The Northwest Montana United Way is launching a program to connect homeless people in Flathead County to family, friends and assistance programs outside of the valley.

Director Jodie Cross said the program was partly inspired by a similar endeavor previously run by Ray of Hope, a Kalispell-based Christian ministry and nonprofit that operates several shelters among other programs for those struggling with homelessness, addiction and financial hardships. 

The goal is to help people struggling with homelessness relocate to a place with more connections or resources, according to Cross. That could mean family relations, friends or programs, like substance abuse treatment, that could aid an individual. 

“This last winter we ran across a bunch of people that had families out of state, and in their minds, life gets better if they have more of a support system,” Cross said “... Or there was one person who was wanting rehab, you know, they just need to get there.”

Northwest Montana can be an isolating area, as it’s not close to any major cities, Cross noted. Traveling to and from the area can be expensive, and under certain circumstances, it could be difficult to leave due to financial constraints. 

Cross recalled a conversation with a man who was waiting by a bus stop in Kalispell last fall. It was around Halloween and she noticed he was only wearing shorts in the chilly weather. When she asked if he had pants to wear, he told her “he was getting out of this God forsaken place.” 

“He came up here, figuring he can get some help to get off his feet. But it was cold, and there was nothing up here and nobody would help him. So, I ended up talking with him a little bit. He was heading back to his brother’s, he had gotten a train ticket,” Cross said. 

Homeless individuals who are interested must fill out an application, which allows the United Way to contact the people they will be staying with to arrange their arrival. Cross said they are coordinating with the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office to run background checks on applicants to ensure that they are not ducking outstanding warrants. 

She said the application also gives staff clearance to contact ICE to check on a person’s immigration status. 

When it comes to travel arrangements, Cross said United Way personnel will look at what will work on a case-by-case basis. If it’s a minor traveling alone, she said they would most likely choose airfare. But adults would either get assistance traveling by bus or by train. 

Cross said United Way will not alert the destination communities beyond the household or program that individual will join. She said if someone has a clean record there isn’t a reason to contact law enforcement where they are moving. 

She said that the program’s goal is to help connect people to resources, rather than just moving homeless people to another community to repeat the same cycle.  

“Shuffling the responsibility of helping an unhoused individual is not what we want to do, but if we can alleviate some of the unhoused population stress for the community by helping those who do have a support system get there, then we've won on both sides of the coin,” Cross said. 

The program is funded entirely by anonymous donations. 

“Life turns chaotic … sometimes the easiest malfunction can cause the greatest damage. So If you take it back to ground zero sometimes and just start over, getting forward is a lot quicker,” Cross said.

The United Way has already helped several people move, Cross said. As recently as this week, an applicant came in and they were able to arrange for a family member to come get them. She said so far, most of the applicants have asked to get to other states. 

As residents in the Flathead Valley debate on how to alleviate the area’s rising homelessness problem, Cross said the program is one more way  to address the issue. 

“People just can’t be on the streets,” Cross said. “Montana is rugged country, it’s not safe.”

Those interested in supporting the program or applying for relocation assistance can contact the Northwest Montana United Way at 406-752-7266.

Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis and those in greatest need will be assisted first, as funds allow, officials said.

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.