The Poverello Center – Many thanks to Dan Semmens, Public Finance Partner at Dorsey & Whitney in Missoula for volunteering 200 hours of his time helping the new Pov get financed.

Last year, public finance partner Dan Semmens http://www.dorsey.com/semmens_dan/ provided nearly 200 hours of work to the Poverello Center ("the Pov") http://www.thepoverellocenter.org/home.aspx (including many hours of his vacation).

The Pov is a shelter and community kitchen in Missoula that will provide overnight accommodations to 100 men and women, three hot meals a day to people struggling with food insecurity, and a myriad of day services to help people get back on their feet. The new location will provide communal dormitories and semiprivate rooms for veterans, elderly, women, and people with acute medical needs or receiving hospice care. In addition to a commercial kitchen, the Poverello Center will offer a small food pantry, an expanded Health Care for the Homeless medical clinic through collaboration with Partnership Health Center, and classroom space to provide vocational training and support.

Dan’s work involved securing a complex financing deal that was supported by government leaders and community members, in order to break ground on the emergency shelter. The November 2013 closing was the culmination of years of work. The 20,000 square foot facility is being built with a focus on sustainability and
includes energy efficient windows, durable finishes, and energy star appliances, ensuring the building is less costly to run. The Pov plans to vacate their current facility and be operational in the new location by the end of 2014.

The 4.7 million dollar project is funded through private donations, a combination of federal and local grants, as well as local and national sources of financing. Grant funds have been approved from the Veterans Administration, Community Development Block Grants Programs through the City of Missoula and the Montana Department of Commerce, a Federal Appropriation, Missoula Redevelopment Agency, and EPA Brownfields Program. Local financing is also being provided from the Montana Community Development Corporation (Montana CDC) who specializes in business and New Markets Tax Credit financing.

Dan explains that "there are a lot of bells and whistles to this type of financing and a lot of work ahead us, but it is pretty darn exciting (and a relief) that it came to fruition." We are proud of Dan’s pro bono contributions to this amazing project.

http://www.dorsey.com/pro_bono_scales_justice_2014/#Dan