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The Fort Harrison VA team is hosting a community Walk & Roll event takes place on May 9, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The annual VA2K event features a short two-kilometer walk and roll (1.24 miles) and encourages people to live active lifestyles and support Veterans who are unsheltered through voluntary

donations of food and new clothing items.

The event is scheduled to run from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and participants can join at two Helena-area locations. Participants can join at:

In Montana, there was a 56.4% increase in Veterans who were homeless from 2021 (110) to 2022 (172). In 2022, Montana VA was able to help 211 Veterans secure housing. Unfortunately, it is

anticipated that more Veterans and others in Montana’s communities will experience homelessness in 2023 due to housing shortages and rising housing costs.

Resources exist to help Veterans secure housing. Some of these Montana VA resources include:

One-third of Montana VA’s HUD-VASH vouchers for Veterans remain unused by Montana landlords. If filled, these unused vouchers could represent stable housing for 187 Montana Veterans at risk

for homelessness. Landlords who are interested in helping Veterans find stable housing through HUD-VASH vouchers can call (406) 447-6000 and ask for the Homeless Program to learn more.

Donations to support Montana Veterans who are unsheltered are welcome, but not required to participate in the VA2K. Donations can be made at Pay.gov - VISN 19 Donation Form (Under

“Facility,” select “Montana VA Health Care System.” If a donor does purchase through the above link, the items will be shipped directly to Fort Harrison VA Medical Center.  

For Veterans who live at the Fort Harrison VA’s housing, donations of garden supplies are welcome. Specifically, bulbs/starter plants (seed potatoes, onion bulbs, beet, tomato, pepper, 

jalapeno, tomatoes, ad pepper plants) and seed packets (preferably organic) would be useful for new gardens.  

Community groups who are interested in participating in the event should contact the local VA2K coordinator, Holly Alastra, 406-437-8712, [email protected]. 

Montana VA Health Care System Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled Veterans across Montana—an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staff of 1,400 at 18

sites of care across the state.  One third of Montana VA employees are Veterans.