A thriving community doesn’t happen by accident.
It is built, intentionally, by people and organizations that understand health is more than clinical care. It’s stability for working families. It’s connection for kids. It’s employers who can retain great people because their workforce has the support they need.
That’s why the partnership between Bozeman Health and Greater Gallatin United Way is so powerful.
Bozeman Health has been a long-time champion of Greater Gallatin United Way’s mission. Dr. Kathryn Bertany serves on the GGUW Board of Directors, helping guide strategy and long-term impact. Their team members have volunteered on Community Impact Grant Committees, ensuring community dollars are invested wisely. They have sponsored events like kidsFEST and United Night of Giving, joined Women United as a business member, and supported the kidsLINK Out-of-School Initiative. Their involvement reflects leadership rooted in action.
Through collective investment in kidsLINK, children across Greater Gallatin have a safe, enriching place to go after school, a place where they build friendships, explore new interests, and connect with mentors who know their names. Meanwhile, parents can remain focused at work, knowing their children are cared for during the most critical hours of the day.
Last year alone, kidsLINK served 2,045 children across 15 school and community sites and provided $318,842 in scholarships to help remove financial barriers for families. That access strengthens individual households and stabilizes our broader workforce. When child care and afterschool programs are reliable, employers experience less absenteeism, stronger retention, and a more dependable team.
And the impact reaches even deeper. Montana continues to face one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Nearly 100% of all kidsLINK kids report having a friend they can talk to and say they have a trusted adult they can go to for help. Those relationships are not small things. They are protective factors. They are connection. They are hope.
As Dr. Kathryn Bertany shared, “Community wellbeing extends far beyond hospital walls. Supporting youth and working families is an investment in prevention, stability, and long-term community health.”
Bozeman Health continues to demonstrate what committed, community-centered leadership looks like. Through board service, volunteer engagement, event sponsorships, and strategic investment in programs like kidsLINK, they are helping strengthen the systems that support children and working families across our region.
What matters is choosing to show up consistently for the priorities that strengthen our community.
Bozeman Health is doing exactly that.
Leadership, however, is not limited to large institutions. It starts with a decision to care and to act. Every company has something to offer, time, talent, resources, influence. When businesses of all sizes commit to the wellbeing of children and working families, the ripple effect strengthens our entire region.
We all have a part to play in building a healthier community.
If you’re interested in learning how your business can get involved, connect with Sylvia at Greater Gallatin United Way. United is the way to a thriving community for all.
