A little bit about us...

Tikkun Olam is a faith based ministry established in the memory of Jana Elliott who came to the Ft Peck Reservation and worked as a teacher and foster parent. Jana was a loving wife, mother, foster mother, grandmother, sister, teacher and friend who had a passion for helping kids. Jana and husband Ken moved from her ‘forever home’ in Conifer, Colorado to Wolf Point, Montana where she worked as a teacher in the local school. She loved spending time with the kids and thrived on helping children who came from homes that lacked a stable environment due to numerous socioeconomic concerns. Kids in need of a warm smile and a little personal time gravitated to her class and often followed her home for dinner or jumped in her car for church.

Jana was touched by the numerous stories of kids coming from broken homes whose parents struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. Unemployment on the Reservation exceeds 50% and the life expectancy for a Native American man is less than 50 years. Hard times for those on the Reservation fall hardest on the children. Jana often picked kids up on her way to school to ensure that they made it to class and it was common to find her in the kitchen making supper for those who didn’t have food in the house.

Due to the lack of foster families on the Reservation, Jana and Ken became foster parents and opened their home to kids with special needs. As parents struggled to cope with their problems, Jana provided a safe home, big smile and warm beds to kids with nowhere else to turn.

While it is difficult to measure success on a Reservation, Jana’s metric was a smiling face and safe living conditions for her kids. By bringing shalom to chaos and encouraging those with little family support, Jana provided us all with a model on how to love kids and make a difference.

The Board of Directors

Morgan Elliott, President of the Board of Directors

Morgan is Jana's daughter who enjoyed 26 wonderful years with her mother. Morgan is a Chemical Engineer that previously worked in the Agrricultural industry but now travels the country in a van sharing the vision and story of Tikkun Olam. She recruits both people and resources to come up to the Reservation and help the kids that need it most. Morgan shares similar hobbies to her family like travel and enjoying the outdoors and hopes to share those interests with the kids. With her mother's smile and work ethic she reminds us all that Jana's legacy lives on and that all things happen for a reason.

When asked what qualities about Jana she wishes to impress most upon people she replied with, "her unrelenting dedication to people and understanding that your time and compassion are the most valuable resource you can give someone." While she travels the US she hopes to be an example of these qualities to people from all over and encourage them all to try and repair their worlds wherever that might be.

Ken Elliott, Vice President of the Board of Directors

Ken has worked for corporations throughout the United States cleaning up historically contaminated properties and re-positioning them for future development. He became involved in the northeastern Montana area when he purchased a former oil refinery on the Ft Peck Indian Reservation with the intent of creating new jobs for the local Native American population. Ken was married to Jana for 30 years, raised two great kids together, and shared a life that was exciting and filled with purpose. Kids on the Reservation were important to Jana and therefore important to Ken; and while Jana is no longer with us, her dreams for children on the Rez continue to motivate those who knew her best. Since Jana’s passing in 2016, Ken has remarried to his dear friend from his past. Julie fits perfectly within our team and helps out with recruiting and fundraising efforts. Ken and Julie live in Fort Benton, MT operating a hemp seed and hemp fiber processing facility but enjoy escaping to Wolf Point and spending time with the Tikkun Olam team.

Ellen Sutherland, Treasurer

Ellen lives in Livingston, Montana and has always been a compassionate and involved person in whatever community she is living in. It was those characteristics that instantly drew her and Jana Elliott together when Ellen lived in Bailey, Colorado many years ago. Ellen and Jana quickly became best friends and tackled all kinds of projects together like fundraisers, church potlucks, or pretty much anywhere there was a need. Ellen has three children and seven grandchildren and although she is enjoying retirement and spending time with her beloved family, she still feels called to help our growing organization as Treasurer of the Board. Her experience in HR and passion for the youth of Montana make her an invaluable part of our team and continues to better Tikkun Olam every day. When Ellen isn’t snuggling her grandbabies, she is often sending encouraging notes to the Tikkun Olam teachers, praying for families in Wolf Point, and staying active in the Livingston community through her weekly Bible study and church family.

Mary Lou Miller, Member at Large

Mary Lou Miller is a native to the Wolf Point area and has been involved on numerous fronts within the community. Mary Lou is probably best known for running a small assisted living business out of her house which she later turned into a boarding house for individuals staying in town for long periods of time. It is through this venture that Ken and Jana Elliott were introduced to Mary Lou back in 2011 and it was quickly evident that Mary Lou would be a life time friend to the Elliott’s. Mary Lou not only helps on the board with organizational decisions but she is also an integral part to the day to day operations of Tikkun Olam.

During the school year you can find Mary Lou cooking for our weekly get togethers, leading bible studies, babysitting our foster care kids, or just having one of the teachers out for coffee. An avid newspaper reader, Mary Lou is everyone’s best resource for knowing local happenings and can point you in the right direction for any help you may need. With 3 grandchildren within an hour of her, Mary Lou also keeps busy attending their school activities and supporting them in as much as she can. Mary Lou was a dear friend of Jana’s and loves being able to honor her with the work that she started when she was teaching.

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