Continuing a legacy of service and love

MISSOULA – "Now this is what I'm talking about," said one of the staff members smiling as donations of snowmobile suits, winter boots, clothing and blankets from Seeley Lake were unloaded at the Johnson Street Shelter in Missoula Jan. 1. Seeley Lake residents Wendy and Jim Leetch along with their daughter Amber, Wendy's parents Gwen and Larry Busby and friend Jodi Stierwalt brought an enclosed trailer and vehicle loaded with donations and served hot chili to more than 80 homeless individuals at the shelter. Wendy collected donations from the community of Seeley Lake and organized the meal to honor her brother Lee Busby. Lee passed away last July. He lived on the streets of Missoula for 10 years, befriending many and helping anyone he could.

"One thing that my brother was always really good at was loving people, no matter where they were, what situation they were in, what they looked like, it really didn't matter. He was the epitome of turning the other cheek," Wendy said. "I just wanted to be able be bring some light. I just wanted to be able to bring some love and continue my brother's legacy."

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Lee was born April 9, 1973 with multiple birth defects.

"From birth he was battling deficiencies," his mother Gwen said. "Life was a struggle for him the whole way."

Lee was born with a bilateral hip dislocation where his femur had not fused to the head of the hip socket. He was the youngest baby to be admitted to the Crippled Children's Hospital in Arizona where he spent a week in traction. He wore a splint to keep his femurs in the hip sockets.

Gwen said in addition to the physical challenges, Lee was also born with diminished mental capacity and had a speech problem. He was in special education his entire life and speech therapy until high school.

Despite his challenges, Lee had incredible eyesight. The Busbys nicknamed him "Hawkeye" when he was little because he could see things no one else could. This made him an excellent hunter when he got older.

"By God's Grace," Gwen said Lee got his driver's license. The Department of Motor Vehicle was willing to give him the test orally since he couldn't pass the written test. When he was a teenager, he came up with a plan of how he was going to give people rides. Gwen added there was always a couple of guys he was hanging out with and he had taken under his wing.

When he was 18, Lee had surgery to rotate his femurs into his hip socket since they had not grown together correctly. He had rods in his legs and hips and lived in constant pain. He was put on disability.

In 1991, even though his grades were not good enough for graduation, the principal at Flagstaff High School made an exception. Lee received his high school certificate thanks to a "tremendous special education teacher," Gwen said. "He just took Lee and pushed and pushed and pushed him and would not let him give up."

After graduation, Lee attended the Life Development Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. It was for youth with mental compromises. He learned how to cook, pay bills, clean and other life skills. After completing the program, he tried to work but was unable to hold a job due to his diminished mental capacity.

"I always felt like he was just smart enough to know that he wasn't smart enough," Gwen said. "He could see that other people were smarter than him."

Despite his own challenges, Lee always wanted to help people. Gwen said he was quick to volunteer with his church to do outreach missions and serve.

"He wanted to help people on the streets and he would take clothes to them," Gwen said. "On top of that, he had an easy-going nature where he forgave at the drop of a bucket. I've never met anyone that could forgive that easily. He never held a grudge. It was just his personality."

In 2000, the Busbys moved to Missoula and Lee and his wife came with them. They had a daughter named Sheree.

"Larry and I did everything we could think of to help him," Gwen said. "We realized at one point we needed help with this because we were enabling."

When he was in his 30s, the Busbys attended a training called "Tough Love." They also designed Western Montana Chapter of Elder Abuse as Lee's payee for his disability.

"They were awesome. They just stepped right in and loved him. Everybody else that reached out to help him they kept saying he is such a wonderful guy and they wanted to help," Gwen said. "He always had a really good attitude."

The alcohol really got a hold of him after moving to Missoula. He walked away from his daughter Sheree and lived on the streets in Missoula for 10 years. Gwen said he couldn't keep an apartment and was arrested for sleeping on the steps of the courthouse and several things related to alcohol.

"We spent years looking for him," Gwen said. "Sometimes we would find him in an alleyway laying on cardboard boxes to stay warm. Sometimes he would be staying under the California Street bridge, sometimes he would be walking the streets. He went to the [Poverello] a few times but it was such a scary place, there were people getting stabbed, so he wouldn't go to the Pov."

Through everything, Lee made a lot of friends. Gwen said because he was on disability he had an income. While it wasn't much, it was more than other people had and continually gave to others.

One time the Busbys were visiting with him and someone pulled up on a bike. When the person asked for a cigarette, he handed them his whole pack.

"He was constantly giving away clothes. He gave away a car to somebody," Gwen said and laughed. "He wanted to help."

Seven or eight years ago, Terri Wood, nicknamed "Shortround," and her husband Eric Wood, nicknamed "Hwisler," met Lee while they were working at Missoula 316 Mission.

When Missoula 316 closed four years ago last April, the Woods lost their jobs. They wanted to continue to see the street people they had befriended as well as provide them with food since the Poverello Center has a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs.

Shortround explained offering food to someone that is intoxicated helps absorbs the alcohol, keeping them out of the hospital or jail. In the winter, alcohol thins the blood and makes it harder to stay warm.

"We don't mind being what we call a 'wet house' as long as we can feed them," Shortround said. She explained that they still provide food and other services regardless of sobriety status.

Shortround and Hwisler started Set Free Street Ministry of Set Free Church in Lolo. Shortround made sandwiches that they would serve downtown. However, the Health Department shut them down for fear they would get someone sick.

Not to be dissuaded, they started handing out canned food, clothing and Hwisler prayed for a hot dog cart. His prayers were answered in April 2021. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday last summer, they served 70-80 all-meat hot dogs with chili or sauerkraut in front of the Doughboy on the corner of Broadway and Ryman around lunchtime. Everything is done on donation and they usually get enough to cover the next day's food cost.

"My husband always tells me if you start something and it is not meant to be, it will dwindle on its own," Shortround said. "If it is meant to be it will flourish. We are getting ready to start our fifth season [on the street with food] in April and it has gotten big."

Lee would stop and visit the Woods after they started their street ministry. Shortround said he was funny, always had a smile and would give her "the best hugs."

The Poverello Center Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) also were a great resource for Lee and "were just tremendous," Gwen said. They told him he needed to quit drinking. In 2018, they sent him to the Christian Union Gospel Mission in Great Falls, Montana for rehab. That was the closest, no-cost alcohol treatment center. He completed the first year of the two-year program.

"He went there and quit drinking and was doing so good. He loved it and he was so proud of himself," Gwen said. "But it didn't last."

In 2020, the Woods, along with mental health services in Missoula, helped him find a mobile home in Target Range. The rent was covered by his disability and the Woods gave him a lot of furniture.

"He hated some of it but he took it anyway," Shortround said and laughed. "When he was given something, if he didn't want it he would give it to someone else. He gave and gave and gave as much as he could. Quite a friend he was to a lot of people including me."

Shortround continued, "Watching Lee get his own place was phenomenal. He was so happy to be off the street and in his own home."

Gwen said Lee called it "has castle." He cleaned it three times a day and every time the Busbys visited there was someone new staying with him.

Doctors told Lee if he didn't stop drinking he had six weeks to live because he no longer had a functioning liver. One day when Lee stopped by the hot dog cart, Shortround said he didn't look good. She asked him if she should call his mom. He said, "Yes, please."

Neil Albert, who was Lee's friend from the street, stayed with him and helped when he was dying as well as Partners in Hospice. The last few days Lee was alive, Gwen said he reconciled with his daughter.

"We had 48 years of trying to decide the best way to help him, or not help him, or back off and let him do his own thing," Gwen said. " He didn't want to bother us. He would not call us and ask us for help. It was always us offering help. I guess that makes us co-dependent."

Lee passed away July 3, 2021. The Busbys stayed in touch with two of Lee's friends Neil and Jon Armijo. Jon has been sober since Lee died and has gotten into housing. Neil is currently in rehab. Another one of Lee's friends and servant with Set Free Street Ministers also quit drinking when Lee passed.

"That is part of Lee's legacy too ... these guys are trying to pull themselves out of what happened to Lee," Gwen said.

The Busbys held Lee's memorial service July 30 on the Missoula County Courthouse lawn. Hwisler gave the sermon, his friends shared stories about him and Wendy made up 100 snack lunches and emergency kits to hand out.

"Lee started this by giving things to his friends that were homeless," Gwen said. "By Wendy continuing this, we are still honoring his memory and the guy he was."

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Wendy wanted to continue her outreach to the street people of Missoula and honor Lee's memory. She collected donations of clothes and blankets and brought them to the Johnson Street Community Shelter New Year's Day.

The response of donations was overwhelming. People she didn't even know dropped off clothing at Glen's Automotive and donated to the food costs. The Leetches spent nearly seven hours sorting donations, which she estimated totaled 10-12 carloads.

"Everyone in Seeley was so kind and generous and Loving Hearts was so generous too," Wendy said. "Every person changed someone's life."

Shortround was overjoyed with the donations. She and Hwisler and the Poverello Center were nearly out of warm clothing, boots and socks to hand out. The donations were all given to the shelter to hand out.

Wendy and her daughter Amber also made beaded bracelets that read "I am loved" and "I am enough."

"It has been really important to me since my brother died that the other homeless know that they are not defined by their addiction or circumstance," Wendy said. "I want to try to make sure that they know that they are loved and worthwhile no matter what they are 'doing wrong.'"

Wendy explained that she always felt that if Lee would make the decision to stop drinking, then he would be a better person, could do so many more things and change the world.

"I finally realized a week or two before he passed that we, as individuals, are not our sin. I don't want to be judged as sin," Wendy said. "Lee loved everybody no matter what just like God loves everybody."

Wendy continued, "Those at the shelter needed to know that they are enough and they are loved no matter what - no matter if they are alcoholics, no matter if they are addicted to drugs, no matter if they are homeless, no matter if they are jerks, or if they have a mental instability...that is the clothing, that is not the core. That is not the person."

Shortround explained that nine times out of 10 street people are willing to say hi and even visit. However, most people do not even acknowledge them or just think they are "dirty individuals." She estimated that 75% of those she works with in Missoula are just down on their luck. They get into drinking and drugging because it helps ease the pain.

"Wendy doing this at the Johnson Street Shelter is going to be fabulous because there will be more people there [and] a lot of people knew Lee," Shortround said. "Not everyone attended Lee's memorial."

The Leetches and Busbys served nearly 100 street people hot chili, crackers, applesauce and hot chocolate. Shortround and Hwisler provided Christmas cookies for dessert.

Many of the street people visited with the Busbys and Leetches sharing stories of Lee and offering their gratitude for the meal.

"I'm so proud of Wendy for wanting to do this," Gwen said.

"Lee was family. I was really glad to be here to help mom," Wendy's daughter Amber said. "We don't know what it is like to be in their situation. We have a roof over our heads. We have a set meal every day - I don't know that they do. It just feels good to help other people and see the connections he had. I had no idea he had this many friends or knew this many people and wanted to help them."

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The Johnson Street Community Shelter, located on the corner of Johnson Street and North Avenue in Missoula, opened in November 2020. It is owned by the city, operated by the Poverello Center and can sleep up to 150 people. It operates as a 24-hour, low-barrier shelter from November – March.

Director of Development and Advocacy for the Poverello Center Jesse Jaeger explained if people follow the behavior policies they are allowed to stay in the shelter. During the cold weather, this allows them to get as many people off the streets as possible "to save lives and we are trying to lower as many barriers as possible." Jaeger added by getting people into shelters, it helps them connect them with resources and housing services.

"The Johnson Street Shelter is an opportunity for us to connect with the folks that are sometimes harder to get access to," Jaeger said. "We are able to get them in during these colder winter months regardless of their sobriety status."

Jaeger estimated between the Poverello Center on Broadway and the Johnson Street Shelter they are serving 190-200 adults each night but there are still people sleeping unsheltered. The Poverello Center HOT teams works with 150-200 unsheltered individuals but Jaeger said they come in and out of shelters so it is hard to get an accurate account.

Families are served by the YWCA and Family Promise or Meadow Lark Facility and they are both at capacity right now. Jaeger added that the homeless youth population is one that is very hard to track since they couch surf and often do not want to be found.

In addition to shelter, The Poverello Center and Johnson Street Shelter serve a hot meal seven days a week and make up sack lunches as well.

The shelters are always accepting donations which are shared between the two locations. Jaegar encourages those who want to donate or volunteer to visit their website https://www.thepoverellocenter.org/currentneed/. This gives a list of accepted donations and the current needs.

"We so appreciate all the community support during these cold months it is particularly challenging. It is a dangerous time for people who are experiencing homelessness and it is a challenging time to do this work in general," Jaeger said. "We just really appreciate the whole community support and serving our more vulnerable neighbors.