Donated former church building will provide shelter for
teenagers
 |
Sparrows Nest
Marcia Bumke of Sparrows Nest hugs Brian Tanko after touring the
Kalispell building that Tanko and his wife, Victoria, donated to the organization on Wednesday. |
By HILARY MATHESON/The Daily Inter Lake
Shelter for Flathead Valley homeless
teens is within reach.
The Sparrows Nest Northwest Montana (formerly the Flathead
Homeless Youth Committee) received a recent donation of a 6,720-square-foot
building at the corner of Second Street West and Seventh Avenue West in
Kalispell from Brian and Victoria Tanko of Kalispell.
The building, which was purchased by the Tankos for
$140,000, formerly housed a church.
The donation is a dream realized by a grassroots effort
among community members, churches and organizations that began meeting a year
and a half ago to brainstorm ways to provide safe, temporary shelter for teens
under 18.
