It might not be the same as real homelessness, but Good Samaritan Ministries employee Kathryn Manz knows the impact of just one night on the street. “You can go to your warm house when you’re done,” she said. “You can eat your refrigerated meal.
But even if you quit early or stay the whole night, you get a glimpse of what it's like.” This Saturday, Good Samaritan Ministries will host multiple fundraising events, including a fashion show and a silent auction. Arguably the most dramatic event sits at the end.
From 7 p.m. to 7 a.
m., 12 women will sleep in a parking lot on a bed of cardboard. They can bring what they need to be comfortable, but it's not glamping, Manz said.
There won’t be space heaters, and many will only have what Good Samaritan gives its unhoused guests: sleeping bags and some survival gear. They’ve informed the Helena Police Department, but they don’t necessarily have bodyguards. If they feel unsafe, the women will move, much like real unhoused people do, Manz said.
“If you can’t do it, no one’s keeping you,” she said. “But staying the whole night or leaving early, you see it.” The events have two big goals, executive director Theresa Ortega said: raising awareness for women’s homelessness, and generating funds for the soon-to-open Ruth’s Place women’s shelter.
“We want Helena to see that solving homelessness is a ‘together’ thing,” Ortega said. “We want people invested in it.” Ruth’s Place will be Helena’s fir.