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Press Release – Impending Weather Change Expected to Increase Need for Emergency Shelter

HRDC logo. Logo contains a branch leaf. Text reads, HRDC Building a Better Community

October 22, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:

Penny Johnson, Communications Manager, 303-828-8481, pjohnson@thehrdc.org

Impending Weather Change Expected to Increase Need for Emergency Shelter Services in Gallatin County

BOZEMAN, MT — With the year’s first snow forecast to occur on Sunday, HRDC has been preparing its emergency shelter in Bozeman, The Warming Center, for additional guests. With upwards of 80 known people urban camping in and around the city, HRDC expects to see an increase in demand for overnight services.

“For folks whose campers or cars are not weatherized to withstand extreme temperatures, or for those who have been camping in tents, we are able to provide a warm, safe alternative year-round, and especially during inclement weather,” said Jenna Huey, HRDC’s Emergency Shelter Services Manager.

“The area’s exorbitant rents and housing costs have forced more individuals who live and work here to find unconventional ways to address their basic needs,” stated Brian Guyer, Housing Director for HRDC. Given the steady demand for overnight services during the shelter’s recent first-ever summer season, Guyer expects to see additional pressure this winter. “On average, we provided shelter to 80 people each night during the summer months. Some nights that number surged to 100 guests. We did not expect to see numbers that high and because of that, we believe we could reach our maximum guest capacity during the upcoming harsh winter months.”

With that in mind, Guyer and Huey are working on contingency plans with other community partners should demand exceed the 120-bed capacity at the shelter. Gallatin Valley has experienced an escalating number of deaths over the past several years due to exposure. These often-preventable deaths are unacceptable to HRDC which fundamentally believes everyone deserves to be warm at night.

Guyer and Huey are united in their gratitude for the generosity of residents throughout Gallatin Valley. Both recognize that HRDC’s Warming Center would not be in a position to support so many of our neighbors in need without the steady stream of volunteer support and monetary donations it receives, including the contributions made toward the center’s current fall supply drive.*

With winter weather in the forecast for the foreseeable future and a shortage of affordable homes, indoor refuge at the Warming Center is a necessity now more than ever.

For more information about HRDC’s Warming Center, visit https://thehrdc.org/housing/homeless-services/emergency-shelter/bozeman-shelter/.

Please consider supporting our Supply Drive for the Warming Center, visit https://thehrdc.org/supplydrive/ to learn how to donate supplies or other ways to donate. 

Logo for the HRDC Warming Center. Logo is of a house. The text reads, Warming Center, A Program of HRDC.
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Brooke Poole

Public Sector

Since 2015, Brooke has been working with Allergan Aesthetics, Body Contouring. In 2018, Brooke began her role as Senior Manager of Training. Brooke graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Commercial Photography from Appalachian State University in 2011.

Brooke began her role on our Board in 2019. However, she feels it’s more fitting to say that she gets to serve on our Board. For Brooke, an evening at our Fork & Spoon was her first glance into our organization’s powerful work. As Brooke states, joining the Board has only expanded her appreciation for the caliber of people leading our mission and the impact of our vast ecosystem of services. While metrics alone are impressive, Brooke likes to visualize each number as an individual example of support – an extension of a helping hand, a moment of relief – given to one of our neighbors. She is grateful for the opportunity to participate in shaping HRDC’s future.

Although Brooke spends most of her volunteer time with HRDC, she was fortunate enough to build with Habitat for Humanity over the course of the summer in 2020. Her favorite place to spend time is anywhere under the Big Sky, although Hyalite may be her favorite place on Earth.

Ron Brey

Public Sector

Ron served as Bozeman’s Assistant City Manager from 1990 to 2008. After retiring, Ron joined our Board in 2011. Ron received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Montana in 1977, and his Masters in Science in Rural, Town, and Regional Planning from the University of Montana in 1987.

During his time with the City of Bozeman, Ron saw the important role that HRDC has played in our community. Ron has seen that HRDC provides necessary social services to assure that all Bozeman residents could obtain housing, food, training, employment and the other necessities of life. He also came to understand that HRDC was always able to respond immediately as new community needs arose. Ron believes that the dedication, hard work, and compassion of HRDC’s staff make it a real honor to serve on the Board.

Ron also serves on the Trails, Open Space and Parks Committee for the City of Bozeman, and as a volunteer with the Red Cross. One of Ron’s favorite activities is walking his beloved dog every day, enjoying many of Bozeman’s trails and parks, like Burke Park, Bozeman Creek, and the Hyalite and Mount Ellis areas. Ron and his wife Claire enjoy spending their days with family, friends, and time outdoors.