Montana's welcome sign should read: “Now Entering Montana, Be Prepared To Freeze!”

I left Washington with the mercury hovering around the forty-five degree mark and woke up the next day in a state that averaged -20 below zero. Something is wrong with this picture. Actually, it was just a wake up call to winter.

I've been asked by many people why I chose to head north during the winter time. I tell them that I took this route because my cousin Greg was getting married in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 19 and I would only be able to attend if I was a neighboring state. So that's why I was crossing the frozen tundra of Montana.

First stop, Helena, MT. I arrived on Sunday night to find the temperature was too low for me to camp. I made a call to a friend from Boise who happened to have a brother who went to Carroll College (in Helena) and was able to hook me up with a place to stay for a few nights. I was (and still am) most thankful for Nick and Garrett from Pink Gloves Boxing for letting me crash on their couch while I volunteered in the area.

Volunteering in Helena was interesting. I had originally contacted a place in town that had something for me to do, but when I got there, they had already finished the assigned tasks. This brings up a good point for me to mention about my philosophy in service: I never force myself into any organization. I'm glad they were honest about not needing me instead of putting me to work doing something that doesn't profit them or wastes my time.

So what do I do now? I immediately cracked out my list of back up plans and went into full throttle executing my list. I went to Google.com and typed “Helena MT non profits” into the search bar. Right before my eyes, a long list of possible places to volunteer at came up. I called the first place on the list and got the response, “we've got everything taken care of...thanks for offering though”. I called the next place and got a similar response. This happened with everyone on the list! Bittersweet to say the least. I'm down because I don't have a place to serve but am encouraged to know these charities have plenty of people helping out.

By the time Tuesday rolled around, I had not served once. I didn't panic though. I've been in this boat before. I just did what I could while I was there and called ahead to the places in Billings. I left Helena on Wednesday morning, traveled 250 miles to Billings, realized I had no shelter, and sat in a coffee shop. I decided to act on an impulse and registered at couchsurfing.org to see if anyone would be willing to let me crash on their floor for the remainder of my time in the state. I didn't get a hit on my request until the next morning which meant I spent the night in my car and at IHOP waiting for the warming of tomorrow's sun.

On Thursday, even though I was super tired and cold, I spent the day serving at the Billings Food Bank. BFB is the primary collector of food donations for Yellowstone and surrounding counties and disperses over six million pounds of food annually to various area charities. BFB also distributes food to needy seniors on a monthly basis and is actively training individuals in food preparation and nutrition through their Montana Harvest Kitchen. It was a treat for me to work there as I did a variety of projects involving the sorting of incoming donations, stacking pallets, building boxes, and loading trucks. The food bank was in the process of moving into a brand new building which meant that all the current warehouse stock had to be moved to the new facility.

I served at BFB on Friday as well. One of the many things I found enjoyable while working there was meeting the other volunteers who come in on a regular basis. They encouraged me with their stories of service and informed me that the Billings community was one of the best at supporting the work of the food bank. While many food banks across the nation are struggling, trying to keep up with the increasing demand for basic assistance, the BFB showed no sign of want. (This of course doesn't mean that people should stop giving.) It's great to see that people of Montana are looking out for the needs of their fellow statesmen and women.

The other place I spent most of my time serving at was Zoo Montana. The zoo is completely funded by donations and grants and is in charge of raising all its funds.  This year was the first year for them to take over the running of Zoo Lights, a giant display of holiday lights people could drive through to enjoy, and in turn, make a small donation to the zoo. After the people drove around the grounds, they were invited to stop into the main building to get warmed up and to participate in a variety of activities. I was assigned to one of the craft tables.

The cold weather didn't keep the people away. We had a bunch of families come through on Friday night and even more on Saturday. I put some of the highlights together here for you to check out. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the zoo and the host of volunteers who helped make the event run smoothly. I was tickled to see a familiar face from the food bank show up on Saturday night to help out. I also had great conversations, both with a young Marine and with a local volunteer who retired early used her free time to help others. I was reminded that good volunteers come from all stages of life and are united by their passion to see their community bettered.

I have to mention, that along with great service projects in the state, I extremely enjoyed the new people I was connected to. Namely, Nick and Garrett from Helena, John, Andy, Doug, and Zam from Billings. These people helped me out and treated me like family. Thanks for the adventurous memories and for taking me in without ever meeting me first. You're the ones who make my life full of spice. Thanks.

Drudgingly, I had to leave the great state of Montana...but I couldn't shake the cold temps. Looking forward to returning under warmer conditions. (Maybe the state would grant me a land charter to start my very own town?)