Looking to the Future | Navigating Solutions with Jill Bonny
Some years ask more of a community than others.
2025 was one of those years.
It brought significant and unexpected challenges for the Poverello Center. In March, we learned that the Johnson Street Emergency Shelter would be closing earlier than we had planned, a shift that required us to quickly reassess our operations and our path forward. At a time when we had been exploring ways to expand shelter services, we instead found ourselves pivoting to manage the loss of funding and resources. We had to think carefully about what those changes would mean for our staff and for the people who rely on us each day.
When the shelter closed in September, that transition coincided with additional pressures being felt across the community. Changes to SNAP benefits and the possibility of further restrictions created uncertainty not only for our food programs, but for many of our partner organizations as well. As fewer supports were available, more people turned to us for help. In October, November, and December, we served an average of 1,150 more meals each month than we had in September, and our food pantry supported an average of 42 additional households during the same period. We were grateful to be able to welcome more people and meet immediate needs, even as we worked to stretch limited supplies and resources to keep pace with the growing demand.
Through these challenges, our community stepped up. Households brought in homegrown produce for us to serve on our lunch line. Donors dug deep during campaigns like Missoula Gives and Giving Tuesday. Volunteers filled our kitchen to prepare sack lunches and help keep our food programs running. The Poverello Center has always been a community effort, and in 2025, Missoula once again showed that the work of addressing homelessness never rests on just one organization.
As we say goodbye to 2025 and look ahead to the new year, we remain focused on both immediate needs and long-term goals. First, we must make it through the harsh Montana winter. Without a second shelter, this season has been more difficult than in years past. We are deeply grateful for the work of the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative, which has coordinated a system to shelter up to 40 people in local churches on the coldest nights of the year. This effort will be an essential, life-saving measure for people in our community and a powerful example of how local organizations can come together in service of a safer Missoula.
Further into the year, we are excited to share that our new facility for veterans’ transitional housing will open this fall. After years of hard work, the former Clark Fork Inn on Broadway will be transformed into 16 single-occupancy apartments, each with its own bathroom and kitchenette, along with shared community space. This new facility will allow veterans to live with greater dignity and stability as they move from homelessness to permanent housing.
As an emergency organization, we know that plans often change, and our role is to respond to the immediate needs of our community as they arise. At the same time, we are committed to building toward a stronger future for Missoula, one that requires patience, persistence, and long-term investment. The Clark Fork Inn project reflects that commitment, and our belief that better shelter is possible for veterans and for all guests of the Poverello Center. In 2026, we will remain focused on providing not only immediate support but thoughtful, lasting solutions.