Join LIFTT as we celebrate 35 years of the ADA on July 26! | | |
Mark your calendars and get ready to party with purpose — LIFTT is thrilled to announce our upcoming celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)! It’s more than an event — it’s a milestone in the movement for equity, independence, and inclusion for people with disabilities nationwide.
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at LIFTT’s Billings office, 1241 Crawford Drive, we’ll gather as a community to celebrate and honor the legacy of the ADA, spotlight our local heroes, and remind the world that accessibility is a right, not a privilege.
Come for the Cause. Stay for the Cake. Leave Inspired!
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Why the ADA Still Matters
LIFTT Executive Director Carlos Ramalho on the meaning of 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), why we still need it today, and why we always will need it, and what LIFTT is doing to ensure it is there today and tomorrow.
Celebrating the Past and Defending the Future
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upLIFTT Thrift Now Open!
We’re thrilled to announce that upLIFTT Thrift officially opened its doors in June 2025, and we look forward to your visit! With shelves full of treasures and a heart full of purpose, this isn’t your average thrift shop.
It’s a place where generosity turns into impact. For now, the hours of the thrift store at 1201 Grand Avenue are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We hope to expand our hours soon.
Shop, Donate & Volunterer @ upLIFTT Thriftt
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Fighting for Independence: Jim Brown
Jim Brown has been a Self-Directed Personal Assistance Services (SDPAS) consumer of LIFTT for over two decades, having also served on our board of directors.
Now the tetraplegic schoolteacher finds himself fighting through bureaucratic red tape to maintain his independence.
" A catastrophic error with life-threatening consequences."
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On the Road: Lame Deer Luau!
Hundreds turned out for the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Health Department's "Block Party Luau" on June 18 at BIA Park in Lame Deer.
LIFTT was privileged to be one of the agencies on hand to tell folks about our programs and services.
Lots of Fun, Lots of Outreach!
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Electronic Intakes are Coming to LIFTT
As part of our ongoing innovation efforts, LIFTT is currently testing a new electronic intake process for consumers.
Moving away from paper will help LIFTT better utilize its fiscal and human resources.
What Does Electronic Intakes Mean for LIFTT's Consumers?
| | | Journeying Towards Independence: Christian Owens | | |
Christian Owens is a 20-year-old man from Glendive, Montana, who has been navigating the path to greater independence with courage, determination, and the support of LIFTT’s Independent Living team.
Living with a learning disability, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, and ADD/ADHD, Christian faces daily challenges, but his goals are clear: he wants to secure stable housing, manage his own benefits, and eventually become a nurse.
The Ups and Downs on Christian's Path
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Budget Battle Update
As the fourth quarter of FY2025 begins, LIFTT executive director Carlos Ramalho updates the community on the status of our state and federal funding for FY2026.
The Future is Murky, LIFTT's Fight is Now!
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Soaking Up Knowledge at
LWC Rendezvous
LIFTT Team members Tanya Thomas and Rachial Combs recently attended the Living Well in Community (LWC) Facilitator Rendezvous at Fairmont Hot Springs
The event brings together Montana Disability and Health Program staff and LWC facilitators from all four Montana CILs to trade tips on how to conduct exciting and engaging workshops
Fresh Energy, Fresh Ideas, and Fresh Cookies!
| | | Thank You Catholic Heart Workcamp! | | |
LIFTT would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the participants and organizers of the Catholic Heart Workcamp (CHWC) for including us as one of the nonprofit organizations they chose to assist during their recent camp here in Billings.
From June 24-27 a group of 7 teenaged volunteers from Illinois, Minnesota and Colorado along with two team leaders reported each day to the Billings LIFTT office working on projects such as digging up a broken water line, weeding our sidewalks and parking lots, cleaning out filing cabinets, helping to moving items into and painting the new storage shed as well as cleaning up vacuuming and polishing the wood in the auditorium.
Learn more about CHWC and their trip to Billings.
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LIFTT Awarded DECIDE Funding
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has awarded LIFTT funding to begin facilitating the DECIDE Self-Management Program for our consumers.
DECIDE is all about education and empowerment for people dealing with pre diabetes as well as type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Learn More and DECIDE if the program is right for you!
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Grocery Store Tours inspire DPP Class.
June 2025 marked a transformative milestone for LIFTT’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) as participants laced up their walking shoes and gathered at Albertsons on 1212 Grand Avenue, Billings, and Van Dyke’s Supermarket in Roundup for our very first grocery store tours!
With shopping carts in hand and determination in their hearts, our students explored the aisles with a new mission: shop smart, read labels, and make healthier choices..
Thank you to Albertsons, Van Dyke's and Montana DPHHS for making these tours possible
| | | The Wheels are in Motion for LIFTT's ADA Rural Accessible Transportation Program! | | |
Since its inception, LIFTT’s ADA Accessible Rural Transportation Program has been more than just a plan — it has been a promise: a promise to create pathways, not just roadways; to connect, not just commute.
This promise took root thanks to the generous support and guidance of the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC). Through their planning grant and ongoing technical assistance, NADTC helped LIFTT plant the seeds of a vision long shared by our communities: that aging and disabled individuals in rural Montana deserve safe, dignified, and dependable transportation, and deserve to be included at every turn of the journey. All the members of the Advisory Committee worked very hard, led by Garrett Mills, our tireless Board Chair.
Now, after nearly a year of tireless collaboration, public input, and policy development, we are proud to say: we are almost ready to launch. The planning phase is nearing completion, and we are on track to receive two ADA-compliant vehicles from the Montana Department of Transportation before the end of 2025 — an exciting step forward for our region and the individuals we serve.
Carrying Forward a Vision of Mobility and Inclusion
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Rock emphasis "small sustainable changes" to improve brain health in talk at LIFTT
On June 20, LIFTT was pleased to welcome Kyla Rock, the Alzheimer's and Dementia Program Manager for the Montana DPHHS Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Bureau. Kyla led an engaging and informative session, encouraging participants to consider making small, sustainable changes that can have a big impact on cognitive well-being
Plenty of Sleep, Turn off Screens, Don't Smoke among suggestions offered
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Support LIFTT's Mission and Vision
In this era of uncertain federal, state, and foundation support, your contributions are more vital than ever.
Any amount you give will go directly to supporting LIFTT's programs and services, which promote independence and self-determination for elders and people with disabilities in our region.
Donate to LIFTT Today!
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Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT)
1241 Crawford Drive Billings, MT 59102 · (406) 259-5181
119 South Kendrick Avenue · P.O. Box 1387 Glendive, MT 59330 · (406) 948-8500
LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone.
LIFTT is partly funded through contracts and grants from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, USAging, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, and the Administration for Community Living, United States Department of Health and Human Services. The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of DPHHS, USAging, NADTC, ACL, or HHS.
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