Help us help you Public Comment from Rebecca Couture Aimee Brunckhorst
From: Rebecca Couture <winterskitchen406@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2024 10:35 AM
To: cocontactus@flathead.mt.gov; Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Help us help you
Dear council members and commissioners
I have come here today to address park fees and permits, that I don't believe we should have had to pay
last year, but in reality what I am really here for is to offer my help. and ask for yours.
I humbly ask that you help us, help you, and come together to fight the crisis we are becoming here in the
Flathead.We are all standing on the same street. No one wants to see anyone sleeping on that street.
We need accountability and how do we get that with the current justice system we have in place when
things are changing so fast?We need a system that honors what we stand for here in the valley and that
is a safe place for families to be raised!
I am asking you to please work on a, work off your fines program where we can get the help needed to
address camp messes. Trespassing issues and loitering fines paid off.We have a right to feed and clothe
people who are freezing and hungry these are very basic human needs we are offering.And we truly
believe that you have an obligation to hold them accountable with a justice system that is not just bad
credit and a revolving door.
We would also request for our law enforcement to have a drunk tank and medical detox followed by
treatment in a 3 strikes your out type of fashion.
We would like proper pay for our law enforcement agency's and maybe some housing opportunities that
come with employment!
We would like you to support expansion of things like greater valley mental health, The warming center
and other shelter services.We also need affordable housing for families,vets , and disabled fixed
income households! We need more landlords to offer section 8 and stop issuing vouchers that you can
not keep! People are losing their access to resources because they can not find a place in the 90-120 day
mind you they are homeless and looking for housingjust because the landlord raised the rent or sold the
property!
Theses are all things we can do that will take time, what I am asking for today is garbage and restrooms
provided by you at our feeding location we have been generously given this year at the aquarium shop. So
that we may encourage our homeless with an extra meal to keep woodland park and the trail clean and
mess free this winter season. Please help us with at least a locking trash container we can use on
Sunday at the aquarium shop where we will be feeding!
I invite you down this winter to feed and get to know our homeless on the streets of your city, we are
asking for their help also by writing a letter addressing their behavior, and expectations we will hold them
to this winter.Why don't you come down and kindly ask them to help you , help them instead of stripping
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them of resources and shipping Montana locals out of state! please again with all my heart help us help
you because that's all we are All trying to do.
Thankyou Rebecca Couture , founder of Winter's Kitchen 406-607-0927
Winterskitchen406()gmail.com
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