First Interstate Bank & Lithia Ford of Missoula Provide Boys & Girls Club With New Van
Thanks to funding from First Interstate Bank and Lithia Ford of Missoula, Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County has purchased a brand new 15-passenger van to transport youth.
Missoula, MT, January 11, 2021– Boys & Girls Club of Missoula County uses five 15-passenger vans to transport youth and run programs every day of the year. The Club’s fleet of vehicles is at the crux of their daily programs, transporting youth from school to Club every day of the school year and on daily field trips all summer long. This fleet of vans, however, has also been in dire need of upgrades for over five years.
Thanks to the generous partners at First Interstate Bank and Lithia Ford of Missoula, the Club is proud to share that they have upgraded their second to last 15-passenger van. “We provide safe, enriching programs to youth all across Missoula County when they are not in school,” shared BGCM CEO, Katie Holman. “But without safe, reliable vehicle transportation, we would not be able to serve our community’s kids and families.”
For the past five years, BGCM’s fleet of vehicles have been approaching a state in which they will no longer be safe to transport youth, and at the start of 2020, that state was approaching quickly. “Our staff used to have to jumpstart our old vehicles on a daily basis, prior to picking up Club Members,” shared Holman, “It was a band-aid approach that did not feel good to anyone. These new vehicles we have been able to secure, thanks to generous supports like First Interstate Bank and Lithia Ford, have made our Club environment safer for all of the children we serve.”
This new vehicle, funded by First Interstate Bank and Lithia Ford, will allow the Club to transport Club Members from two partner Elementary schools to their largest Club site at the City Life Community Center. This vehicle will also replace a former 15-passenger vehicle that was previously used to transport members until it died just last month.
“We are excited to be a part of supporting the youth in our community,” said Tom Severson, First Interstate Bank Missoula Market President. “First Interstate Bank is dedicated to doing all we can to ensure our community’s kids lead strong, successful lives and the Boys and Girls Club of Missoula plays an integral role in doing just that. We’re proud to have one of our Wealth Advisors, Stephen McMahon, on the Board of Directors and glad to partner with them to continue to build great futures for our youth.”
For over twenty years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Missoula County has provided Missoula County youth, ages 5-14, a fun and safe environment to learn, play, meet new friends, and grow. Club is a multi-location, year-round youth development program offering afterschool education, enrichment, and prevention programs to more than 440 young people annually in Missoula County. The Club helps youth discover and create safe environments, supportive relationships, a sense of belonging, opportunities for community engagement, and a continuum of positive learning experiences.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Katie Moore at 406-542-3116 or email at katie@bgcmissoulacounty.org.
