HOPE group formed to help off-reservation Natives

Press release

Several members from H-Line HOPE — Helping Others through Prevention and Education — a nonprofit group dedicated to improving the lives of off-reservation Native and low-income people, are working to create an off-reservation Indian center in Havre.

It is a community organization that will reach out to everyone who needs help.

The name for the center was chosen from several submissions from community members and was open to everyone. Submissions were voted on by all members attending the Dec. 15 meeting. The winner was Henry Valdez Jr. of Great Falls with the name: North Central Montana’s First Nations Center of HOPE.

The center hopes to help with in the future.

Valdez won 50/50 tickets for a drawing the center will hold in February.

The first meeting was held Oct. 13, 2015, and regular meetings have been taking place twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

Meetings are held in the back room of Gram’s Ice Cream & Candy Shop located on 1st Street in Havre. Darla Owens, the owner, said the regular charge for using the facility is $25, but she is charging $10 to the organization to help out. The last meeting had no charge.

The center will be filing for tax-exempt status soon and is currently seeking start-up funding and an office space.

Hi-Line HOPE officers are: Lorraine Pester, chair; Arlene Cochran, vice chair; and Elaine Healy, secretary-treasurer. Adviser is William “Snuffy” Main, and Terryl Matt is the legal adviser who is helping with the legal end of the paperwork.

Brandon Baney from KOJM/KPQX attended meetings, but since his move to Nebraska his replacement, Janelle Warren, has been covering the meetings and getting results out on the air.

Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m., and at the present time the group is meeting at Gram’s. All interested people are invited to attend.