HELENA — In 2025, within the city of Helena, there were 143 unhoused people, and of those, 24 died. A Helena couple who have faced homelessness themselves are now hoping to offer "New Beginnings" by starting a non-profit with the goal of building an inclusive shelter.
“I came here for a new life and a new beginning,” Charles Payne, cofounder of New Beginnings, shared.
(WATCH: Helena couple hopes to offer "New Beginnings" to unsheltered individuals)
Payne and partner Patricia Juza are the co-founders of New Beginnings non-profit, something they started to rewrite their story.
Payne said, “Everybody needs a bed every night of the year; you need to wake up and know you have breakfast there, it’s about a routine.”
They saw the need to provide resources to our unhoused neighbors because they were in that situation for over a decade, much of that right here in Helena.
“To me, hope is an acronym, hold on pain ends, we are both living proof of a loving god,” Juza expressed.
After losing one of their unsheltered friends a few months ago and praying to find a way to move forward from the tragedy, they got the New Beginnings website and bank account up and running to take donations.
Juza noted, “Instead of just complaining about, let's be about it, let's be a solution to this, please God, what do you want us to do because I felt called.”
They say this is just the first step, as they are now looking for a physical building to put the shelter. Conversations are currently underway with several churches, businesses, and organizations.
“The community has got us this far, so we have got to this point, just help us get the rest,” Payne shared. “We are showing you what you have done, and you didn’t even know it.”
If you are interested in supporting New Beginnings' mission, you can visit this link for more information on how to donate.
