MISSOULA — With cold weather moving in, the need for warm clothing is growing.
That’s especially true for families served by Friends of the Children Western Montana — a local mentorship organization supporting kids facing serious obstacles.
According to Alek Nelson, development and communications associate for Friends of the Children Western Montana, children often enter the program between the ages of four and six, working with mentors until they graduate high school.
Many of those children come from homes facing financial hardship or instability, according to Nelson.
According to Friends of the Children, NorthWestern Energy already partners with the organization, providing various amounts of funding throughout the year.
Now, NorthWestern Energy is also hosting a warm clothing drive, collecting new and gently used items to support children and families in need.
A gesture that Todd Rahr, community relations manager for NorthWestern Energy, says aligns with his company’s values.
And for Friends of the Children, Alek Nelson, development and communications associate for the organization, says it lowers the hurdles for families in their programs.
“The idea is we have a spot where families and caregivers can just take what they need. There's no questions asked. We don't want it to feel like they're a burden. We want to make sure that our families are taken care of. And so it makes a huge difference to the families that may not have another way to get those warm clothing items they need,” said Nelson.
“Our number one thing is our customers. And being a part of the community as a whole is our number one thought pillar,” said Rahr.
You can visit NorthWestern Energy’s Missoula office to drop off clothing at 1903 S. Russell St.
