Flathead Warming Center supporters take to the streets to show solidarity with homeless population

Nov. 13—The Flathead Warming Center on Monday organized a welcome-back celebration for shelter guests after reopening for overnight stays last week.

About 50 people, comprised of shelter volunteers and supporters, bundled up to stroll up and down Kalispell's North Meridian Road in the evening hours of Nov. 11. Organizers said the event was aimed at fostering a warm environment for homeless people who often walk the busy street to get to the Warming Center.

Many held signs that read "We care for each other in the Flathead," or "All Welcome," paired with an orange balloon at their side.

The shelter reopened for overnight guests on Nov. 7 after federal Judge Dana Christensen ruled that the low-barrier homeless shelter could remain open amid its ongoing lawsuit against the city of Kalispell.

Kalispell City Council voted to revoke the Warming Center's conditional use permit, which allowed it to operate as a homeless shelter, in September. Councilors cited neighbor complaints that homeless individuals using the shelter were having an adverse effect on the neighborhood.

In response, a national nonprofit law firm, the Institute for Justice, filed a federal lawsuit backing the shelter, arguing that the city unlawfully revoked its permit.

Leanette Galaz organized the walk and is a community organizer who specializes in rallying support around housing issues in the county. She said the walk down North Meridian Road is a means to "challenge some public perceptions about [the road] and safety when the Warming Center is in operation," she said.

Warming Center Chair and co-founder Luke Heffernan said the event, held on Veterans Day, was also meant to show support for former servicemen and women. The shelter counts homeless veterans among its clients, he said.

Dana Leys was among those holding an orange balloon while walking in support of the shelter. Leys said she was homeless about 10 years ago while living in Redding, California. She has lived in Kalispell for the past eight years and wanted to take to the streets to show support for the shelter.

"I feel a calling to show the homeless that there is hope, that they can come up out of it," she said. "I'd like to let the community know that it's not just a lost cause, it actually does help people."

Collette Durante and her daughter Andreya Grozik have lived in various cities across the country and in Montana. They moved to Kalispell for its small, tight-knit community and were happy to hear the shelter reopened.

"I was thrilled when they were allowed to sleep there again. It was horrendous to imagine what they did when they had no place to go," said Durante.

"We believe that this should actually not be political but a community issue," said Grozik, who noted that lack of affordable housing is a widespread issue.