Q2 2022 Coffee Talk

On June 13, 2022, large areas of Yellowstone National Park, the communities of Red Lodge, Gardiner and Livingston, along with others living and working along area rivers and lowlands, faced rushing water as rivers overflowed their banks, caused by heavy rain and melting snow. Damage to roads, bridges and homes was devastating and we knew we needed to act quickly to help those in need.

Within hours of the flood, we established the Montana Flood Relief Fund with $10,000 and a pledge to match additional donations, dollar for dollar, up to $15,000 more. It only took a few days for the match to be fulfilled, allowing us to begin distributing funds within days of the flooding. Because of the generosity of our fellow Montanans, we were able to quickly distribute $75,000 in much needed funds to community organizations such as the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation, the Park County Foundation, and the One Valley Ag Relief Fund. And we aren’t done yet. Donations continue to come in.

I want to sincerely thank all who have joined us with donations to the Montana Flood Relief Fund. We are collecting funds until August 1, 2022. If you want to contribute, please do so by August 1. There are several ways you can donate. Read more about how to contribute to the fund. We will continue to make sure the funds are distributed where they are most needed.

It is not the first time Montanans have been faced with the challenges of a natural disaster and it won’t be the last. As always, our resiliency shines through. I’m humbled and proud of the generosity and care we show each other during these difficult times.

For all of us at Stockman, helping our fellow Montanans is simply who we are. We started out almost 70 years ago by serving the needs of the entire community with particular emphasis on local business owners and agricultural producers. Today, we define the “entire community” as the state of Montana, serving all who live and work here. At Stockman, it is truly neighbors serving neighbors.

We believe this focus as a Montana community bank and a strong belief in the power of local management and decision making, sets us apart from other financial institutions. With our Montana-only approach, deposits are put to work here.  Customers know their accounts support new homes, community development, small businesses and local agriculture across our state, and our state alone. We are also a consistent buyer of Montana municipal bonds, supporting many important public projects such as community redevelopment, schools and fire districts.

Family owned, privately held, focused solely on meeting the financial needs of the people, businesses, and communities of Montana. This is the Stockman difference.

We hope you have a great summer. There’s no better time to enjoy the beauty of Montana.

Bill