Stay Connected to Resilient Community, Read About What’s Going On
As we come out of winter, we reflect on what we have learned and start planning for the future
Mental Health in School
A mental health curriculum was launched in the Red Lodge High School freshman and sophomore health classes. Forty-four students received education from Malcolm Horn of Riverstone Health who taught the general mental health class, Summer Peterson who taught the biology of mental health, and Rebekah Easter presented the class with stress management and mindful techniques. The high school’s very own Health instructor, Adam White, taught his students about the resources in Carbon County and how to use the resource directory, Carbon County Connect. From those lesson plans, a QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) Suicide Prevention training was conducted. The classes had a great response and the principal and school counselor hope to implement the curriculum as a part of the health course in the future. Connect with Sage to learn more.
Carbon County Joins AARP
This February, Carbon County was accepted into AARP’s Network of Age-Friendly Communities. This was made possible by a partnership between the County and the Foundation and by the support of our community. The County’s membership represents an active commitment to make our community a place where people of all ages can thrive. AARP Montana recently visited to present a plaque and letter from AARP National. At this
presentation, the Commissioners passed a resolution to support age-friendly initiatives. Thank you for your continued support in helping make Carbon County a better place for all. Connect with George to learn more.
Partnering with the Department of Transportation
Since the Age-Friendly Carbon County assessment identified transportation as the top concern in the county, George Man, AmeriCorps VISTA has partnered with the Montana Department of Transportation to address this opportunity for improvement. We are in the process of securing $40,000 from the Montana Department of Transportation planning funds, which involves raising $8,000 in local match to receive the $32,000 in state funds. This initiative will help us plan for our present and future transportation gaps, and each contribution will bring us one step closer to making this a reality. We are developing partnership representatives from each town in the county to be sure that our whole community is heard. Connect with George to learn more.
Workforce Housing Initiative Brings Support to Carbon County
Now that we have broken ground for our Cooper lot build, we are concentrating on preparing homebuyers to be ready to purchase a home. Free budget, credit and pre-purchase counseling is available by appointment where an individual buyer or household can discuss (in private) with a HUD certified counselor their finances, goals and how to navigate the steps to a home purchase. The Home Center will be presenting an invaluable class for the first time homebuyer in Red Lodge on Saturday May 19th, 9am -5pm at the Foundation. The successful completion of the First Time Homebuyer Class is a requirement for many down payment assistance and loan programs. This is available to anyone interested. Connect with Valentine to learn more.
Get Free Help with Assistance Programs from the Navigators!
To address the closure of Office of Public Assistance (OPA), a subcommittee formed and determined that the expansion of the Navigator program could be a step toward filling the gap left in our community. Navigators are volunteers who receive primary knowledge of resource applications and are trained to act as a guide when individuals need help applying for services. Ten individuals have recently received training to be Navigators. Providing the training was Heidi Mann a former Carbon County OPA caseworker as well as staff from the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) in Billings. The volunteers received instruction in Healthcare, TANF and SNAP applications, Beginnings Child Care Scholarship, LIEAP, and Energy Share. The trainings have been recorded so others wishing to be Navigators could do so. These services are available free of charge to anyone who is interested or in need of assistance. Connect with Therese to learn more.
To read about all the great things happening this Spring, Read the Spring News!