Destination Stewardship Project; Lincoln County Tourism Town Hall Meeting
Courtesy of Libby Chamber of Commerce
In September, Glacier Country Tourism (GCT) kicked off a year-long destination stewardship planning process needed to balance visitor growth with the long-term health and vibrancy of Montana’s communities, natural resources and quality of life for our residents. What makes destination stewardship different from marketing and management is the process by which we do what we do. It’s a shift from promoting communities to engaging and stewarding communities, which in turn provides more livable and sustainable destinations.
The Destination Stewardship Strategy is a community-driven process. The objective is to engage the many diverse stakeholders who collectively comprise the tourism ecosystem in Glacier Country to identify and prioritize opportunities that will balance tourism growth with the long-term health and vibrancy of our communities.
Glacier Country Tourism has contracted with Jim McCaul (MMGY NextFactor) and Cathy Ritter (Better Destinations) who will be guiding and facilitating this process. MMGY NextFactor is an industry-leading consulting firm that specializes in helping DMOs deliver sustainable growth to visitor economies and build stronger communities. Better Destinations is a consulting practice that focuses on how to maximize the benefits of tourism while addressing impacts to achieve overall positive outcomes, including stakeholder support.
The success of this project depends on having engagement from both residents and stakeholders from across the entire region and we hope you will help us build awareness of the project and encourage participation in the various outreach events include town hall meetings and surveys all beginning Nov. 1. To learn more about the project, please visit https://partners.glaciermt.com/destination-stewardship.
Lincoln County’s meeting will be held in-person on Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. at the Memorial Center. A Virtual meeting will be held on Tuesday, Nov.16, from 2 until 4 p.m. You can register online at mmgyglobal.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkcOqsqzIjE9LCNa7SfJxtCsijmPXY4iLv
Local Church working with Washington State Prison inmates to warm heads this winter
Submitted by Cyrus Lee
Left: Thumbs up to the CBC from Josslynn the first customer at Basic Needs on Tuesday. Right: Jaxon shows off his new CBC stocking cap on his 10-month-old noggin. Photos courtesy of Cyrus Lee.
‘Crocheting for the Betterment of Communities’ or the CBC is a partnership between inmates at Washington State Prison (WSP) in Walla Walla and the United Methodist Churches in Libby and Troy.
Geraldo D., Bill R., Terence P., and William L.; all inmates in Victor Unit at WSP, crochet caps and other items which are in turn provide to customers at the Basic Needs Stores operated by both parishes.
Organized by Bill, the program works from within and under the supervision of the Sustainable Practice Lab or SPL which is a 50,000 square foot building with one acre outside called the ‘green zone’.
The SPL uses the zone’s two huge green houses, a few hoop houses, a garden area, to grow all kinds of veggies. Composting machines and huge worm beds recycle the prison’s organic waste into new soil. Between 45 and 60 inmates work at SPL in different departments producing goods that are of benefit to the outside communities. Being able to be and work in the SPL environment is considered a privilege.
Answering the request for yarn from Bill members from both churches as well as others from the community combed knitting baskets, closets, and drawers for donations. Five large boxes were shipped to the to the ‘CBC’ guys at the SPL via UPS utilizing a local business connection rate. In return the big brown trucks delivered the first two boxes of beanies in mid-October; just as cold began to nip at the air.
The Basic Needs Store in Libby is open from 10 until 12 on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday and in Troy from 9:30 to 12 on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Tuesdays of each month. Both stores help customers with non-food basic items and now stocking caps.
Town Pump matching $1 million in 20th food bank fundraiser
With demand for food bank services continuing to surge in Montana as the pandemic wears on, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation is matching $1,000,000 in contributions during its 20th annual fundraising campaign for food banks across Montana, including Libby Food Pantry and Troy Food Pantry.
Over 100 food banks are participating in the statewide “Be A Friend in Deed, Helping Those in Need” campaign this year. The campaign has raised over $40 million for Montana food banks in 19 years, including about $8 million in matching grants from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. Organizers of the campaign, which runs through Nov. 30, hope to raise $5 million for the food banks this year.
Locally, the Foundation is matching up to $7,500 for Libby Food Pantry, an increase of $1,500 over last year, and $6,000 for Troy Food Pantry, an increase of $1,000 over last year. All money raised locally stays in the community.
The money is frequently used to purchase perishable food items such as milk, bread, fruit and vegetables. Also, the funds are becoming more crucial in helping many food bank organizations simply stay open through payment of rent, utilities, and space for storage, refrigeration and freezing.
“The good work of Montana’s local food banks is especially vital in the ongoing pandemic,” said Bill McGladdery, of the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. “Please join Town Pump and our dedicated food bank partners in making a difference in the lives of our hungry neighbors by donating today at our businesses or directly to the food banks.”
Donations can be made at local Town Pumps, Lucky Lil’s and Lucky Loggers, or they can be made by mail to Libby Food Pantry at P.O. Box 311, Libby, MT 59923 and Troy Food Pantry, P.O. Box 1037, Troy, MT 59935.