HELENA — Since December 2019, Good Samaritan Ministries has run Our Place, a walk-in recovery center that helps people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet. Now the program is moving into a permanent home inside Good Samaritan’s building.
Evan Charney reports - watch the video here:
“We really needed something permanent, something stable that we could know our clients were going to have somewhere to go,” said Good Samaritan Ministries and Services Manager Mikayla Kapphan.
Our place started out on Last Chance Gulch, but had to relocate early last year. Helena Area Habitat for Humanity stepped in with a temporary space while staff looked for a long-term solution.
Now, thanks to a $134,600 grant from the city of Helena, Good Samaritan is converting part of its back warehouse into the new Our Place.
“We’re just very blessed to have this coming to us now, when we’ve got this solid plan to move forward and to bring this program that’s been in the community but kind of been in an instable flux into this permanent space,” said Good Samaritan mission & strategy manager Eric Kroeger. “It’s going to be huge.”
The new location sits right behind the thrift store, making it easier for guests to access daily essentials — clothes, toiletries, and other necessities — without traveling between sites.
Seeing 20-30 people come through their doors every day, staff say having a consistent, safe place where people feel connected is a big part of recovery and overall well‑being.
“Them feeling welcome, feeling like they belong somewhere, that they even feel like a human person,” Kroeger said.
The renovation will happen in phases. Phase one is already underway, putting together a temporary area so clients can start using the space to connect with one another. Later phases will build out a larger main gathering area, laundry facilities, a telehealth room, additional storage, and more.
Staff expect the space to open within the next week, pending permits, and they’re able to continue helping clients in the meantime. The full project is estimated at $318,000 — with the city grant covering the first portion — and fundraising for the remainder begins in May.
“We plan to make it very warm and welcoming — the same Our Place in a new location,” Kapphan said. “It will be a change, but it will be good, and it’s all for the better.”
They hope to see the project completed next March.
