Non-Profit
This year marks a major milestone for Counterpoint, a Livingston institution that has now been helping people with developmental disabilities and building community for a full half century.
To mark the occasion, Counterpoint’s staff and board of directors are inviting the community to help celebrate.
“I’m really proud of what Counterpoint has accomplished and what it continues to do every day,” said Scott McMillion, president of the nonprofit’s board or directors. “And we couldn’t have done it without the help of this generous and supportive community. So I really hope that people will stop by to celebrate.”
The party will happen on Thursday, May 14th from 5 to 8 pm in the ballroom at the Shane Center, 415 E. Lewis Street in Livingston. There will be plenty of snacks and refreshments.
Counterpoint was founded in 1976 to provide safe and happy homes for people with developmental disabilities, many of whom had been housed at a state facility in Boulder, a place characterized by overcrowding and substandard care. It took lawsuits and actions by the state legislature to get things moving, but the people of Montana decided back then that disabled people deserved something better.
And that was the genesis for Counterpoint, along with similar nonprofit corporations around the state. The goal was to integrate people with developmental disabilities into local communities, where they could be close to friends and family members, build relationships, and live to their fullest potential.
The early days were difficult. A handful of clients were housed in a drafty old three-story house on the north side of Livingston, and the day center—where clients work, learn skills and socialize—was briefly in the basement of Lincoln School and then in a rented steel building on West Front Street.
Today, the day center and administrative offices thrive in downtown Livingston, in a building that once housed a local creamery.
“I think it’s really important and gratifying that Counterpoint is an active part of downtown Livingston,” said Executive Director Twila Marchetti, who took the helm of the organization in November 2025 after working a variety of jobs there for more than 30 years.
Counterpoint also has two safe and modern group homes where 14 people live and get 24-hour care. Another ten clients live in their own homes or with family members. These are folks who don’t need full time assistance but can use a little help with things like housekeeping and shopping, managing finances, or transportation to jobs or medical appointments. Counterpoint staffers make sure they get what they need.
“It’s taken a lot of careful management, the clearing of a lot of hurdles, and a good bit of luck, but we did it with the help of this generous community,” McMillion said. “So this is our chance, on our 50th birthday, to thank the community.”
The celebration will be informal but will provide a good opportunity to meet Counterpoint’s staff, board members and clients.
“People can learn more about what we do and how we do it,” McMillion said. “But mostly we want to have a good time and say thanks.”