The Salvation Army Havre Service Center has long been a steady lifeline for people facing tough times—whether they need help with housing, transportation, or just making it to a job interview. But now, the center itself is asking for help.
Due to a major funding shortfall, the donation-based nonprofit is cutting back its office and staff hours to just three mornings a week, even as community need is at an all-time high.
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Beginning this week, new temporary hours will be Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The center will still offer appointments outside of those hours by phone when possible, at 406-265-6411.
For people like Shila Chavez, the center’s services made all the difference. She explains, “When I was released from jail, I only had just the clothes that I was wearing. I met with Trina at the Salvation Army and she had a place to offer me to live and a clothing voucher. While I was working, they were paying my rent for about three months. And then, little by little, I started to pay my own rent.”
While getting back on her feet, Charlotte was able to use the Salvation Army’s food pantry and attend life skills classes. That support gave her room to breathe and save money while she worked toward stability.
Shila says, “I'm on my own now. And without the Salvation Army, I wouldn't have any of this. And I came in here with nothing.”
Her story is one of many. Since October, the Havre center has assisted 247 individuals and families with emergency services like rent assistance, utility support, and referrals to other programs.
Director of the Havre Service Center, Trina Crawford, says the community need is at an all-time high: “The needs within the community for people are so much greater because everything's rising, prices are rising, but wages aren't and people are struggling to just make ends meet.”
Crawford says the center has already exhausted its funding for the fiscal year, and reducing hours is a difficult but necessary step to keep the doors open—and the programs running—for as long as possible.
Now, the center is turning to the community for support—asking for donations to continue helping local families stay afloat during hard times.
Crawford adds, “The funds that are raised here in Havre stay in Havre. They go to our Havre Service Center to help the Havre community.”
To donate or learn more, contact the Salvation Army Havre Service Center at 406-265-6411 or by email at trina.crawford@usw.salvationarmy.org.
