homeless individuals temporary shelters and help them utilize resources from local nonprofits.
Helena has multiple resources for individuals and families who don’t have a secure home and are experiencing homelessness.
“I think the main thing here is being unsheltered, being homeless, being considered transient is not illegal.”
HELENA POLICE CHIEF BRETT PETTY
God’s Love is the city’s only emergency shelter that is available to any individual who requires services, although it excludes individuals who become violent within the shelter.
“We have one rule: It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking, using drugs, it doesn’t matter what your story is, the second you hit a staff member you’re gone, no questions asked,” said Rachel Sanders, the office manager at God’s Love.
Those people camping around the shelter are individuals who have been kicked out, some of whom have mental health and addiction issues, Sanders said. God’s Love is at the corner of North Last Chance Gulch and 11th Avenue, and there are a few tents and personal belongings propped up on the north side of the building.
Helena City Manager Tim Burton said Helena is addressing the call for unsheltered assistance by working with the local nonprofits that provide services.
“So we stay in close communication with them, and where there’s opportunity for us to move things along or leverage state or federal grant dollars, those types of activities to help them provide the critical services,” Burton said.
There is an effort led by Good Samaritan Ministries to obtain a permit and funding through the city that would allow for an emergency women’s shelter. The city zoning commission will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 6, to consider the permit for the shelter project.
Burton said he hasn’t had time to analyze the efforts of officials in Bozeman and Missoula to curtail urban camping in those cities. Bozeman has adopted an urban camping ordinance, and Missoula is considering a similar response.
“What I do know is that it’s a national problem, and part of that national problem is in Helena, Montana,” Burton said. “I can speak to the issue that we’re effectively coordinating on a daily, weekly, as-needed basis with the experts that actually provide this service. I can’t say enough about the nonprofit organizations that, I mean, these folks do wonderful work. There’s not a single person in the city staff that has the expertise to run a shelter. It’s just not what we do. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t help the organizations that do provide that service where we can.”
Job Title: Production Assistant: Dock Posting
Hours: 40/wk
Supervisor: Michelle Hughes
Posting Created By: Samantha Jensen
Good Samaritan Ministries, motivated by faith-based teaching, works in our community to advance family life, human dignity, and the common good. We provide services to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and families of all faiths, especially those most in need. Good Samaritan Thrift Store acts as an integral part of Good Samaritan Ministries mission to offer the programs and services to advance human dignity, respect, and support.
The Dock Production Assistant is responsible for accepting incoming donations as well as sorting and preparing donations for store sales and under very stressful conditions.
Essential Functions: Duties and Responsibilities including but not limited to the following
· Works on dock accepting incoming donation items and sorts according to the various departments.
· Works on dock refusing incoming donation items that are ripped, stained, torn, or broken.
· Moves lift furniture items, and assists customers with loading purchased merchandise
· Responsible for keeping the dock warehouse clean, orderly, and safe during the scheduled shifts.
· Provides customers with donation receipts
· Responsible for ensuring a safe sales floor environment for co-workers and customers
· Informs supervisor about any repairs or supplies needed
· Adheres to all building safety requirements, as well as follows procedure when an incident, accident or injury has occurred.
· Adheres to all store lifting policies and weight restrictions
· In the event, a co-worker is out, potentially be willing to cover for the dock area
· Greets and assists customers, clients, and donors, treating all with respect and dignity
· Maintains floors, sweeping, washing on the dock area
· Breaks down cardboard boxes for recycling
· Interacts and communicates professionally and effectively while maintaining open communication with supervisors, other team members, customers, and clients.
· Learns New Tasks
· Follows Directions and Policies
· Attends all meetings and trainings as required
· Other duties as assigned
· Frequent Lifting, carrying and transporting of objects weighing up to 125lbs or above.
· Mobility within the facility and the ability to occasionally drive, load, and unload the delivery truck
Benefits: Full Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account and 401 (k)!
Job Title: Production Assistant: Clothing Dept
Hours: Full time
Pay: $10.30/hr
GOOD SAMARITAN MINISTRIES THRIFTSTORE: Good Samaritan Ministries, motivated by faith-based teaching, works in our community to advance family life, human dignity, and the common good. We provide services to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and families of all faiths, especially those most in need. Good Samaritan Thrift Store acts as an integral part of Good Samaritan Ministries mission to offer the programs and services to advance human dignity, respect and support.
Essential Functions: Duties and Responsibilities including but not limited to the following.
· Expected to daily sort, price as needed, and place clothing racks on the sales floor for purchase.
· Ensures clothing is stocked for daily sales, especially during ½ price sale.
· Responsible for keeping the Clothing production area clean and orderly, and remove all trip and fall hazards, as well as keeping displays pleasing to the customer’s eye.
· Conducts “pull-downs” at the end of the month or as desired.
· Puts away processed and priced merchandise.
· Adheres to all building safety requirements, as well as follows procedure when an incident, accident, or injury has occurred.
· Adheres to all store lifting policies and weight restrictions.
· In the event, a co-worker is out, potentially be willing to cover for staff and/or area.
· Greets and assists customers, treating all with respect and dignity.
· Maintains floors and workbenches, sweeping, washing in your department area, and make sure the shelves are dusted and presentable on the sales floor.
· Works consistently through the day with approved breaks. When area duties are “caught up”, find other tasks or projects to stay busy in the effort to support the store and co-workers.
· Takes initiative to help others by picking up around the store (inside and out), moving empty carts into cart area when needed.
· Interacts and communicates professionally and effectively while maintaining open communication with supervisors, and other team members, customers, and clients.
· Learns New Tasks
· Follows Directions and Policies
· Attends all meetings and training as required.
· Ability to manage a fast-paced store environment with heavy traffic flow on and off throughout the day
· Ability to stand for long periods of time, Frequent Lifting, carrying and transporting of objects weighing up to 60lbs.
Benefits: Full Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account and 401 (k)!
Job Title: Production Assistant Hours: 40/wk
Department: Electronics
Reports to: Michelle Hughes
Pay: $10.30/hr
Mission Statement: Good Samaritan Ministries, motivated by Catholic social teaching, works in our community to advance family life, human dignity, and the common good. We provide services to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals and families of all faiths, especially those most in need.
The objective of the Position: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Electronics Department Essential Functions: Duties and Responsibilities including but not limited to the following:
· Will sort, test, process, price, and recycle all incoming donations into the electronics department
· Will place stickers on donations that have been tested “TESTED” and your initials and the date
· Will place stickers on donations that have not been tested “AS IS” and your initials and the date
· Will remove old garage sale tags; do not just cover them
· Each morning before you start testing take a walk through the Electronics department on the sales floor.
· Dispose of trash, organize shelves, and make it presentable to the customers
· Wrap up cords
· Will ensure that goals are met, and new department goals set
· Will be actively engaged to increase numbers in this department
· Will write neatly and legible on donations (ex. Turns on and works but needs charger and then your initials)
· Functions as a team member for the success of the Good Samaritan Store
· Interacts and communicates professionally and effectively while maintaining open communication with supervisors, and other team members, customers, and clients.
· Learns New Tasks
· Follows Directions and Policies
· Attends work on a regular basis with minimal absences or tardiness
· Attends all meetings and training as required
· Other duties as assigned
· Organized, sets priorities meets deadlines, and works with minimum supervision
· Excellent customer service skills while dealing with customers, co-workers, and volunteers
· Frequent lifting, carrying, and transporting of objects weighing up to 20lbs. team lifting 20lbs and above
· Mobility within the facility and the ability to occasionally drive, load, and unload the delivery truck
· Fast-paced store environment with heavy traffic flow on and off throughout the day
Benefits: Full Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account and 401 (k)!
To keep more people out of the cold, we are extending hours at Our Place drop in center from Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Our place is a community center that provides peer recovery services, community groups, crisis mitigation, and housing assistance. It is a safe place for community members to have a cup of coffee, use the computers, and/or grab a donated blanket or coat.
DOCK UPDATE: AT THIS TIME, WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
Greetings customers, donors, and others, please be advised our dock is closed until further notice due to being short-staffed and the need to catch up on our existing donations and maintain staff and volunteer safety. Your donations are greatly appreciated for GSM thrift store operations, our employees, and the most in need in our community. We are truly sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
We are still accepting furniture donations! Please come to the front entrance of Good Samaritan thrift store to give your gently used furniture today!
Thank you for your amazing generosity and continued support of our Thrift Store! The store is open regular hours.
Please join us at NAMIWalks Montana Sunday, September 24, 2023 at Memorial Park. We believe in the power of mental health care and providing Montanans with tools for success. We will have a table with information on our assistance programs from 12-2:30pm. See you there!
Rough Sleepers: A Community Conversation about the Unsheltered in Helena
Plymouth Church – UCC, in partnership with the Lewis and Clark Library, United Way, the Montana Jewish Project, Good Samaritan and the Helena United Methodist Churches, invite the public to participate in the reading and five-week discussion of “Rough Sleepers” by Pulitzer-prize winning author, Tracy Kidder. The origins of housing shortages, education, medical care, and substance abuse are a few of the topics that will be featured each week and explored by leaders in our community, from Wednesday August 30 through Wednesday September 27. All discussions will be held at 12 noon; sack lunches encouraged. The Lewis and Clark Library hosts the first gathering in the meeting room, though each week the discussion will move to other locations. No reservations required; all are invited whether or not you have read the book.
August 30 at Lewis and Clark County Library, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch
“Why Now? Historical Origins of the Housing Crisis”, (discussion about why homelessness seems like a national crisis now) facilitated by Dr. Pat Christian, Carroll College
September 6 at Our Place, 631 N. Last Chance Gulch
“Who Is My Neighbor?” (Stories of people who are homeless), facilitated by Theresa Ortega, Good Samaritan, and Rev. Dr. Jeff Buscher, United Way
September 13 at the Montana Jewish Project Temple Emanu-El, 515 N. Ewing
“What’s Education Got to Do with It?” (Information from an educator, social
worker and a parent interacting with unsheltered children and adults),
participants include Siobhan Hathhorn, Chair of the Helena School Board
Trustees, Jaymie Sheldahl, Family and Community Partnerships for Rocky
Mountain Development Council Head Start with Jennifer Hedges
September 20 at Covenant United Methodist Church, 2330 E. Broadway
“Practical Considerations and Overwhelming Needs” (a perspective from local government regarding low-income housing and the challenges the city and county face) facilitated County Commissioner Andy Hunthausen and Mayor Wilmot Collins
September 27 at Plymouth Church – UCC, 400 S. Oakes (lunch provided)
“What About Drugs, Addictions, Mental Health and Other Life Threatening Concerns on the Streets”, facilitated by Teresa KelleyBrewer, Pure View Clinic
