News - Page 3 of 37

LIFTT Takes to the Road in Style

LIFTT is on the move: literally and visually!

In an effort to strengthen our presence throughout southeastern and south-central Montana, LIFTT is proud to announce that all agency vehicles are now being wrapped in a vibrant new design that celebrates who we are and the communities we serve. The colorful hot-air-balloon motif, paired with LIFTT’s logo and mission statement, ensures that our message of Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow is visible wherever our work takes us.

This exciting project was brought to life through the creativity and expertise of Emily Conway at SignPRO, whose artistic vision transformed our vehicles into eye-catching ambassadors for independent living. We are deeply grateful for Emily’s partnership, professionalism, and the care she put into designing a wrap that reflects LIFTT’s values, mission, and commitment to those we serve.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our colleague Chelsea Prince, whose dedication and determination guided this project from concept to completion. Chelsea coordinated every detail from initial design conversations to final installation, ensuring that the finished product is something our whole organization can take pride in.

With these newly wrapped vehicles hitting the road, LIFTT will be more visible than ever. Whether we are traveling to consumer appointments, community meetings, or outreach events, our vehicles now boldly represent the independence, empowerment, and advocacy at the core of our mission.

Keep an eye out, you may spot a LIFTT balloon floating down the highway soon!

A preview of how LIFTT’s vehicles will look when decked out in their new wraps. The new wraps are designed to “transform LIFTT’s vehicles into eye-catching ambassadors for independent living.” (Graphic courtesy of SignPro)

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

“Optimize Your Brain Health” starts January 14

Join us for this FREE 8-week course called “Optimize Your Brain Health.” In this class, we’ll explore lifestyle changes that support the brain’s ability to heal and thrive and can help prevent cognitive decline. Each week, we’ll focus on a key brain health habit, covering essential topics such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management techniques.

LIFTT Nutritional Health Coach Eileen Rodriguez leads “Optimize Your Brain Health.” Rodriguez has trained as a ReCODE 2.0 health coach under the direction of Dr. Dale Bredesen and is passionate about empowering individuals with the support and guidance needed to safeguard and enhance cognitive health as they age.

The next Optimize Your Brain Health class will begin on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 3 p.m. and run each Wednesday through March 4. Class sessions will be held at LIFTT’s Billings office (1241 Crawford Drive). Participants can also attend virtually via Microsoft Teams. For more information or to register, contact Eileen Rodriguez at (406) 294-5185 or eileenr@liftt.org.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your well-being and boost your brain health!

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Introducing Our 2026 Peer Program

Something New Is Growing at LIFTT

Every year at LIFTT, we search for ways to deepen connection, expand independence, and strengthen the fabric of our community. We listen to our consumers. We learn from their experiences. And we imagine, together, what independent living could look like if we pushed the walls a little farther outward.

In 2026, that imagination becomes reality

LIFTT is proud to announce the launch of a completely re-envisioned Peer Program: a dynamic, community-centered, barrier-breaking initiative created not only for you, but with you in mind. This is a peer program unlike anything we’ve done before. It is bold. It is innovative. And it is built on the belief that independence grows stronger when people come together.

So what is a Peer Program?

At its heart, a peer program is a space where people with disabilities support one another through shared experience. It is where lived knowledge becomes guidance, where challenges become creative problem-solving, and where independence is strengthened by community rather than attempted alone. In Centers for Independent Living, peer support is one of our core services because it does something nothing else can do: it brings people together not as clients or staff, but as equals: people who understand what it means to navigate life with disability, resilience, humor, struggle, triumph, and hope.

Who is the new peer program for?

It is for everyone in the disability community: long-time consumers, new participants, caregivers, allies, and anyone who wants to learn, grow, and build connections. Whether someone lives with a physical disability, chronic illness, mental health condition, sensory impairment, developmental disability, or simply wants to be part of a supportive collective, this program is for them. It is for the person who wants to meet others. It is for the person who wants to try something new. It is for the person who thinks, “Maybe I don’t belong anywhere.” Here, they will.

What makes this program revolutionary is not only its purpose, but its design. In 2026, LIFTT will invite participants into a wide range of new events, new workshops, new projects, and new collaborative experiences unlike anything we have offered before. Some will take place in our offices, others in outdoor spaces, gardens, community centers, and digital spaces. Some will be practical: focused on skills, confidence, and problem-solving. Others will be imaginative, creative, even a little experimental. Together, we will try things we have never tried before. We will think outside the box, step outside routine, and build something collectively shaped by the people who show up.

A peer program can do remarkable things for a community. It can reduce isolation. It can strengthen mental health. It can build friendships that last for years. It can offer new skills, new ways of thinking, new lenses through which to see possibilities. It can turn fear into confidence, questions into solutions, and strangers into collaborators. And perhaps most importantly, it can remind each of us that independence is not a solitary journey; it is relational. It grows in conversation, in shared stories, in moments of laughter and vulnerability, and in the gentle realization that someone else has walked a similar path and understands.

This new program was created with all of that in mind, but most importantly, it was created with you in mind. The 2026 Peer Program exists because you deserve opportunities to connect, to express yourself, to learn, to lead, to imagine, and to be valued for the experience you bring to the table. Everything about it, from its structure to its rhythm, was designed with input from the community we serve, and we are counting on your participation to help it flourish.

As we move into 2026, we invite you to step into this new chapter with us. Come to an event. Join a project. Share your story. Try something unfamiliar. Or simply show up and see what happens when a room full of people decide to create something new together.

This is not just a peer program. It is a gathering of possibility. It is a space where independence meets imagination, where lived experience becomes a shared resource, and where the community shapes itself through the people who participate in it.

Something new is growing here. And we hope you’ll grow with us.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

LIFTT Board of Directors meets December 18

The LIFTT Board of Directors will hold an ordinary meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at 4 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. The public is invited to attend the meeting and offer comments during the public comment period.

Click here to view or download the meeting agenda and Zoom invitation for the December 18, 2025, LIFTT board of directors meeting. (Adobe PDF)

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Glendive Office Holiday Open House 12/11

Join LIFTT’s Glendive Team on Thursday, December 11, from 4-6 p.m. at our office (119 S. Kendrick Ave.) to celebrate the holiday season and mark another year of service to our region with a holiday open house.

Everyone is welcome at this FREE event, which will include food, music, fun, and a chance to get your picture taken with Santa! For more information about the holiday open house, contact Tina Carter at (406) 939-4569 or tinac@liftt.org

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Glendive LIFTT holding Coat Drive through 12/23

The Glendive LIFTT Office is holding a coat drive! Coats will be collected Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the office (119 S. Kendrick Ave) through December 23.

As winter arrives in Southeastern Montana, many of those LIFTT serves need warm coats and outerwear to stay safe from the cold, wet weather. To help meet that need, the Glendive LIFTT office will be holding a coat drive through December 23. If you have gently used, clean coats, gloves, scarves, hats, or other warm clothing that you no longer need, please consider donating.

You can drop off your donations Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. until December 23 at the Glendive LIFTT office, 119 S. Kendrick Avenue. For more information, contact the Glendive office at (406) 948-8500

Your generosity can make a real difference in someone’s life! Thank you for helping us bring warmth and comfort to those who need it most.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

LIFTT Featured on Senior High Alumni Website

LIFTT is currently one of the featured businesses/organizations on the Billings Senior High School Alumni Website local directory.

If you are a former Bronc, or even if you are not, check out the feature piece on LIFTT here: https://billingshighschool.com/related-links.html#link49911

If your business, organization, service club, school, faith community, or community group would like some information and a link to LIFTT to place on your website/social media, please contact Public Relations Specialist Jed Barton at (406) 294-5186, jedb@liftt.org for more information.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

LIFTT earns organizational leadership award

LIFTT was recently honored with an award for organizational leadership at the DPHHS Diabetes Professional Conference in Helena.

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) has been honored with the Organizational Leadership Award at the Montana Diabetes Program’s 28th Annual Diabetes Professional Conference in Helena. The Montana Diabetes Program, part of the Department of Public Health & Human Services, recognized LIFTT for its significant leadership, innovation, and service in diabetes care, education, and prevention. The award celebrates LIFTT’s holistic approach to improving health outcomes for Montanans living with diabetes, especially among individuals with disabilities and older adults in rural communities.

During the awards ceremony, presenters highlighted LIFTT’s creative and community-driven initiatives, including:

Advocating for an accessible bus stop near its Billings office to improve mobility for individuals managing chronic conditions.
Launching an inclusive community garden, which promotes nutritional health, education, and social connection through hands-on learning.
Developing an ADA-accessible transportation system to enhance access to healthcare, wellness programs, and community services across eastern Montana.

“This award is a reflection of the hard work, passion, and dedication of everyone at LIFTT,” said Carlos Ramalho, LIFTT’s Executive Director. “Each of our staff, volunteers, and partners plays a role in making this recognition possible. Together, we’re building healthier, more inclusive communities, one step, one ride, and one garden bed at a time.”

The Organizational Leadership Award is presented annually to a team, group, or organization that demonstrates outstanding leadership and innovation in diabetes prevention and management. This year’s recognition underscores LIFTT’s ongoing commitment to addressing the intersection of disability, transportation, nutrition, and chronic disease prevention through accessible, community-based solutions.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Four Pillars of Health Workshop Oct 27

Join LIFTT and the Downtown Family Pharmacy on October 27 at 4 p.m. for a workshop covering the four pillars of healthy aging: Sleep, Exercise, Nutrition and Stress Management

Join LIFTT and Downtown Family Pharmacy Billings for the Four Pillars of Health Workshop on Monday, October 27, at 4 p.m. at the Billings LIFTT office (1241 Crawford Drive).

Learn about the four pillars upon which healthy aging is built: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress Management, and get tips and strategies to strengthen all four.

The Downtown Family Pharmacy Team will also be conducting free InBody scans for workshop participants. An InBody scan is a body composition analysis that uses bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to provide a detailed breakdown of your body’s muscle mass, body fat, and water levels. It is a quick, non-invasive, and radiation-free process that helps you understand your health beyond a standard weight, track changes over time, and identify areas for improvement.

Bring a friend, learn something new, and enjoy a great time together. We’d love to see you there! For more information about the Four Pillars of Health Workshop and all the health and wellness programs at LIFTT, contact our nutritional health coaches: Eileen Rodrieguz, (406) 294-5185, eileenr@liftt.org, or Lynn Graham, (406) 606-1766, lynng@liftt.org.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Brain Thrive Starts November 5

Join LIFTT for a FREE 6-week Brain Thrive Class!

Designed to help young adults sharpen focus, improve memory, and make smarter decisions for a healthier brain and better life.

Participants will Learn How to:

Protect your brain from damage
Fuel your brain with smart food choices
Break bad brain habits
Boost mood, motivation, and memory
Thrive academically and socially

Classes will run each Wednesday from November 5 through December 16, beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Billings LIFTT office (1241 Crawford Drive). For more information or to register for Brain Thrive, contact Eileen Rodrigeuz at (406) 294-5185 or eileenr@liftt.org.

About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.

Our Vision: Empowering aging and disabled individuals to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow – LIFTT’s mission is to empower aging and disabled individuals to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.