Matt Lennick

Recent Posts

From Missoula, an in-the-trenches look at homelessness

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Camp

My name is Travis Mateer and for the past seven years I’ve worked at the Poverello Center, an emergency shelter and soup kitchen in Missoula. When I started at “the Pov” in 2008, our nation’s economy wasn’t doing so well. The unsound lending practices of the big banks resulted in a housing bubble that caused significant economic misery when it burst. Ripple effects, like a decreased demand for timber, closed local mills and put people out of work. Shelters across the country struggled to meet the increased need. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Montana, Billings Police Department, Downtown Billings Alliance, homelessness, Joel Simpson, Lisa Harmon, Matt Lennick, Missoula

The late Dwight Raup: Few possessions, many friends

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Dwight

If you ever saw Dwight Raup in downtown Billings, most likely on a bench under Skypoint, or at a table drinking coffee at Rock Creek Coffee Roasters, you might have thought he didn’t have much. He carried everything he owned: his clothes, a bedroll and a green duffel bag stuffed with belongings. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Billings, Culture, Billings Army-Navy Surplus Store, Billings Clinic, Catherine Louisa Eithier, Dawn Shrinarine, Downtown Billings Alliance, Dwight Raup

Cops, community getting a handle on downtown Billings

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Coppers

At this time of year in downtown Billings, Matt Lennick’s phone should be ringing a lot more than it has been. Lennick, a downtown resource officer who works for the Police Department but whose pay is covered by a special tax on downtown property owners, said he’s still waiting to see statistical comparisons between this year and last, but this year sure feels different. (more…) Continue Reading →

Filed under: Billings, Billings Police Department, Community Innovations Summit, Downtown Billings Alliance, Joel Simpson, Matt Lennick, Rich St. John, Tony Nichols