Kalispell Community Invited to Join Montana VA to Walk for Health and in Support of Unsheltered Veterans in Community

The Kalispell VA team is hosting a community Walk & Roll event takes place on May 15, beginning at 8:00 a.m. The annual VA2K event features a short two-kilometer walk and roll (1.24 miles)

and encourages people to live active lifestyles and support Veterans who are unsheltered through voluntary donations of food and new clothing items.

The event is scheduled to run from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and takes place at the Kalispell VA CBOC, 31 Three Mile Drive Suite 102. Donations to support Montana Veterans who are

unsheltered are welcome, but not required to participate. There is a local need in Kalispell for new toiletries and canned food.

In Montana, there was a 56.4% increase in Veterans who were homeless from 2021 (110) to 2022 (172). In 2022, Montana VA was able to help 211 Veterans secure housing. Unfortunately, it is

anticipated that more Veterans and others in Montana’s communities will experience homelessness in 2023 due to housing shortages and rising housing costs.

Resources exist to help Veterans secure housing. Some of these Montana VA resources include:

One-third of Montana VA’s HUD-VASH vouchers for Veterans remain unused by Montana landlords. If filled, these unused vouchers could represent stable housing for 187 Montana Veterans at risk

for homelessness. Landlords who are interested in helping Veterans find stable housing through HUD-VASH vouchers can call (406) 447-6000 and ask for the Homeless Program to learn more.

Community groups who are interested in participating in the Kalispell VA2K event should contact Pamela at 406-758-2712.

Montana VA Health Care System Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled Veterans across Montana—an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staff of 1,400 at 18

sites of care across the state.  One third of Montana VA employees are Veterans.