KALISPELL — Northwest Montana is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the state.
A program that aims to help veterans in need has moved into to a new building in Kalispell that will help provide more outreach opportunities for the veteran community.
A crowd gathered at the new office for Volunteers of America Northern Rockies in Kalispell on 1st Avenue West.
“It’s larger, it’s much more inviting, and I can’t say enough about this space, it’s absolutely beautiful and we want our veterans to come here and let us help them,” said Vice President of Veteran Services Darcy Alt.
Alt said VOA specializes in securing housing for veterans, finding employment, childcare and more.
“Anything that we can do to assist somebody when they are at their lowest to get them to where they need to be we absolutely want to do that; I think last year we were able to get 251 veterans housed,” said Alt.
Kalispell resident Ayla Douglass served in both the United States Army and the National Guard.
After her service she developed a substance use disorder and struggled to find permanent housing, often sleeping out of her car.
“You can’t be sober, you can’t be okay until you have somewhere to be safe, and safe is something that’s always been really hard for me and they gave that to me without needing it from somewhere else or having a stipulation on it,” said Douglass.
Douglass said VOA helped her secure a down payment on a studio apartment she’s now living in.
She encourages other veterans to ask for help if they need it.
“And CPS is talking about letting my kids come home because now I finally had that foundation to get sobriety, and to start doing the things that I needed to do, and now my kids are going to come home, and that’s a long time coming,” said Douglass.
More information on VOA Northern Rockies can be found here.
