Big Timber, MT

The Horizon Community Development Group has had several meetings concerning the issue of how to keep needed services open in Big Timber and getting these entities together under one organization.  The first meeting netted a creative solution’s team which has put together a proposal for an organization; and a temporary Thrift Store Board which was responded to the emergency need of keeping the store open.   In a meeting today, the creative solutions team proposed that the Commodities Program (food distribution program for qualifying senior citizens) the Food Bank and the Thrift Store be organized as HELP LINK with the mission of “Community Helping Community.”  They presented a vision and goals and suggested that the organization be placed under The Sweet Grass Health and Wellness Foundation umbrella.  Members from each group will meet with their boards and Community Development Group will facilitate a meeting and hopefully a decision on July 11^th. 

The nineteen people present represented the Food Bank, Heart & Hands Hospice, Commodities, Sweet Grass Health and Wellness Foundation, Beartooth RC&D, Food Bank, Big Timber City Council, Horizons and several local churches.

The Community Development Horizon Group is hoping to bring the Manaia YELP (Youth Empowerment and Leadership Program) back to Big Timber in the fall of 2008.  The successful April/May program was presented in coordination with the Sweet Grass County High School, the Manaia Program, and local entities.   Funding for the program came from the following sources:  MT Community Foundation Grant from NWAF $1500, City of Big Timber $2000, Sweet Grass County $3000 (departments that donated included the Sheriff’s office, District Court Clerk and Addictive Disorders) and the Community Development action group $117. 

The program was such a huge success that a group of the kids who completed the first program are working with the group to raise funds for a fall program.  They will be producing a brochure and visiting local clubs to fund raise.  At this time we have about ¼ of the funding needed.  Local High School Superintendent Al Buerkle is looking at possible dates.

The Community Development group has started a dialog about creating a Community Foundation.  An information meeting was held and Cathy Cooney  from the Montana Community Foundation gave a presentation on how foundations work.  A community foundation would be a long term approach to funding needed projects in Big Timber/Sweet Grass County and the committee will be looking into this option.  It would possibly tap into funds that might not otherwise be available. 

The Community Development Group facilitated a meeting with artist from the community in an effort to get individual artists to come together to talk about forming some sort of organization.  We used the Study Circle approach and had a huge turn out.   

This effort has led to the formation of an Artist’s Coop in Big Timber which was celebrated with the grand opening of a Coop Gallery on Friday June, 20^th.  There was an artist’s walk (featuring multiple local works of art), several business open late that evening, horse drawn carriage rides, street musicians and a very large crowd.  Two more artist’s walks are planned this summer and it is the hope of the group that we can attract patrons to Big Timber’s struggling downtown business areas via these events.

The Manaia YELP (Youth Empowerment and Leadership Program) was held in Big Timber beginning 4/25/08. Nineteen youth and five adult mentors were signed up to complete the program. Two youth dropped out that morning and one became ill that evening and had to leave. The weekend kickoff ran from 5PM - 9Pm on Friday, 9AM-9PM on Saturday and 9AM - 5PM on Sunday. Four facilitators and a cook from the Manaia Program were also present. The program continued for the next five weeks with the group meeting every Tuesday from 6PM - 9PM. On May 27^th a graduation ceremony was held for the 16 youth and 5 adult participants and attended by parents and community members. The adult mentors will continue to work with the youth and several groups will be working to gain awareness for the program and fund raise to continue the program.  

The workshops focused on self esteem, attitudes, behaviors, personal responsibility and conflict resolution. The program had a 100% success rate with all 21 participants graduating. Already school officials, parents and adult participants have seen a big improvement in all the youth. The program was open to all high school aged youth and free to participants. Approximately 60% of the attending youth were from single parent, low income families.  

Funding for the program came from the following sources:  MT Community Foundation Grant from NWAF, City of Big Timber, Sweet Grass County and the Community Development action group.

Completed action:   

A list of local contractors who are willing to donate time and possibly some materials for small home maintenance projects has been developed. Churches and the local welfare office will be the main source of referrals of people in need. The recipients of such services are elderly or those with limited or no financial resources to see such projects done. This will help easy poverty on three levels: 

1. monetary (those who do not have the funds for needed small repairs on their homes)
2. community housing (making those homes more comfortable for the recipients and improving the quality of the house and neighborhood)
3. spiritual (the art and heart of giving)

Non-traditional Child Care:  Dale Garrett has met with Kevin Schott, whose wife, Stacey, has a day care center. Stacey is licensed and her day care center is certified. Kevin and Stacey are interested in further developing the idea of non-traditional childcare hours. They are conducting their own studies on this. Non-traditional childcare hours will help solve another issue related to poverty…parents who cannot work, or be trained for higher paying jobs because of lack of childcare. 

The Community Thrift Shoppe will open Monday, June 9 and will be located at 106 East 3rd Avenue (old Hearts and Hands Hospice Thrift Store location - across from City Hall). This is a temporary location until another building can be secured. Collections of donations will be start Wednesday, June 4 from 1 p.m. through 4 p.m. Items needed are spring and summer clothing, household items, books, children’s toys; please no appliances and furniture at this time. Once another location is secured, appliances and furniture will be considered depending on condition. 

Store hours for the present will be:           

Monday 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM           

Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM           

Friday 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM           

Starting in July we will also be open on Saturday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM 

Please contact one of the following if you have questions, need donations picked up or arrangements made to leave donations:  Sandy Carroll, 932-6457; Grayce Sivigny, 932-4739 or 930-1645; or Jan Counter, 932-4159.  If you would like to volunteer to work in the store, or if you would like to make a monetary donation, please call Jan Counter.  The store is non-profit.  Proceeds about and beyond the store’s operational costs will go to the Food Bank. 

It is the intention of a group of concerned citizens, spearheaded by the Community Development Action Group, to open and operate the Community Thrift Shoppe, Food Bank, and Commodities program all under one roof.  If you know of any available buildings that would house all three, please contact one of the above or Suzanne Wilson 932-5185 or Dale Garrett 932-3090.

Big Timber Community News is a “Google Group” set up to provide a place where one can find, post, and read information about the City of Big Timber and Sweet Grass County, Montana using the Internet. 

If you are interested in what’s going on in our community, here is your opportunity to find, read, and post news.  For example, posted earlier this week is an announcement about Rural School Board elections and an update on the Community Garden.  You can post announcements, sports scores, updates on what your group is doing, and just news items.  They will be shared with the Group members.  The more people who sign up, the more news we will get and the more the news will get around! 

It is easy to join the group and directions to do so are included below. Sign up today!  You are encouraged to tell anyone here in our community or those who live in other places who you think would enjoy keeping up with Big Timber/Sweet Grass County. 

Big Timber news group will alleviate poverty by becoming a source of free community news and information such jobs wanted and needed;  community garden information; free programs like the Manaia program and the Grant Writing Workshop; and put dates on programs like the  4-H after school program.  We are hoping that City and County entities will use it to get information out as well.   This will allow the citizens of Big Timber and Sweet Grass County (and beyond) to keep abreast of non-bias news on a timely basis and will allow input to be given on vital community decisions. 

The Community News Group has been meeting for 4 months on a bi-monthly basis.  The group has established non-profit status with the State of Montana and is currently working on a set of by-laws.  Four members of the group will be traveling to Missoula on May 1, to meet with several U of M journalism professors. 

Suzanne Drinkard, Information Action Group -April 2008   

We hope you have heard about the Big Timber Community Garden which is an out growth of the Horizons Visioning meeting. Progress on the Community Garden project is now moving along at a fast pace.  The tasks are becoming clear, and many individuals and contractors are stepping forward with great generosity to help with this project that will benefit anyone in the community who wishes to grow a garden. As all of you know, everyone in the community is welcome to participate.  A small planning group is working behind the scenes to:

• Build a website which should be online very soon, (www.SweetGrassFood.org ) so everyone in the community will be able to get updates, see pictures, and watch the garden grow    
• Write a grant proposal to be sent in the next week to several foundations where we are applying for money to cover start-up costs

The start-up costs are for very basic needs for this type of project.  If you are able to help, it is possible to make a tax-deductible donation to the Health and Wellness Foundation by putting “Sweet Grass Food/Community Garden” in the memo line on your check and sending to P.O. Box 517 Big Timber, MT 59011. The costs to put the garden in place are for: preparing the ground, clearing out and hauling off rocks, putting up a deer fence, laying out water lines, building some raised beds, making a sign, building a couple of gates, planting some shrubs and trees for the Arbor Day Opening Celebration, and so forth. The costs we anticipate are in the neighborhood of $7000 –the actual costs would be much much more if not for the generosity of several major contractors and suppliers in Big Timber. We will have a special place on our webpage to say thank you publicly to these supporters. We continue to plan to have things up and running in time to celebrate with tree planting on Arbor Day (4/25), and open the garden for planting by June 1.  Please help us get the word out - pass this on to others and we’ll continue to keep you informed.  THANK YOU for supporting this very worthwhile community project.  Shirley Layne & Suzanne DrinkardSweet Grass Food Action Group

The new plans are done! The plans include one from each Action Team including: Volunteer Community Care, Information, Sweet Grass Food, and Community Development. To view each Action Plan, look under Pages on the right hand side>>>. There is a page for each separate plan.