Happy Birthday Yellowstone Valley Woman!

from Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine

BASKETS BASKETS BASKETS Bring in the

electric ride so far and I’m in awe of the connections this magazine continues to make, not only in my life but in this vibrant community.

I had no idea when I started this journey with the magazine as its editor 17 years ago that it would flower into what it is today. More than 130 women have graced the cover of this magazine and so many more have inspired us with their stories. This month we celebrate 22 years as a community publication shining the light on amazing women. Twenty-two years. That’s a long time.

As we’ve shared these inspiring, informative, deep and powerful stories, we’ve done a lot of good too. We’ve sponsored countless events — the Montana Women’s Run, the Out of Darkness walk to prevent suicide, A Waiting Child Golf Classic to promote adoption awareness, and Dog Tag Buddies’ Celebrity Chef Gala, just to name a few.

This year, we’re supporting the Little Buzz Run to help raise funds for CASA of Yellowstone County. We fund the Heart Gallery, an artistic display in Rimrock Mall featuring the faces and stories of some of the area’s adoptable kids. We’ve supported Tumbleweed, LaVie, Saint Vincent de Paul, Family Promise — the list continues.

Last year, for the first time, we handed one deserving young woman a $1,000 scholarship for her first year in college. We’re doing it again deliver Christmas presents to 372 foster children who might otherwise not have had a Christmas. And, we sparked a new kind of outreach called the Great Love Project – a charitable program fueled completely by you, our readers. You shared your favorite charities, voted to pick number one and now through our Great Love Project Mug sales (yellowstonevalleywoman.com/ love), later this year we will be able to write a $10,000 check to Love & Sonshine Ministries to help renovate their home for pregnant teens at risk of homelessness. Wow. You helped us do all that. You.

So, you can see why I sit here, a little in awe at the beautiful things you can do when you have the community’s backing. Every advertiser in this magazine plays a role in these good things. Every reader that picks up our latest issue and supports us, helps our community efforts to flourish. It’s that community connection that helps us thrive and allows us to continue to be a force for good.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for all of this. You are the glue that keeps this — all of this — together. Keep reading, my friends. Our community depends on it.