As winter sets in across Missoula, YWCA Missoula is expanding housing support, advancing survivor services, and planning new prevention programs to meet rising seasonal needs.
YWCA Missoula has served the community for more than a century, operating a continuum of programs focused on family housing, emergency shelter, survivor advocacy, clinical support, and prevention. Its work is grounded in the belief that safety and stability are foundational to long-term well-being for individuals, families, and the broader community.
With colder temperatures increasing demand, YWCA Missoula is preparing to stretch capacity at The Meadowlark to provide emergency overflow shelter on the coldest nights.
Executive Director Jen Euell recently emphasized that while the challenges families face are real, so is the community’s commitment to helping them move toward stability. “We can’t fix everything,” she noted, “but we believe in what is possible and we are committed to helping families move toward it.”
To support this effort, YWCA Missoula is in the final weeks of a year-end fundraising campaign dedicated to funding nights of shelter for unhoused families. More than $21,700 has already been raised toward a $30,000 goal, and all donations are currently being matched, effectively doubling the number of nights of warmth, safety, and stability available this winter. To help beat this goal, Donate Here!
Beyond housing, the organization continues to invest in prevention and healing. YWCA Missoula is exploring a new violence prevention program for boys, focused on building healthy relationships, supporting positive identity development, and preventing harm before it starts. The program is still in early planning stages, with community members invited to share input to help shape its direction.
Survivor support remains central to YWCA Missoula’s mission. Beginning in January, the organization’s clinical team will offer a free, closed support group for survivors of sexual violence.
The ten-week group will be open to people of all genders and provide a confidential space to process experiences of sexual assault, coercion, or other non-consensual experiences. To learn more or sign up, please contact Carol at (406) 541-4006 or croberts@ywcaofmissoula.org.
YWCA Missoula also plays a key role in convening community events focused on equity and belonging. Residents are invited to save the date for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration, taking place on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The event brings neighbors together for reflection, connection, and a shared commitment to justice, honoring Dr. King’s legacy while continuing the work of building a more just and connected Missoula.
YWCA Missoula is also highlighting Chris Young-Greer, the organization’s Director of Belonging, whose work helps shape how equity and inclusion are practiced across programs and community partnerships. Young-Greer brings more than 30 years of experience in equity and justice work, including leadership roles with the Montana Racial Equity Project and her own firm, Elevated Tier Consulting, where she has supported organizations and school districts through equity training and restorative conversations.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Montana with degrees in Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Young-Greer centers her work on naming systemic racism and committing to the ongoing conversations required to build more just and inclusive communities. Her leadership reflects YWCA Missoula’s broader commitment to belonging, accountability, and community-centered care.
As the year comes to a close, YWCA Missoula is also making a final call for holiday donations and family sponsors for those staying at the Family Housing Center. Together, these efforts reflect an organization responding to immediate winter pressures while continuing to invest in long-term solutions rooted in safety, dignity, and belonging.
