How Much Wood Could a Wood Bank Bank?
A few weeks ago, Governor Bullock presented the annual Serve Montana Awards. These awards recognize outstanding community volunteers and organizations dedicated to serving the needs of Montana. As frigid temperatures continue to cover the state, it seems only appropriate to profile the organization in SouthWest Montana that received an award.
For two decades, the St. James Episcopal Wood Bank has provided firewood for heating and cooking to families in southwestern Montana. Father Harry Neeley began the program in 1994. That year, a single volunteer cut, split and delivered 8 cords of wood. In 2013, ninety volunteers delivered over 300 cords of wood. From humble beginnings, the Wood Bank—with the help of churches in Sheridan and Virginia City—has expanded to cover three counties, and serve sixteen small towns in SouthWest Montana. Through the dedicated work of volunteers, the Wood Bank has expanded far beyond its original scope. The Wood Bank now distributes donated reconditioned chainsaws, freeing people from reliance on the Wood Bank. In addition, the church delivers farm fresh eggs (82 dozen in 2013), wool hats and mittens, and grants for school supplies. Even with so many volunteers, Father Neeley usually spends fifty hours a week working for the Wood Bank.
Although not an entirely original idea, the Dillon Wood Bank is one of only a handful of organizations across the country that I have been able to find that distribute firewood to individuals in need. When I heard about it, I was fascinated, it seems like such a practical and creative solution to Montana’s very cold winters. I was surprised to learn that (according to U.S. Census data) nearly 9% of Montana homes use wood heat as their primary fuel. According to Serve Montana, most of the 103 households served by the program represent the bottom 5% of the area’s household income. As energy costs rise, more American’s are turning to wood for fuel, and the Wood Bank of St. James Episcopal Church in Dillon will become an even more vital service in SouthWest Montana.
For a tourism site, this isn’t a very tourism related story, I know. But I’ve been fascinated by the idea of a wood bank ever since I heard of St. James, and as winter shows no signs of leaving anytime soon, I felt like it was a fun story to share. Have a good time in our winter wonderland this weekend, go skiing (the snow’s going to be fantastic) or snowmobiling, or, heck, if you’re in the Dillon area, stop by St. James and see if they’ll let you haul wood for a couple of hours.
