Montana Pioneers – Chapter 122

Accomplishments July-Dec. 2003

In the second half of 2003, nearly 100 Montana Pioneers, Partners, families and friends contributed almost 1,800 hours of volunteer time in service to their communities.  Many more Pioneer hours were invested in fellowship and membership activities as well.

Pioneer Projects

• Hug-A-Bears.  Pioneers in Hamilton, Helena and Missoula produced 437 Hug-A-Bears which were distributed to hospitals, emergency responders and child services agencies across the state.  
• Talking Book Repair.  Some     Talking Book machines were repaired and processed by Helena Pioneers.
• A Book About Me.  A $3,500 Pioneer Foundation grant was awarded to Jim Darcy Elementary School in Helena to support A Book About Me and other projects in the school.  
• Habitat for Humanities.  Pioneers took on a new project in Helena, spending a day last summer working on a Habitat home.
• Adopt-a-Highway.  Pioneers in Helena and in Miles City continued their traditions of maintaining clean streets and highways.

Other community service activities

• A.W.A.R.E. Halloween party.  Pioneers in Helena popped popcorn and helped with activities at the A.W.A.R.E. Halloween party which provided a safe, happy evening for about 30 youngsters in the agency’s youth counseling program.
• Helena Industries Holiday dinner.  Pioneers again prepared and served turkey dinners to more than  100 clients and staff of this sheltered workshop for the disabled.
• Beth Sauer Spaghetti dinner.  Helena Pioneers came to aid of a local family facing a long battle with cancer when they prepared and served more than 200 spaghetti dinners, raising about $1,000 at a November fundraiser.
• Helena Food Bank Drive.  Helena area Pioneers and Qwest employees gathered more than 250 pounds of food during a holiday food drive.
• Big Sky Care Home Bingo/Helena Industries Bingo.  Pioneers continued to provide an entertaining evening each month for people at this Helena nursing home and at the sheltered workshop for the disabled.
• Foster Care Backpack program.  Billings Pioneers partnered with a local Kiwanis club to collect backpacks, clothing, school and personal supplies for the Yellowstone County Foster Children program.  Backpacks filled with supplies are provided to every youngster coming into the program to ensure they have some basic necessities in their new homes.
•  Friendship House domestic abuse center.  Billings Pioneers provided blankets and donations to support clients at the Friendship House.
• HUB Mental Health Center.  Billings Pioneers made a donation to the HUB day services program.
• Pioneers across this state participated in various community services from support of youth activities, to grade school reading programs to care packages for military personnel.

Member activities/Fundraisers

Helena Pioneer picnic attracted about 80 Pioneers who enjoyed each other and a nice afternoon.

Holiday functions were held in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Miles City, Missoula

Regular Life member luncheons continue in Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Miles City and Missoula.  (The activities in Butte were resurrected after a couple years of inactivity.)

18 new regular members were signed up during recruitment efforts in Billings and Helena.

A Book Fair in Helena last fall helped raise funds for Pioneering and enhanced the link between Pioneers and active employees in our downtown office