ECC Helena

11/07/2025

💛 Families Like Ours — Storyteller Applications Now Open! 💛

Everyone has a story — and we want to hear yours.

Parenting is messy, complicated, and sometimes overwhelming—but no one should have to go through it alone. Families Like Ours is a community storytelling event that honors that truth — creating space for parents and caregivers to share their journeys and remind one another that none of us are alone.

If you feel called to tell your story, apply to be part of this year’s Families Like Ours storyteller group. Storytellers will receive coaching and support from January through May, culminating in a live event on May 8, 2026.

Applications are open November 4–30, 2025

Learn more and apply at ecchelena.org/families-like-ours

✨ Together, our stories build connection, compassion, and community.



We are grateful for Roots Family Collaborative and the inspiration through Moms Like Me event they've been doing for almost a decade!

Families Like OursA storytelling event for parents in the Helena areaMay 8th, 2026 Families Like Ours The Early Childhood Collaborative and the Helena Village Collective, along with many community partners want to create space for parents to share their real stories. Parenting is messy, complicated,...

11/04/2025

🌟 We want to hear from you! 🌟

Planning is underway for the Strengthening Support Services Summit — coming February 24, 2026 — and we’re shaping the day around your input.

This Summit is a unique opportunity for people from all sectors to come together and identify what’s working, what could be strengthened, and how to move forward together.

While the event is cross-sector, each area will have its own breakout session — and we want to know: Where do you want to focus?

🧒 Early Childhood
🏠 Housing
🧠 Mental Health
🚗 Transportation
💊 Substance Misuse
❤️ Chronic Disease

What do you want these breakout discussions to look like?
Your feedback will help ensure the Summit reflects the voices and needs of our whole community.

👉 Share your thoughts here: https://form.jotform.com/252685664374166

🔗 Learn more: ecchelena.org/ssss



Thank you to our partners!
Elevate Montana Lewis and Clark Public Health Helena Area Community Foundation United Way of the Lewis & Clark Area

10/31/2025

Today!

10/28/2025

💛 Let’s come together for our children.

Across Montana, 1 in 6 children lives in a household experiencing food insecurity. That means many local families are facing impossible decisions — and that’s where our community can step in.

If you’re able, consider donating food or funds to help keep Helena’s kids nourished and thriving. Every bit makes a difference.

And if you’re in a season where you could use some support yourself, know that your community is here for you. Lean on the resources we have when you need to. We all have moments we need a little boost.

Together, we can make sure every child has enough to eat. 💛

Thank you to Helena Food Share for the important work you do for families across our community.

10/27/2025

Here is a list of some of the Halloween events that are appropriate for all ages happening in the Helena area.

10/25/2025

Today!

10/23/2025

Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits will not be issued in November. This means many families in our community will lose an essential resource for putting food on the table.

Helena Food Share is here to help — but we need YOUR support to ensure there’s enough food for everyone. Ways you can help:🧡

💵Donate Funds — Monetary gifts let us purchase food in bulk to meet the growing need - visit helenafoodshare.org to donate

🥫Donate Food — at our Boulder Ave donation door or at one of the local food drives listed below.🛒

👉Oct 24 – Kid Pack Food Drive hosted by Helena College students at Safeway
👉Nov 1 - HFS Food Drive at Safeway
👉Nov 8 - HFS Food Drive at Super 1 Foods
👉Nov 15 - HFS Food Drive at Albertsons
👉Watch for schools, businesses, churches, and other orgs that are collecting food.

Thank you, Helena, for always standing up for your neighbors in need. Together, we can make sure no one goes hungry. 💚🧡

10/23/2025

Child care challenges ripple through our whole community.

When families can’t find or afford care, employers struggle to hire, employees miss work, and businesses and community members feel the strain. Meanwhile, child care providers face ongoing staffing shortages of their own.

That’s why the Community Child Care Capacity Building Cohort is gathering input from parents, providers, employers, and community members. Your voice helps shape real solutions for the Helena area.

🟢 Take the survey: ecchelena.org/capacity-building-cohort

🟢 Who should take it: Parents, child care providers, employers & community members

🟢 Why it matters: Identifies gaps, sets priorities, and guides local action

Let’s figure out what our community needs — together.

Community Child Care Capacity Building Cohort Collaborating to uncover the root causes of our local child care challenges—and building lasting solutions together for the Greater Helena Area. Take the survey here! What is the Community Child Care Capacity Building Cohort? For short, “The Cohort.....

10/17/2025

Thank you to KXLH and Madelyn Heath for covering this. 🖤🩵

The community gathered to remind families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss are not alone and that their little ones are remembered through a wave of light.

10/15/2025

See you this evening for Wave of Light. 🖤🩵

10/14/2025

Well, it might be cold, snowy or rainy but we will still be there and hope to have you join!

Tomorrow at 7 pm, we'll gather at Memorial Park to collectively hold space for the grief and love we carry for our little ones. Walking through life with a loss like this can feel extremely isolating. We hope you take this opportunity to join us. We welcome you if you are the one who experienced the loss or if you are there to support or honor a loved one.

We know it can feel scary to attend one of our loss events, so if you're not ready, we invite you to light a candle at home for your little one.

We will have music by and hot cocoa from 1889 Coffeehouse.

🖤🖤

10/09/2025

One week from today, we'll gather at Memorial Park to collectively hold space for the grief and love we carry for our little ones. Walking through life with a loss like this can feel extremely isolating. We hope you take this opportunity to join us. We welcome you if you are the one who experienced the loss or if you are there to support or honor a loved one.

We know it can feel scary to attend one of our loss events, so if you're not ready, we invite you to light a candle at home for your little one.

🖤🖤