News and Events
Agency News:
- Board of Director News: Melissa Guelff has resigned from the Board of Directors citing increased responsibility at work. We welcome Roberta Cross Guns, who was recently elected and agreed to serve on the Board of Directors. We appreciate her willingness and commitment to serve the agency in a voluntary governance capacity.
- Horatio Alger Scholarship Award: For the second consecutive year, a youth enrolled in the Chafee Independent Living Program received a Horatio Alger Scholarship. She resides in a foster home in Browning. She will be attending the University of Montana. Congratulations to this young lady who has been rewarded for all her struggles and efforts. Way To Fire! We are so proud of you!
- Thank You Showdown Ski Area: Showdown allowed the three group homes to enjoy a day of reduced fee skiing and snowboarding. For many of the youth it was the first time they had been on the slopes. They enjoyed themselves immensely. One youth on the return ride home, profusely thanked the staff for arranging the outing. Without the generosity of Showdown, we could never have afforded such a costly recreational outing on our limited budgets. Thank you for providing us this opportunity!
- Kairos Capital Fund/Missouri River Youth Home Building Project: We own land in the east end of town to build a facility to replace the older and deteriorating Missouri River Youth and Shelter Home. The architectural plans are complete, and we will initiate a capital campaign to build the home. We project the cost of the new home to be between $550,000 and $600,000. Please help us achieve our dream/vision, building a new modern facility for our communities troubled youth, by providing direct financial support or ideas for obtaining resources to complete construction. Please contact us with your contributions and suggestions. We Need Your Help. Donations will be placed in the Kairos Capital Fund, restricted for the building of the home as approved by resolution of the Board of Directors. We have developed a Facebook Page to promote the Missouri River Home construction project. Please visit and like us at the link below where you will also be able to view a rendition of the new home. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kairos-Youth-Services-Inc/160050954134033
- United Way Funding: United Way of Cascade County allocated our agency $20,000 this year, a $5,000 or a 20% decrease. Although less funding than requested, we sincerely appreciate their continued dwindling support. Thank You United Way. This revenue is critical to sustaining our financial solvency and enabling us to provide quality care. Without this funding our programming would be severely curtailed. A special Thank You to the individuals who designated their contribution to our agency, many for several years. You are too kind to us. We appreciate your continued support, trust, and confidence in our ability to improve the lives of struggling adolescents and their families. Please visit the donation's link/page where we acknowledge your kindness.
- Community Development Block Grant Award (CDBG): We received $18,819 in CDBG funding from the City of Great Falls to replace a van at the Missouri River Youth and Shelter Home. Taylors Auto Max located a 2016 twelve-seat passenger van with 8,111 miles for an extraordinarily price. Our deepest gratitude and thanks to you both.
- We Moved: We moved our administrative offices. We are located in the same building, but now in Suite 205. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop in and tour our new digs.
Community Service Projects:
- National Day of the Cowboy: The youth and staff from Portage Place participated in the C.M. Russell Museum National Day of the Cowboy. They volunteered at activity stations helping children fabricate paper harmonicas and create collages.
- Building Active Communities' Initiative (BACI): Seven youth and two staff from the Missouri River Youth and Shelter Home spent three hours helping United Way clean up after a BACI project at the Davidson Plaza; specific tasks included moving twenty plus cinder blocks and numerous 2 X 10's four blocks to the basement of the United Way Office, loading/transporting/unloading picnic tables for delivery to the Boys and Girls Club.
- Ice Breaker: One staff and four residents from Portage Place volunteered at the water stations throughout the day.
- Cascade County Aging Services Commodity Supplemental Food Program: Six boys and two staff from the Missouri River Youth and Shelter Home packaged more than 100 food boxes (two pallets) for delivery to low-income elderly individuals.
Youth Activities and Accomplishments
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Fourteen foster care youth throughout Region 2 enrolled in the Chafee Transitional Living Program (Chafee), will be attending a week long Career and Life Readiness Summit in Butte at the Montana Tech campus at the end of the month. The event is sponsored by the Department of Public Health and Human Services and Reach Higher Montana. Our Chafee staff, will be providing transportation and chaperoning the participants.
- A young lady, who discharged to Job Corps in Utah from Evergreen, completed her HiSet (the high school general equivalency degree) while enrolled in the program. Her field of study is Office Management.
- A foster care youth enrolled in the Chafee Independent Living Program from the Hayes/Lodgepole area was selected to receive a Youth Achievement Award that will be presented to her at the Child Abuse and neglect Conference.
- A young lady enrolled in Chafee, under the guardianship of her grandmother, recently completed her HI-Set. .
- A youth in 6th grade increased half-day attendance, school imposed for behavior issues, to three-quarter time during his residence at Portage before the school year ended.
- A young lady at Evergreen, scheduled to graduate in January, completed the CNA class offered by Benefis Hospitals earlier this summer, and has applied to work for them using her certification.