Agency News:

• Board of Director News: The following individuals were nominated and elected to serve as Officers for 2020 - 2022.  Thank you for agreeing to assume these leadership positions: 
  
• Leanne Frost, Chair      
• Lois Baker, Vice-Chair          
• Lisa Henry, Secretary        
• Brett Gaare, Treasurer
• Linda Mettam
• Tammie Hickey
•  Shanna Bulik-Chism
• Megan Miller      ​
  

• Montana Foster Care Independence Program (MFCIP) Grant Award : We were awarded the MFCIP contract with the Department of Public Health and Human Services to  provide independent living services to foster care youth likely to remain in care until 18  years of age in Region 2,  the Blackfeet, Rocky Boy, and Fort Belknap tribal communities.  The program intends to help them prepare for and enter post-secondary education and training institutions or obtain employment...assisting them to achieve self sufficiency during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. We are excited and honored to be selected again to provide this critical service to improve the lives of foster care youth  throughout our service area as they age out of care to become productive and contributing members of the community. 

Community Service Projects:

• National Day of the Cowboy: The Youth and staff from Portage Place participated in the 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  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 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. 
  
• Tour Park/Flower Bed Maintenance:  The staff and youth from the Missouri River Youth and Shelter Home trimmed shrubbery, weeded, raked and bagged debris that had accumulated over the winter at Tour Park along the Rivers Edge Trail near Mitchell Pool.    
  
•  Cascade County Aging Services Commodity Supplemental Food Program: Two boys from the Missouri  River Youth Home, a young lady from Portage Place, and staff volunteered more than three hours packaging, distributing, and verifying eligibility for the low-income elderly to receive food boxes. 

Youth Activities and Accomplishments

• A young man from Box Elder who aged out of foster care and is participating in the Chafee Independent Living Program attends MSU Northern. He attained Dean’s List honor roll status in his first Semester.
• A foster care youth enrolled in the Montana Chafee Independent Living Program, who we helped purchase materials for family members to fabricate a dress, finished first runner-up in the Miss Blackfeet Contest.
  
• A young lady actively participating in our Chafee/Montana Foster Care Independence Program for the past 3 years, and former resident at Evergreen Youth Home earned her Welding Certificate from Great Falls College MSU. Her most recent of many accomplishments. A real Superstar is this young lady. 
• A young man at Portage Place completed his HiSet, the high school equivalency degree, and is considering enrolling at Great Falls College MSU.
• A former group home resident who is enrolled in the Montana Foster Care Independence Program (Chafee) “rang the bell” at Paris Gibson Alternative Education Center acquiring his high school degree. He is enrolling in the welding program at College of Great Falls-MSU. 
• A young lady who discharged from Evergreen, graduated from Great Falls High School, works as a CNA for Benefis, and is attending Great Falls College-MSU, enrolled in nursing school prerequisite classes, was selected as the  Foster Care Youth of the Year. She received a plaque recognizing her achievement at the Child Abuse neglect Conference in Missoula. Kudos, you earned it young lady!

SUPPORT US