News - Page 16 of 41

Morgan McQuillan joins LIFTT Board

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) is pleased to announce that Morgan McQuillan has joined the organization’s board of directors. Born and raised in Joliet, a rural town in Carbon County about halfway between Billings and Red Lodge, McQuillan is a wheelchair user because of a series of occurrences of bone cancer and subsequent treatments starting at the age of five and culminating with a “radical” amputation in 2020.

It is out of the experience of receiving care and support from the Joliet community during her cancer treatments and a desire to give back that in 2018, McQuillan founded the nonprofit “Project Footprints” with a mission to “serve individuals and families in Carbon County impacted by emergency situations.” McQuillan remains Project Footprints’ president to this day.

In addition to “Project Footprints,” McQuillan is the director of the Joliet Public Library. She holds a B.S. in Human Services from Montana State University Billings and is finishing a master’s degree in clinical social work at Walla Walla University’s Billings campus.

“Morgan is a welcome addition to our board of directors as her professional and personal experience are an excellent match for our mission of promoting independence and inclusion for persons with disabilities across southeast and south-central Montana,” said LIFTT Executive Director Carlos Ramalho.

Ms. McQuillan recently joined LIFTT’s public relations specialist Jed Barton on an episode of “Living Well in Montana” to discuss her story and work with Project Footprints; you can view that episode below:

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 people with disabilities 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.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Disability Inclusion through Transportation Video

Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) & Billings MET Transit Present our new video:

Disability Inclusion Through Transportation

In this four-minute video, the LIFTT Team climbs aboard a Billings MET Transit bus to show how accessible transportation is essential for including persons with disabilities in our community and to “put on display the ADA accessibility of the (MET) system.”

Thanks to LIFTT executive director Carlos Ramalho and the City of Billings Transit Manager Rusty Logan for providing the commentary and to the members of the Billings LIFTT team and our MET Driver for participating in our “Bus Adventure.”

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 people with disabilities 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.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Grand Opening @ New Billings Location May 10

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) is excited to announce the Grand Opening of our new office location at 1241 Crawford Drive in Billings. The event will take place on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join them for a day filled with celebration, as we mark the beginning of a new chapter in our journey to empower individuals with disabilities in southeastern and south-central Montana. Guests can expect gourmet hors d’oeuvres catered by the Passages Culinary Arts Program, an official ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Billings Chamber of Commerce, and exciting door prizes including gift cards and baskets from local restaurants and businesses, MSU Bobcat Football tickets, hotel nights in Vegas, and more.

Executive Director Carlos Ramalho expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “The grand opening will celebrate the new building, LIFTT’s permanent headquarters. For many years, we have dreamed of having our building, and our dream has become a reality.”

Ramalho added, “The grand opening is also a celebration of our team members’ resilience. On March 3, 2024, our lives were suddenly turned upside down after our previous location was flooded, and we had to suspend our operations. Thanks to all our team members, LIFTT could move to a building that had not been remodeled, had no telephone, and had no internet server. Working together, our team transformed a disaster into a success story, and on April 1, 2024, we were able to open our doors to the public we serve again.”

LIFTT invites the community to explore their new facility, learn more about their vast array of programs and services, and join them in celebrating this milestone event.

Grand Opening Sponsorships Available

LIFTT is looking for businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring our grand opening and contributing to our mission of promoting equality and independence for the disabled community in southeastern and south-central Montana. For more information about being a sponsor, please contact Hannah Olson at (406) 200-3068 or visit https://liftt.betterworld.org/campaigns/sponsor-our-grand-opening.

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 people with disabilities 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.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Hawkinson named to MCIE Community Advisory Council

LIFTT Senior IL Specialist and Glendive Regional Manager Jennifer Hawkinson has joined the Community Advisory Council of the Montana Center for Inclusive Education at Montana State University Billings. Description: White woman with black hair wearing glasses and a white shirt with red flowers

LIFTT Glendive Regional Manager and Senior IL Specialist Jennifer Hawkinson has joined the Community Advisory Council of the Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) housed at Montana State University Billings.

The Montana Center for Inclusive Education (MCIE) at Montana State University Billings has named LIFTT’s Glendive Regional Manager and Senior Independent Living Specialist Jennifer Hawkinson to a three-year term on the inaugural Montana Center Community Advisory Council.

As envisioned, the Montana Center Community Advisory Council will bring together stakeholders, including people with disabilities, their families, educators, and service providers, to offer guidance to the MCIE as it pursues its vision of ” creating a fully inclusive society that values diversity” through its mission of “serving the diverse population of Montana by providing continuing professional development opportunities for educators and direct service providers.”

“LIFTT and the Montana Center for Inclusive Education share a commitment to policies, programs, and services that promote the full independent participation of Montanans with disabilities in their communities,” said Hawkinson. “This is particularly true when it comes to seeing that youth have the best possible support when transitioning from K-12 education to the next stage in life, be it post-secondary education or the working world, which is a particular passion of mine; I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Community Advisory Council and strengthen the link between our organizations.”

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 people with disabilities 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 on Apple or Google Play.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

March 2024 LIFTT Connection Newsletter Now Available

The March 2024 edition of the LIFTT Connection Newsletter is now available!

Click here to download it (Adobe PDF)

In this issue of the LIFTT Connection:

Moving! Billings office is headed to 1241 Crawford Drive in April (Please note the web post combines the articles “LIFTT Billings Office to Move to 1241 Crawford Drive” & “Director’s Corner: See you at 13th & Crawford!” on pages one and two of the paper (pdf) edition)
Flooding Disrupts LIFTT’s Billings Operations: office closed until further notice, flood recovery fund set up

You can request that we email you an electronic copy or snail mail you a paper copy of the March 2024 LIFTT Connection newsletter and future newsletters by sending your name and address to jedb@liftt.org. Also, look for articles from the newsletter to be posted on liftt.org and our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn feeds.

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 people with disabilities 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 southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Flooding Disrupts LIFTT’s Billings Operations

Editor’s note: A version of this story about our recent flooding can be found in the new edition of the “LIFTT Connection” newsletter. Click here to download it! (Adobe PDF)

During the weekend of March 2-3, The LIFTT office at 1201 Grand Avenue in Billings experienced an unfortunate turn of events: an old toilet and pipe broke, causing substantial flooding.

The water damage has rendered all particle-board furniture, including desks and other items, unusable. Efforts are underway to assess the damage and possible loss of supplies and equipment. AmeriClean, a local disaster remediation company, continues working with LIFTT on salvage and recovery operations.

The flooding incident is a temporary obstacle for LIFTT, which has been preparing to leave the rented space on Grand Avenue and make a monumental move to a new building. The facility at 1241 Crawford Drive, slated for an April 2024 grand opening, is still undergoing electrical renovations and is not ready for immediate occupancy.

Carlos Ramalho, Executive Director of LIFTT, expressed regret over the interruption of services but remains optimistic about the future. “While this flooding incident is a significant challenge, we are resilient and committed to restoring services and getting up and running in our new building as quickly as possible,” said Ramalho.

Billings office closed until further notice; flood recovery fund set up

While the Billings office is closed to the public until further notice, Billings-based team members may be reached via phone and email. Click here for a complete directory of LIFTT team members. Operations continue as usual at LIFTT’s Glendive location.

LIFTT encourages community members to offer their support during this challenging time. Interested individuals can contact LIFTT at (406) 259-5181 or donate to the Flood Recovery Fund at liftt.betterworld.org/donate.

LIFTT is grateful for the understanding and cooperation of the community as they work to overcome this unforeseen obstacle.

“Living Well in Montana” discusses LIFTT’s flooding with Dakota Smith of AmeriClean

Jed Barton and Debra Acosta talked with Dakota Smith, the owner of AmeriClean Disaster Restoration Services, about the recent flooding at the Billings LIFTT office and what folks can and should consider when disasters such as flooding strike their homes or businesses.

Local Media Coverage of the Flooding

Non-Stop Local (KULR 8-): “Billings local non-profit, LIFTT, impacted by flooding at its main office”

KTVQ: “Weekend flooding at Billings nonprofit accelerates moving plans”

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 people with disabilities 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 on either Apple or Google Play.

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Billings office is closed until further notice

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) regrets to announce that our Billings office (1201 Grand Avenue) will be closed until further notice due to flooding and clean up efforts. Please continue to follow our website and social media channels for updates as they become available.

Operations at our Glendive location will continue as normal. Consumers needing to contact their Billings-based independent living specialist or PCA program manager can leave them a phone or email message. Click here for a complete directory of our team.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Due to flooding and clean-up efforts, our Billings office is closed until further notice.

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 people with disabilities 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, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on either Apple or Google Play.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Moving! Billings office is headed to 1241 Crawford Drive in April

The new LIFTT building at 1241 Crawford Drive, The building was formerly St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

LIFTT’s Billings office is moving to 1241 Crawford Drive, the former St. Stephen’s Church building, beginning in April 2024. (photo by Deb Acosta)

Editor’s note: This post combines the articles “LIFTT Billings Office to Move to 1241 Crawford Drive” & “Director’s Corner: See you at 13th & Crawford!” on pages one and two of the latest edition of the LIFTT Connection Newsletter, which can be downloaded here. (Adobe PDF)

In a significant stride towards expanding its capacity and services, Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT), a cornerstone in empowering individuals with disabilities, is thrilled to announce the purchase of a new building at 1241 Crawford Drive, Billings, MT 59102. the move, set for April 2024, marks an exciting new chapter in LIFTT’s history, furthering its mission to lift individuals above life’s barriers.

Strategically located for enhanced accessibility and community engagement, the new premises at the corner of 13th Street West and Crawford Drive, the former site of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, promises a bright future for LIFTT, its consumers, and the broader disability community. This expansion responds to the growing need for LIFTT’s core independent living services, which has significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carlos Ramalho, Executive Director of LIFTT, expressed enthusiasm about the new opportunities the larger space will bring. “The new building will not only accommodate our growing operations but will also allow us to introduce innovative programs and host community activities that will enrich the lives of those we serve,” said Ramalho.

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow has been a beacon of hope and support for the disabled community across 18 southeastern and south-central Montana counties for over 36 years. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, LIFTT offers a range of programs and services designed to break down physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers and promote full, independent participation in society.

As LIFTT embarks on this exciting journey, the organization welcomes the community’s support through donations, which can be made directly at liftt.org/get-involved/donate-support. Your contribution will play a vital role in offering a more inclusive and supportive community that enhances the lives of individuals with disabilities.

For more information regarding LIFTT and the move of its Billings office, please contact either Carlos Ramalho, Executive Director (406) 294-5190, carlosr@liftt.org or Jed Barton Public Relations, Government Affairs & Independent Living Specialist (406) 294-5186, jedb@liftt.org

In a special message about moving to the LIFTT Community Executive Director, Carlos Ramalho wrote:

To our consumers, friends, and supporters,

We’re thrilled to announce that LIFTT is moving to 1241 Crawford Drive, Billings, MT 59102. The new building, the former St. Stephen’s Church, is on the corner of 13th Street West and Crawford Drive—six blocks north of Grand Avenue and two blocks south of Poly Drive! Our move will not change anything between us—except that it will help us serve you better.

Remember that moving is a normal part of life! You will love LIFTT’s new location because we were thinking of you when we planned it.

Our new office is very close to our current location. There is a bus stop right in front of the new building. If you prefer to drive, there will be lots of parking spaces. We have great plans for the new location. There will be an auditorium, a community room, classrooms, and lots of space for community activities.

LIFTT’s new building is wheelchair-friendly and ADA-accessible. We want everyone to feel welcome and included.

This new location provides LIFTT with the opportunity to grow its vision and empower individuals with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

We’ll be moving in April 2024!

At LIFTT, our consumers, friends, and supporters are family. We’ve known each other for a long time. And we can’t wait to have you see our new building. You feel right at home.

To keep track of our move, I encourage you to follow us on LIFTT.org, Facebook, and Instagram. For your convenience, our main phone number remains (406) 259-5181, and your IL Specialist and/or PCA program manager’s direct number and email address should remain the same before, during, and after our move.

See you at 13th & Crawford soon,

Carlos Ramalho
Executive Director

LIFTT Executive Director Carlos Ramalho stands in front of a U-Haul truck as the moving process is underway (photo by Jed Barton)
The corner of 13th Street W and Crawford Drive will be the new home of LIFTT in Billings! (photo by Deb Acosta)

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 people with disabilities 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, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on either Apple or Google Play.

January 2024 LIFTT Connection Newsletter Now Avaliable

The January 2024 edition of the LIFTT Connection Newsletter is now available!

Click here to download it (Adobe PDF)

In this issue of the LIFTT Connection:

You can request that we email you an electronic copy or mail you a paper copy by sending your name and address to jedb@liftt.org. Also, look for articles from the newsletter to be posted on liftt.org and our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn feeds.

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 people with disabilities 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 southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

We Want You for the LIFTT Peer Program!

LIFTT is looking for motivated volunteers to join our team as part of our peer program. The peer program is designed to empower people living with disabilities to learn, grow, and thrive independently in their communities.

LIFTT Peers:

Learn to advocate for themselves and others.
Gain new life & employment skills.
Build confidence and trust in themselves and others through positive interactions.
Feel as though their ideas, goals, dreams, and ultimately, their full equality and humanity are seen and valued.
Make an important contribution to LIFTT’s ability to carry out its mission.
Explore possibilities for vocational growth both inside and outside of LIFTT.

If you would like to know more or find out how you can be a part of LIFTT’s peer program, contact one of our peer program co-coordinators, who will be glad to answer your questions or set up an appointment with you.

If you are in Big Horn, Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Stillwater, or Yellowstone counties, contact Tanya Thomas in our Billings office at (406) 690-6324, tanyat@liftt.org. If you are in Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, or Wibaux counties, contact Dustin Wilburn in our Glendive office at (406) 948-8107 or dustinw@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 people with disabilities 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 southcentral Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Stillwater, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app on Apple or Google Play.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.