Marcia Wall started her new job as a counselor at Helena Middle School in 1989 when she noticed that a handful of students were left behind during a field trip to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman. After speaking with teachers, she learned why: Their parents were unable to afford the $7 trip fee.
“It broke my heart,” says Wall. “I thought that was unacceptable and went to the teachers and said, ‘If a child can’t afford a field trip, I’ll pay for it.’”
That experience pushed Wall to establish The Angel Fund in 1989. The nonprofit provides financial assistance to Helena School District children who qualify for free or reduced lunch to help them purchase clothing, backpacks, shoes and other resources needed to be successful in school. The organization is named after Wall’s grandmother, who she says came to her as an angel in a dream while trying to get the nonprofit off the ground.
In the past year alone, The Angel Fund has served over 1,400 children.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana recently awarded The Angel Fund with a $20,000 grant to help Helena School District students, particularly those without a permanent home. The investment is part of BCBSMT’s Blue Impact℠ major grant program, which supports nonprofit organizations addressing social and economic factors affecting health.
"Every child deserves the chance to thrive in school, no matter their circumstances," said Lisa Kelley, president of BCBSMT. "Through our partnership with The Angel Fund, we're proud to help provide students in Helena with the resources and support they need to focus on learning, build confidence and pursue their dreams."
The percentage of Montana youth not in the custody of a parent or guardian spiked 76% between 2022 and 2023, the second highest increase in the country, according to the Montana Coalition to Solve Homelessness. The state’s overall homeless population is up 89% from 2007 to 2023.
That trend includes Helena, where Wall says she has seen firsthand an uptick in the number of Helena School District students who are couch surfing, in group homes or lack permanent housing.
Many don’t have consistent parental support, can’t afford new school clothes or supplies and end up dropping out of high school. Wall grew up in a similar situation, she says.
“I was one of those kids — I didn’t have anything,” says Wall, who grew up east of Billings in Miles City. “I was resilient enough to know that if I didn’t go to college and get an education, I was going to end up in poverty. Some kids don’t have that resilience.”
BCBSMT’s work with The Angel Fund dates to 2014 and includes help with the nonprofit’s yearly “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive and its Running for Montana’s Future race, which partners with local police to deliver new shoes to kids.
The Angel Fund’s newest program, launched in 2005, awards up to 16 scholarships each year to seniors at five Helena-area high schools who plan to pursue vocational school, college, or other post-secondary education.
Janet Riis, Executive Director, holds regular meetings with the 24 Angel Fund coordinators working across the Helena school system, who tell her that the new clothes and school supplies are truly making a difference.
“There are little kids who go to school and twirl around for the Angel coordinators and say, ‘Look, I got a new outfit on today,’” says Wall. “It’s meaningful to them. Every child that has new clothes, a new coat, shoes, and school supplies, helps them feel good about being in school, and that’s what we’re all about.”