AETHER Gives: Missoula, Montana

Winter in Missoula, Montana, is long and often incredibly cold, which translates to brutal conditions for the town’s needy children and homeless community. With that in mind, we at AETHER donated 4,000 cold-weather items to Missoula schools and local aid organizations. “We decided to donate to families in need who live in the coldest parts of our country,” says AETHER cofounder Palmer West, an alumnus of the University of Montana.” We have donated previously in North Dakota, but since I went to college in Missoula, it will always remain close to my heart. In many ways AETHER has roots in Montana—my love for the outdoors and desire for adventure were fostered there.” The two main organizations the clothes were given to were Project Community Connect, which provides homeless people with clothing and a variety of social services (medical, dental, vision care, employment, etc.) through an annual one-day event, and Missoula Youth Homes, which provides children in need in Western Montana with shelter, crisis response, foster care, counseling, and more.