Our Work

There is a distinct lack of reliable information about immigrants themselves, the country’s immigration system, and how both impact our communities. Valley Neighbors works to expose residents of the Flathead to information, education, and cultural awareness of these issues. This work includes: 

• Film showings

• Educational, collaborative outreach to community groups

• Artistic and cultural presentations

• Communication through website, newsletter, and social media

• Collaborating with other organizations that also serve immigrants

Valley Neighbors provides residents with real-time information about what is happening in the Flathead Valley as it relates to immigration and the safety of our community members. We provide updates on court cases, detentions, urgent fundraising needs, community engagement opportunities, partner organization events, and more. 

• Enhanced knowledge and understanding will empower us to be better, more connected community members. If you’d like to receive updates, please join our mailing list and follow us on social media.

Valley Neighbors provides legal assistance to community members navigating the immigration process. This work includes: 

• Connecting residents to legal services 

• Fundraising to offset the cost of legal services 

• Translation of legal documents 

• Assistance navigating complex legal processes

• Transportation to/from hearings, ICE check-ins, and USCIS appointments

Valley Neighbors works to fill existing gaps in refugee and asylee services by assisting families after they have arrived in the Flathead Valley. These services include: 

• Coordinating donations drives

• Medical and dental referrals 

• Educational system support and access

• Assistance in accessing benefits and services

• Assistance in navigating a new cultural landscape

• Providing household items as resources allow

Access to affordable, reliable housing is a barrier for many community members, including and especially immigrant neighbors. Valley Neighbors offers assistance to families at several stages throughout the housing application and move-in process to reduce barriers to housing, including: 

• Fair housing advocacy

• Short and long-term financial assessments 

• Lease reviews and document translation 

• Moving support and volunteer coordination

• Other housing-related services on a case-by-case basis

These programs are currently inactive, but we look forward to continuing them in different forms going forward.

English Language Support & Translation

Building English language proficiency can be a key step towards community integration and economic opportunities. Valley Neighbors works to provide opportunities for community members to improve their language skills and reduce challenges that arise when someone doesn’t speak English. This work included:

• English as a Second Language (ESL) classes

• Translation of key documents and applications 

Welcome Blankets 

To support the needs of immigrants at the US-Mexico border, Valley Neighbors worked with community members to participate in the Welcome Blanket Project through welcomeblanket.org. Through this project, participants make blankets of welcome which are distributed to refugees and asylees, often as they are released from detention centers throughout the country. 

Valley Neighbors wishes to extend its deep appreciation to the religious communities in Bigfork and Kalispell, as well as other local individuals who have shown their support in creating dozens of blankets which have been shipped to the IRC Welcome Center in Arizona.

IRC Resettlement

From 2023 to 2025, Valley Neighbors was a Community Partner with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Through this grassroots program under the supervision of the IRC, we delivered all the refugee resettlement services a larger agency would, but on a smaller scale, family by family. Refugees undergo extensive screening processes before approval by the US government. Through this program, we had the privilege of resettling five refugee families, a total of 29 people, from three countries. This program included a great deal of volunteer support and involved dedicated case management and cultural orientation alongside other services. While this program was defunded in 2025, we gained a wealth of experience in refugee resettlement and remain hopeful about future resettlement opportunities that may arise.