Women's shelter opens in Kalispell
Two years of construction and many more of prayer and Peggy’s House, a women’s and children’s shelter by A Ray of Hope, will open its doors on Saturday with a grand celebration.
The shelter’s namesake, Peggy Christensen, founded the A Ray of Hope nonprofit Christian-based organization in 1998, determined to make a difference in the lives of those in need of a fresh start by providing food, shelter and educational resources to help them get back on their feet.
The three-level, 4,000-square-foot shelter located on the corner of Fifth Avenue West and First Street West in Kalispell is the latest addition to the organization’s various avenues of ministry, including a thrift store and mens shelter in the same area.
Not long after construction began on the house, Christensen was diagnosed with multiple cancers throughout her body, forcing her hospitalization in Missoula and prohibiting her physical participation in the project.
However, as around 200 businesses and individuals who contributed their time, money and resources to make the shelter possible gather at the finished home, Christensen said she will be there in spirit.
“It’s like a miracle for me to watch it be built,” Christensen said. “And it’s debt free, so I know it’s going to take care of a lot of people for a lot of years to come.”
The specially designed house, capable of sheltering up to 23 women and children, according to the house manager Rachelle Thompson, consists of nine bedrooms, five bathrooms, a playroom for children, living space and handicap accessible accommodations.
Thanks to a number of community volunteers and donations, the building, estimated at a value of between $400,000 and $500,000, was built for less than $200,000 and now stands debt free.
Literally built on the promises of God, Christensen said that every single board used to build the shelter has scripture written on it.
More than just a bed and a meal, Peggy’s House aims to offers tenants addiction counseling, parenting and cooking classes, budgeting education and more with no time restrictions and at no cost to them.
The goal of the shelter, according to Christensen, is to provide struggling single women, mothers and their children with a safe haven that offers them access to the tools they need to take care of themselves and their children.
“My hope is that they always understand how much they’re loved, number one by God and the community,” Christensen said.
“We give a hand up, not a hand out,” she added, quoting the organization’s motto.
Thompson experienced the power of those helping hands when she found herself struggling with drug addiction and was cut off from her two children.
She showed up at A Ray of Hope’s shelter without a hope and nothing to lose. Through the program she gained her sobriety, re-established contact with her children and has since returned to college to finish her nursing degree.
Thompson now manages and resides at Peggy’s House after promising Christensen she would spend at least a year working to make her vision come true after all she’d done.
As a faith-based organization, A Ray of Hope relies entirely on the month-to-month support of the community.
Though the grand opening celebration Saturday marks the completion of a long-held goal, Christensen said it will cost around $3,000-3,500 a month to keep the house in operation at full capacity.
“I have always recognized that the community has been the backbone of A Ray of Hope,” Christensen said. “The love of the community has made that work.”
Around eight applicants are expected to begin moving into Peggy’s House with their children over the weekend, filling it to capacity, according to Thompson.
No matter their background, burdens or ailments, Christensen said as long as they’re will to try and work toward a better life for themselves and their families, A Ray of Hope will be there to help make it happen.
Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.