Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Q: What age group do you serve?
A: High School Students ages 13-19.
Q: How Many students can Sparrow’s Nest house?
A: We are able to house up to eight high school students in our permanent living facility in Kalispell MT
Q: Is your facility coed, are you able to house both male and female students?
A: Yes! We have a male wing of our home and a female wing of our home. Students will not need to share bathrooms with the opposite gender.
Q: What are the qualifications for students who want to live in the home?
A: Students must be enrolled in high school and motivated to complete their secondary education; students must be homeless as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act; and be able to pass a drug test.
We outline the qualifications for candidates on our page.
Q: If I know someone who can benefit from your program, how do they get started?
A: Here is where you can find the Sparrow’s Nest Application for students considering moving into our eight bedroom home
Q: What is the McKinney-Vento Act?
A: Broadly, this law passed by Congress in 1987 provides federal funding to homeless shelter programs across the country. The bi-partisan bill named after the initial sponsors, Stewart McKinney (R-CT) and Bruce Vento (D-MN), established the Interagency Council on Homelessness and continues to be renewed by Congress.
Congress derived the language for this Act from an Illinois statute, which defines “homeless children,” as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” Descriptions and examples of children protected by this Act include:
(a) Children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing;
(b) Children living in “motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations”
(c) Children living in “emergency or transitional shelters”
(d) Children whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation.
(e) Children living in “cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations…”
Under the McKinney-Vento Assistance Act, school districts are mandated by federal law to provide transportation for its students. As a result, Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana’s home serves the Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish School districts. This means that its residents do not have to transfer schools when they move into the Sparrow’s Nest Home.
Q: Does Sparrow’s Nest receive government money?
A: No. Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana maintains operations through individual donors, in kind donations, and foundations.
Q: Are you a religious-affiliated organization?
A: No. We are not a religious-affiliated organization.
However, homelessness at all levels is a community issue, and churches provide outstanding work on the issue. As a result, the Sparrow’s Nest’s work overlaps with many of projects sponsored by religious organizations in Flathead Valley. Churches and their communities provide some of the organization’s most reliable support. We value their networks and are grateful to call them some of our strongest supporters.
Q: Do you have a “House Parent?”
A: We have a compassionate and professional team that helps manage our home. This includes our Residential Program Coordinator and our Case Manager. Being that Sparrow’s Nest houses minors, the program requires 24/7 staffing 365 days a year. Our staff work closely with our youth to coordinate with student’s schedules and meet their needs to the best of our ability.
Q: How can I become involved at Sparrow’s Nest of Northwest Montana? Volunteer or donate?
A: We always need volunteers. Volunteer tasks include office work, yard work, social-outreach at community events, or teaching necessary life skills classes to the students. For more information on how you can become
involved please fill out the form volunteer form here. If you would like to donate monetarily, please visit here.
Q: What kind of things can I donate?
Monetary donations are the single most important aspect to ensuring safe and supportive housing to unaccompanied high school students. If you would like to make an in kind donation, we often seek furniture or appliances that can be used in a home setting or an office setting. We also accept clothing donations. Oftentimes, because of the specificity and difference in sizes between our students, we refer people interested in donating clothes to The Heart Locker. Their service provides a broader reach to your donation and is available to a wider variety of students, including our own, throughout the Valley.
Q: Where are you located?
A: Our office is located downtown Kalispell on the top floor of the Christ Episcopal Church. The members of the congregation are kind enough to donate this space for our administrative staff. The address is 215 3rd Ave East in Kalispell. All mail must be sent to, P.O. Box 8384 Kalispell, MT 59904.
For the safety and privacy of our residents, we do not disclose the location of the home to the public. If you know the location, please contact us before stopping by the house. Unannounced visits are not appreciated
Q: How many staff does Sparrow’s Nest employ?
A: At any given point, we employ up to 10 full time staff members.
Q: What is the annual budget for your organization?
A: $400,000. Most of this money is put towards the security and safety of our residents, basic needs such as hot and clean water, food, clothing, and electricity. This figure also includes staff wages.
Q: What events are you participating in this year?
A: You will find us at a variety of community events, job fairs, or in coalition meetings with the non-profits in the area. Our biggest annual events are “When the Night Comes” and the Whitefish Community Foundation’s Annual Great Fish Challenge.
“When the Night Comes” is Sparrow’s Nests annual event where staff, volunteers, and community members are sponsored to sleep outside for one night in the late Fall. At this event, we bring awareness to the physical challenges that unaccompanied youth experience on a daily basis.
The Great Fish Challenge is a community wide fundraiser hosted by our friends and partners at the Whitefish Community Foundation. During this event, over 60 nonprofits in the Flathead Valley enter into a friendly competition to see who can raise the most money for their respective organization. This two month long giving period is culminated with a fun run through Whitefish. In 2019, over 9 million dollars were raised to support local non profit agencies!
If you would ever like to know more about what we do, how to become involved, or for any other inquiries, please do not hesitate to give us a call at (406) 309-5196.