FROM BLIGHT TO BRIGHT

I am sure that many of you have heard of the Yellowstone County Senior Mill Levy Fund. If you pay property tax you will see on your statement that a small portion is dedicated to support programs serving seniors within the County. Some of those funds help support the programs of the Adult Resource Alliance. The Senior Centers throughout Yellowstone County receive a significant part of their operating budgets through this fund. In addition, a number of non-profit groups that focus to some degree on serving seniors also receive support through the mill levy. Over the next few editions of the Senior News, we will be focuses on those organizations and the great work they do for the seniors of Yellowstone County. The first organization is Community Leadership and Development, Inc. or CLDI.

—Mike Larson, Executive Director

Community Leadership & Development, Inc. (CLDI) is a faith-based, non-profit organization devoted to serving the South Side neighborhood of Billings, Montana, for the past 40 years. CLDI's mission is to seek transformation through the gospel of Jesus Christ to rebuild lives, restore families, and re-neighbor communities. As a community development organization at our core, we desire to see individuals thrive financially, spiritually, and relationally so that collectively, an entire neighborhood is impacted for the better. The South Side community has been known for being a pocket of poverty in the city of Billings for decades. Despite how others may view the South Side, we believe it is a community of rich history and a proud identity worthy of investment. We have and will continue to invest millions of dollars of resources, and thousands of hours of work, prayer, and effort, to see the South Side redeemed from blight to bright for the glory of God.

CLDI has arranged itself to be a multifaceted organization to most effectively reach the needs of its neighborhood's residents. We find joy in finding creative solutions to the challenges marginalized families face. For instance, those solutions look like the reclamation of blighted areas to create affordable, non-discriminatory housing and employment places. CLDI operates its own property management company and manages over 65 units to serve those who might have difficulty securing affordable housing (i.e., poor credit, rental history, criminal background, etc.), but not at the cost of quality. We use the landlord-tenant relationship to foster meaningful connections and encourage community involvement. We also leverage the business-customer relationship to invest in the lives of many at Rail//Line

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Coffee, a redemptive coffee house. CLDI successfully reconstructed a run-down, blighted property to cultivate a job training program, a safe place for community gatherings, and a vehicle to promote economic growth in the neighborhood. We also nurture positive relationships with youth and college-age students through mentorship opportunities, leadership development, and intentional discipleship through our Youth Works department and CLDI Internship program. The same relational emphasis is the foundation of the Hannah House, a CLDI recovery home for women and children with a focus on reunification.

Positive relationships are our top priority through and through. In all our efforts, we feel our neighbors can experience the love of Christ in both word and deed, and we want to continue to expand that same opportunity to the seniors around us. Through CLDI's various programs, we have grown and maintained relationships with the older South Side residents who are deeply rooted in the

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community and have identified their desire to stay in the 'their' neighborhood as they age in place. While we are meeting the need for quality, affordable housing, we have not been able to fulfill the many requests from individuals who wish to transition into an accessible apartment suitable for their changing needs. Hence, our newest endeavor: six beautiful, fully ADA-compliant cottage units for low-income seniors who wish to live independently while aging with dignity. We are constructing each unit in a way that encourages independence, peer relationship and social engagement, and safety. Through CLDI's partnership with Adult Resource Alliance of Yellowstone County (ARA), our senior tenants will be able to utilize ARA's services (nutrition programs, transportation services, and more) which will further ensure that South Side seniors enjoy the highest possible quality of life. In every way, from the reclamation of blighted property to the enhancement of community vitality, CLDI is committed to being a bright light to all.