Missoula Shelter Celebrates 50th With Campaign to Fight Hunger

Missoula, MT ( KGVO-AM News ) - Missoula's Poverello Center is celebrating its 50th year of serving the community with its fall campaign to fight hunger.

I spoke with Communications Director Beckett Redinger this week who began by celebrating the annual 'Pumpkins for the POV' campaign.

The Poverello Center Celebrates its 50th Anniversary with Pumpkins for the Pov

"This fall our 50th anniversary autumn campaign is out," began Redinger. "We have 'Pumpkins for the POV' for sale at the Good Food Store, the Patio at Rattlesnake Market, and the Missoula YMCA as well as the Trough. Any size pumpkin goes for $12 and all of those funds go back to serving three meals a day at the Poverello Center and hot dinner every day at the Johnson Street Shelter, as well as sack lunches for shelter guests and neighbors living unsheltered."

Redinger expanded on the benefits of Pumpkins for the POV.

Each Pumpkin Purchased Represents Funding for the Center's Activities

"One pumpkin provides 12 sack lunches for an individual living unsheltered, and two pumpkins provide a week's worth of nutritious food for someone staying in our shelter," Redinger said. "Five pumpkins also helps our Funds for Fuel for our food rescue truck for one month to help us keep going around the community and picking up donations to use in our kitchen."

Redinger expanded on the good work they do for the hungry and homeless in Missoula.

"Our food pantry has seen a rise in visitors recently from all over the community, so we're really focusing this fall on helping not just folks who stay at our shelter, but also who are living unsheltered and to have housing as well and just need a bit of help with their food budget."

The Poverello Center Also Helps Provide Permanent Housing

In addition to support for the hungry, Redinger said the Poverello Center also works to find permanent housing for those who need it.

"One of the things we're most proud of is our work at Blue Heron Place, which is the permanent supportive housing complex that just filled up this year," said Redinger. "That's in partnership with Homeword, Missoula Housing Authority, and Partnership Health Clinic. The goal is to help move folks from homelessness into permanent supportive housing and get them back on their feet, get them back stable with those resources for whatever they need to make that work long term."