Begining November 25, 2011 the Warming Center opened its door for the season.  With enough community donations, the Center will remain open until the end of March, 2012.  While staff is hired and the facility is ready to host up to 24, we still need volunteers to get us through the season.  Volunteers help on-site staff to log in guests, maintain site control, offer conversation, and generally keep the facility warm and safe.  Each volunteer hour saves the cost of a staff hour, so whether you can give up 1 or 4 or 8, we will take it all. 

To register to volunteer:

1.       Open up hotmail website
2.       Log-on information windows live ID: or user email:  warmingcenter@hotmail.com     
3.       Password:  V0lunteer   click sign in.
4.       Open up calendar (its under hotmail highlights)
5.       Double click on day or the evening you want to volunteer
6.       An add event box will appear
7.       What:  name and time you are volunteering : Stephanie 7pm-7am, or Stephanie 7pm-1am, or Stephanie 1am-7am
8.       Where: add a phone number where you can be reminded of your shift:  123-4567.      
9.     Calendar: Volunteer
10.   Check the All Day box
11.    Click the save button
12.   Make sure it showed up on the calendar. 

Volunteer applications can be found on www.thehrdc.org website under warming center (programs), at the warming center during open hours, or at the front desk of the HRDC at 32 S. Tracy.

Thank you, for helping to conduct this important survey.  Your participation makes all of this possible.  Please share this link with your colleague, family and friends living in Gallatin, Meagher or Park Counties.

Estimated time of completion is five minutes and you have a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card.  Take the survey by clicking here. This survey will be open until 5:00 pm on Sunday January 31, 2012.

If you have any questions regarding the survey, please call Kristin at (406) 587-4486 or respond to Mary at mmartin@hrdc9.org.

Paper copies are also available at HRDC’s front reception desk and via our mobile outreach unit.

Thank you again for your enthusiasm, your participation and your efforts.

Major Home Repairs for qualified homeowners
Call the HRDC today to learn more
406-585-4863

The American Red Cross expressed their thanks!

Introduction

Despite the growing local and national popularity of the KidsPack Program designed from the Backpack Program model, neither program has received attention in scholarly literature on its impact. Similarly, little previous research has examined the Gallatin Valley Food Bank’s KidsPack Program specific need in the community, program indictors, or the program’s impact on childhood hunger in the area.

This evaluation seeks to broaden our understanding of the KidsPack Program by using school-level surveys and focus groups with teachers to assess indicators of program impact and program need. The analysis contributes evidence on the underlying reasons for childhood food insecurity and the impact of the KidsPack Program on participating students’ overall well-being. Most schools providing KidsPack assistance are located near areas that are served by the Gallatin Valley and Headwaters Area Food Banks or a satellite service, yet children still appear to be hungry or worried about food when they come to school. Survey responses indicate a number of reasons why children are facing food insecurity in Gallatin County including unemployed parents, parents who spend long hours away from home and cannot make ends meet, and parents who suffer from substance abuse. In a newly participating school, Monday discipline referrals fell significantly when compared to the previous year’s total. While several other school-level policies and changes occurred over the course of the school-year the addition of the KidsPack Program was the most considerable change. In contrast, school-level survey results yielded strong evidence of multiple benefits for participating students’ well-being including better relationships with school staff and/or other students, feeling more secure, more interest in school, and fewer behavior problems (healthier).

Read the full report….KidsPack Program Evaluation 09-10 final

Written by Lori Christenson of HRDC’s Gallatin Valley Food Bank