Buck, a Poverello Center staff member, sits next to a resident of Blue Heron Permanent Supportive Housing. He leans over to her. “Can you hear okay?” he asks.
She’s asked the BINGO caller to speak up a few times in the last few minutes, but a lady at the table behind her laughs. “She’s won two games, I think she’s okay,” says the woman, a grin on her face.
Everyone chuckles a little bit. It’s likely everyone in the community room on the first floor of the apartment building has known each other for a while. People have been moving into apartments since this summer, but many of these new residents were guests of the Poverello Center previously, or knew each other from around town. So although there’s a little bit of friendly competition in the way they play BINGO, there’s no malice in the way they talk about each other.
Buck grins too. He’s retired, but he works evenings at Blue Heron. He says it gets him out of the house, but it’s obvious he has a lot of love for his job. So much, in fact, that he’s started these BINGO games on his own, and encouraged other staff members to get involved. Every other Saturday from 3:00-6:00 PM, Buck volunteers his time to run the game.
The lady in the back eventually calls a BINGO. She checks in with the caller, who confirms she’s won, and grabs a prize from a big basket at the front of the room. Each one of them is covered in purple wrapping paper. When she sits back down, she unwraps it to reveal a new coffee cup. It’s the perfect prize — the kind of thing a person needs for a new apartment, but wouldn’t be able to buy for themself at this point in their housing journey.
Buck purchased most of these items himself. He jokes that the people on Facebook Marketplace probably hate him for buying up so many items. After working at the Johnson Street Shelter last winter, then at the Valor House transitional housing project, Buck knows the importance of building community in a permanent space. “I want [the residents] to feel like they’re at home, like they’re a part of it. We’ve all got to be good neighbors,” he says.
The lobby feels like home, too. Red and gold signs with Christmas slogans line the wall. Buck mentions that some residents are hoping to get a real Christmas tree in the lobby, and the sigh he heaves makes it sound like he’s planning on chopping one down himself.
The games are a huge part of making Blue Heron a home for Buck, and he’s not limiting himself to BINGO. He’s hoping to add chess, cribbage, and anything else he can to the rotation of games. He says he’s grateful to the partner groups like Missoula Housing Authority and Homeword, and the people he works with. “It’s a hell of a crew – everyone wants to work with you,” he explains.
This holiday season is a special one at Blue Heron. For some of the residents, it’s the first time they have been housed over the winter in years. Our Homeless Outreach Team, who has worked with a number of the individuals now living at Blue Heron, said it’s a great comfort to know that those people are in stable housing.
About the resident who won BINGO twice, they say “She has become healthier and happier since finding housing. I believe she will continue to have great success living there.” The HOT Team is also so happy to say that “our clients at Blue Heron are finding their way back to stability through their housing, and they continue to be very vibrant, caring community members.”
Poverello Center staff, Homeword, and Missoula Housing Authority are overjoyed to be providing this home for the holidays. To help us in our mission to provide food, shelter, help, and hope, click below!