Children's home receives $450,000 grant

Thanks to a $450,000 federal block grant, a permanent facility will be built near Somers for Providence Home, a children’s shelter operated by Intermountain.

A Montana nonprofit specializing in nurturing therapeutic environments for emotionally disturbed children, Intermountain provides local services for vulnerable children and their families in rented facilities.

Slightly under $2 million is needed to develop the Somers property and build a facility. Intermountain already has raised more than $100,000 and has other grant applications pending.

Intermountain purchased 75 acres bordering the Blasdel Wildlife Preserve near Somers seven years ago and paid off the property two years ago, board member Dee Incoronato of Bigfork said.

The facility will be roughly 6,000 to 7,000 square feet and will be licensed for eight children, but will be built for a capacity of 12 children.

Intermountain Chief Executive Officer Jim FitzGerald said Intermountain hopes to begin site development and construction in mid-2013.

Providence Home offers short-term emergency shelter care. Other services include therapeutic family care, family wrap-around services, child and family outpatient therapy and training of families and professionals.

The Community Development Block Grant, announced Thursday, is federal money disbursed to states. The Flathead County commissioners sponsored the Intermountain application to build the shelter on property that Intermountain already owns.

“Flathead County is thrilled to be a recipient of CDBG funds to support the Intermountain Providence Home in Somers,” Commissioner Dale Lauman said in a press release. “I had the privilege of touring the Helena facility a number of years ago. It was an eye-opener as to what the needs are in our local communities.”

FitzGerald said the organization has been responding to the needs of children and families in the Flathead Valley and developing staff and services here for many years.

“This grant is the boost we needed to help us launch an all-out campaign to raise the funds needed,” FitzGerald said.

Intermountain is based in Helena where it has offered children’s services for more than 100 years. It serves about 700 children in 10 different programs throughout Montana.

Several local community leaders serve on the Intermountain board of directors, including Incoronato, Don Patterson of Yellow Bay and Pam Schapper of Whitefish. Several others serve on Intermountain’s President’s Council and have been instrumental in the success of Intermountain in the Flathead.

For more information, visit the website at www.intermountain.org/com munityservices, or contact Incoronato at 250-2704 or Glenna Wortman-Obie at 461-6256.