Your October 2026 LIFTT Connection Newsletter!

LIFTT Executive Director Carlos Ramalho dressed in a Santa Suit, sitting behind a desk with the text above reading "From the desk of the executive director"

Moving Forward with Renewed Purpose

As the first month of the new fiscal year comes to a close, LIFTT Executive Director Carlos Ramalho offers early holiday greetings and writes about the "ambitious vision for what we can accomplish together. and that... behind every request for assistance is a person with priorities, abilities, and hopes for the future."

Our team brings experience, creativity, and determination to the work ahead.

Photo collage of various items for sale at the Billings upLIFTT Thrift store. Located at 1201 Grand Avenue, Billings upLIFTT Thrift is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. & Saturdays 10-4.

Billings upLIFTT Thrift Reopens!

We are delighted to welcome you back to the Billings upLIFTT Thrift Store! Come explore our selection of furniture, clothing, books, household goods, and unique finds.

Whether you are searching for something practical or an unexpected treasure, we invite you to stop in and look around.

Every purchase supports LIFTT’s mission of empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently and participate in community life.

Store Hours, Location & More

Kristin Porter, the new manager of the Billings upLIFTT Thrift store

Meet Kristin Porter, upLIFTT Billings' New Manager

A veteran of the US Air Force as well as having private sector experience at a large behavioral health program in Missouri, Kristin Porter brings a background in in team leadership, financial management, customer services to upLIFTT.

Welcome to the LIFTT Team Kristin!

LIFTT & HRDC Creating Work Experience Opportunity @ upLIFTT

LIFTT & HRDC District 7 are in the process of creating Work Experience opportunities for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

More Info

Pictured: part of the sales floor of upLIFTT Thrift in Billings. LIFTT and HRDC District 7 are working together to develop upLIFTT Thrift as a Work Experience site for TANF and SNAP recipients.

RideWell is Hiring a Driver!

LIFTT seeks a dependable, caring driver for RideWell, our ADA-accessible rural transportation program. This position offers an opportunity to support aging individuals and people with disabilities as they travel to healthcare appointments and other community destinations.

Help Connect People with Places that Matter

Your Voice Matters, Your Vote Matters

Voting is one way to make your voice heard on important issues like transportation, housing, health care, and more. Your perspective belongs in the conversation.

Make a Plan and Vote!

A photo of a Ballot Box on a table with a large sign saying vote on it, also on the table are a roll of red, white & blue stickers that say "Vote" as well as pen and a piece of paper that is perhaps a ballot. Above the photo text reads "Your Voice Matters, Your Vote Matters"

Need help making your voting plan? LIFTT can do that!

Need help registering to vote, checking your registration, or learning about the registration and voting process?

Contact our Billings or Glendive office. Our team can help you find the information and resources you need.

Give LIFTT a Call Today!

Strengthening Independent Living Through Peer Mentoring

Sometimes, one of the most helpful things we can hear is: “I have faced something similar. Let’s talk about what might help.”

That is the value of peer mentoring. At LIFTT, we want to strengthen opportunities for people with disabilities to connect,

share experiences, and support one another as they pursue their own goals.

Learn More About Peer Mentoring

Photo of the new boiler installed at the LIFTT Billings office in fall 2026.

A Warm Welcome @ Billings LIFTT

We are pleased to announce that the Boiler Modernization Project at the LIFTT Billings office is complete! Our facilities are now available again for all meetings, programs, and community activities.

Thanks for your cooperation during construction

A Promising Start to the New Fiscal Year

Data and Quality Control Manager Freda Mook goes "inside the numbers" to show that LIFTT is off to a fast start, providing vital services to our consumers in FY 2027 while also showing where outreach and awareness need to be strengthened.

More Info

LIFTT's Data & Quality Control Manager Freda Mook

A senior woman signing paperwork with a young professional assisting her at a desk. (Stock Photo/Kampus Productions)

October's Moments of Independence

Each Newsletter, "Moments of Independence, shares the stories of the remarkable people we have the privilege of serving.

In this edition, we celebrate three individuals who connected with LIFTT for information and assistance. Their stories remind us how listening, clear explanations, and thoughtful follow-up can help people move forward.

Small Steps Lead To Big Victories

Support LIFTT's Mission and Vision

In this era of uncertain federal, state, and foundation support, your contributions are more vital than ever.

Every donation directly supports LIFTT's programs and services, which promote independence and self-determination for elders and people with disabilities in our region.

Support Independent Living in Montana by Donating to LIFTT Today!

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT)

1241 Crawford Drive, Billings, MT 59102 · (406) 259-5181

206 S. Douglas Street, 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 individuals and people with disabilities 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.

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

Federal Funding Acknowledgment

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT), a Center for Independent Living, is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of a financial assistance award totaling $478,879.49, with $282,963.48 and 59.08% funded by ACL/HHS and $195,916.01 and 41.92% funded by state government and non-government source(s).

The contents of this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government

State of Montana Funding Acknowledgment

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT), a Center for Independent Living, is supported in part by grants and contracts from the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).

The contents of this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, DPHHS or the State of Montana.

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