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11/28/2025
“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to kfairbanks@montanafreepress.org.
Community programs that provide holiday gifts and other resources for families in need are seeing increased demand this year.
The Bridge, a community resource organization and thrift store, received 300 more applications for its angel tree program than last year, said Carli Worley, co-founder. The program will fill requests for 136 children, tripling last year’s total, she said.
“It definitely speaks to the need we’re seeing in the community,” Worley said.
In late October, Worley and fellow co-founder Mickala Gillispie opened the thrift store to support the organization, which provides free resources to those in need. After seeing an increasing number of people using The Bridge’s free fridge and pantry and requesting clothes, the women decided to expand the angel tree program, Worley said. They surpassed their goal of at least 100 children after seeing many kids ask for hygiene products or simple things like socks and Hot Wheels, she said.
“We accepted all with little requests, and we’re going to fill those needs plus extra,” Worley said. “So we did go over what we planned, but we set our minds to it, and we’re going to make it happen.”
This year, the program accepted applications for kids ages 2 to 18, with a focus on fulfilling requests for those 16- to 18-years-old who often are ineligible for other programs, Worley said.
“We do notice a trend of the children left on the tree are older, so our goal is to get all of those out of the way first,” she said.
Those interested in supporting families can pick tags from The Bridge’s angel trees at its thrift shop, 2412 River Rd., or at Buff City Soap, 2230 N. Reserve St. Children’s requests are also listed online, and people can reach out to The Bridge if they would like to support one or more. Gifts are due Dec. 19, and families will pick up the items from Dec. 21 to 23. The Bridge will fulfill any requests not picked up by the community, and any donations to the organization in December will go toward the gifts, Worley said.
The River of Life Church in East Missoula has seen an increase in sign-ups for its Toys4Joy program this year, said Angela Johnson, the church’s outreach pastor. The program is capped at 500 kids right now but may be able to serve more if funds become available, she said. Last year, the program served 460 kids, up from 160 the year before, Johnson said.
River of Life has also seen an increase in families using its food bank in the last month, Johnson said. The church gave out 192 Thanksgiving meal baskets last Sunday, about 30 or so more than last year, she said.
The church is accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys and money for the Toys4Joy program, Johnson said. On Dec. 12, families will “shop” for three gifts for each child and pick out a family game, she said.
“We changed to this way three years ago so parents are able to shop for their kids,” Johnson said. “We wanted to give them more dignity in feeling like they are picking out gifts for their kids.”
The Salvation Army of Missoula’s Angel Tree and Adopt-a-Family programs, which provide gifts and food for families in need, may serve about 600 families, the number they assisted last year, said Major Monica Covert.
An angel tree will be set up this weekend at the Walmart on Brooks Street, and tags can also be picked up at the Salvation Army’s location on Russell Street. People can also donate new toys at Crawfords Auto and Motorsports on Broadway. The Angel Tree program serves children 12 and younger. Gifts are due back to the Salvation Army on Dec. 12.
Donors can also contact Major Monica Covert to participate in the Adopt-a-Family program, which provides food and gifts for all family members. Donations to the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, which kicked off this week, also stay local, Covert said.
Missoula County Public Schools and staff at individual schools organize angel trees/giving trees and other holiday support, said Erica Zins, the district’s student services coordinator. About 700 families are signed up to receive gifts, meals or other resources, she said.
Zins said the district hasn’t seen a huge increase in requests for holiday support, but more families are seeking help to pay for basic needs like food, gas and laundry.
The school district has a giving tree set up at its administrative building at 909 South Ave., where anyone interested can choose a tag and bring a gift to support a family, Zins said. Several city of Missoula departments also have trees set up, she said.
The nonprofit Missoula Goodfellows Club and a group of supporters, who prefer to remain anonymous, provide turkey meal boxes for families, Zins said.
The KYSS FM radio station’s “KYSSMas for Kids” fundraiser donates gift cards to families in need for holiday gifts, Zins said.
The district can always use donated gift cards from Walmart or Target to help families with gifts or food, Zins said. Families in need can reach out to their school’s community liaison or call Zins at 406-728-2400 ext. 1040 to learn more about available resources.
Throughout the year, community organizations and businesses hold clothing and school supply drives or donate to support families in need, Zins said.
“I have to stress our community, families and organizations have just been wonderful,” she said. “I appreciate how much our community supports one another; we do that well. I feel lucky to be here.”
Missoula homeless shelters prepare for cold snap, plan overflow space
Missoula homeless shelters are working with the city and local churches ahead of a weekend cold snap to set up overflow spaces in case the shelters become full on the coldest nights.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for snow and an overnight low around 10 degrees Friday, dropping to 7 degrees Saturday night and a low around 18 degrees Sunday night.
This is the first winter since 2020 that the 165-bed Johnson Street homeless shelter is not open. The city permanently closed the shelter Sept. 2 after it ran out of funding.
Emily Armstrong, the city’s houseless programs manager, said her team is working with Missoula Interfaith Collaborative and representatives of a few different congregations to set up overflow space in churches if the Poverello Center is full and the temperature threshold is hit. The overflow space will be available when it “feels like” 10 degrees or below and staffed through the MIC’s Missoula Works program, Armstrong said.
The Poverello Center has space for 150 people and has been nearing capacity every night in recent weeks, said Stephanie Dolan, the shelter’s development director.
“I imagine when this cold snap hits, we’ll definitely fill up,” she said.
People can sign up for a lottery in the morning and find out if they get a bed in the evening, Dolan said. If temperatures are below freezing during the day, the shelter will keep the building open, she said.
The Pov’s homeless outreach team will work with unsheltered people who cannot stay in the shelter or choose not to, Dolan said. Donations of warm clothing, boots, socks, handwarmers, footwarmers, sleeping bags and tents are needed for people living outdoors, she said.
The Family Housing Center at YWCA Missoula’s Meadowlark shelter is full with a waiting list, and the domestic violence shelter is close to capacity with some flexibility, said Becky Margolis, YWCA communications manager. If the same 10-degree temperature threshold is hit, the YWCA will use a conference room for temporary overflow space, she said. Churches that are part of the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative’s Family Promise, which runs the Family Housing Center with the YWCA, will also take in families if needed, Margolis said.
By the Numbers
The amount of pounds of food donated and money raised by the Missoula and Bozeman communities during the Can the Cats/Can the Griz food drive. Every dollar donated is equivalent to one pound of food.
Missoula raised 1,091,755 pounds total, with 209,847 pounds of food and $881,908 donated to support the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center and the UM Food Pantry. Bozeman raised 1,018,613, with 335,189 pounds of food and $683,425 donated for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.
“We are so moved by how our community showed up, including our donors, volunteers, and partners,” said Amy Allison, the Missoula Food Bank’s executive director, in an email. “This generosity gives us tremendous hope and ensures that December and the months ahead will be abundant for our community. We could not do what we do to fight food insecurity in our state without the people who show up, give big, and believe in caring for one another.”
Both the Griz and the Cats raised a record amount of food, topping last year’s total of 1.3 million pounds. Allison said she thinks communities stepped up because of the federal government shutdown and delays in SNAP food assistance payments.
5 Things to Know in Missoula
The city of Missoula is seeking feedback on creating a special improvement district to help fund projects aimed at reducing train horn noise in the Lower Rattlesnake area. Train horn blasts during the day and night can be disruptive to people living and working near the crossing at Spruce Street/Greenough Drive, according to the city. Installing wayside horns, which would warn of oncoming trains instead of train horns, at Madison Street/Greenough Drive and new gate arms at Taylor Street would cost an estimated $921,000, according to the city. The Missoula Redevelopment Agency has committed $200,000 to contribute to the project. A special improvement district in the affected Lower Rattlesnake, downtown and East Broadway areas would help raise the remaining money. A survey on the proposal is open through Dec. 5 and is available online along with more information.
Seasonal closures to protect wintering elk begin Dec. 1 in some recreation areas. On Mount Jumbo, the north zone will close until at least May 1, and the south zone until mid-March. The “L” and I-90 trails remain open all year, but dogs must be leashed during the winter closure. The upper portion of the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest will be closed to all forms of recreation, and areas of the preserve will be under a dog closure. Trails in the O’Brien Creek area near Blue Mountain will close Dec. 1 through mid-May. More information and maps are available online.
The city of Missoula and Clearwater Credit Union recently received a $250,000 grant to identify public-private clean energy projects. Missoula was one of 50 communities to receive the grant from the Coalition for Green Capital’s Municipal Investment Fund, which aims to accelerate the development and construction of energy-efficient infrastructure projects. The city, Clearwater Credit Union, Missoula County, Climate Smart Missoula, and the Missoula Economic Partnership will work together to identify potential projects and create a plan to raise the necessary funds to implement them, according to a press release. The plan will develop projects to reduce pollution and bring down energy costs for homes, businesses and public institutions.
The first half of property taxes is due Monday, Dec. 1, and Missoula County officials are encouraging homeowners to mail payments before then to avoid late fees. Due to changes in mail processing, postmarks may not accurately reflect the date the envelope was mailed. Property owners can drop off payments at the blue courthouse drop box in the west parking lot off Woody Street or pay online at missoulataxes.us. Fees apply when paying online by credit or debit card; however, there is no fee for e-check payments. More information on tax bills is available at missoula.co/propertytaxinfo.
Christmas tree permits are on sale at Lolo National Forest ranger stations and online. Permits cost $5 per tree, and up to three permits can be purchased per person. Buying a permit online comes with a $2.50 transaction fee. Those interested in buying a permit from a ranger station are encouraged to call ahead to make sure the office is open. Tree harvesting is not allowed on private land, wilderness areas, previously thinned areas or in the Blue Mountain, Pattee Canyon or Rattlesnake recreation areas. More information about where and how to cut a tree is available on the Forest Service’s website.
Might be Fun
Missoulians are encouraged to shop at local businesses and restaurants during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29. Shoppers can stop by Missoula’s “shop and dine local headquarters” at Paddleheads Post from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pick up a coupon for free hot cocoa, “shop small” goodies and a list of promotions. The Downtown Missoula Partnership’s website lists participating businesses and deals.
Indigenous Made Montana’s fourth annual Winter Market runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Missoula County Fairgrounds Saturday. The market will feature more than 50 Indigenous artists and makers selling art, fashion, jewelry, home goods, gifts and other goods. DJ Carlos will play music with special live performances throughout the day. Lighthouse Espresso and Fat Baby Frybread food truck will be on site.