January 19, 2026

Helena Volunteers Honor MLK Jr. Day Through Service With Helena Area Habitat for Humanity

Helena, MT – Community members from across the Helena area came together today to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by participating in Helena Area Habitat for Humanity’s MLK Jr. Day of Service.

Volunteers spent the day supporting Habitat’s mission to build safe, affordable housing by lending their time and skills on a Habitat build site and at the Helena Habitat ReStore. The day emphasized service as a way to strengthen community and advance housing stability locally.

Helena Area Habitat for Humanity marked MLK Jr. Day with its annual Day of Service, creating opportunities for community members to volunteer in support of stable, attainable housing.

Habitat for Humanity International was founded in response to a long history of unequal access to homeownership, particularly for communities of color who were systematically denied mortgages through discriminatory lending practices.

“Habitat for Humanity’s history is rooted in helping people who had a hard time buying a home in the 1960s and 1970s,” said Jacob Kuntz, Executive Director of Helena Area Habitat for Humanity. “It was not possible for a Black family to walk into a bank and get a home mortgage. Habitat for Humanity was originally set up to provide that pathway to homeownership.”

Kuntz said MLK Jr. Day of Service is a time to focus on shared purpose and community connection. “MLK Jr. Day is a good time to remember that we are more connected than we are divided,” Kuntz said. “Coming together to do the work is a meaningful reminder of what we can accomplish as a community.”

The work completed during the day directly supports Helena Area Habitat for Humanity’s ongoing efforts to expand access to housing in the Helena area.

For more information about volunteering or supporting Helena Area Habitat for Humanity, visit www.helenahabitat.org

About Helena Area Habitat for Humanity

Helena Area Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, community, and hope. Since its founding in 1992, the organization has built 83 homes and completed 38 repairs, helping to create stable and affordable housing in the region. Its work focuses on three key areas: homeownership, home repair, and operation of the Helena ReStore. Helena Area Habitat for Humanity is also developing the Rose Hills neighborhood, an innovative mixed-income neighborhood in East Helena. Designed to redefine what a Montana neighborhood can be, Rose Hills is more than a housing development. With 46 acres of parks, trails, and green space, a vibrant town center, and sustainable, community-driven design, it is a place to belong.