A Polson-based nonprofit is carving out a practical path to employment for adults with disabilities, starting with a product as humble as a fire starter made from recycled materials and building toward something larger: a foothold in the workforce and a measure of independence.
Mission Mountain Empowerment works with participants across vocational, social, and residential dimensions of their lives, recognizing that holding a job is rarely just about job skills. The organization's approach connects people with disabilities to real work and real wages, with the recycled fire starter program serving as one entry point into that process.
While the organization is based in Polson, roughly 100 miles north of Helena on Flathead Lake, its model reflects a broader conversation happening across Montana about how communities support residents with disabilities — one that touches employment services, housing, and how counties fund human services programs.