Flathead Valley is in the lower corner of Montana, and one citizen has found a way to give in many unique capacities. Michael Goguen is originally from the tech valley of California, but he has long since left that scene.
He and his wife now call the Flathead region their home, and they give generously to the community that has welcomed them. Goguen thinks outside of the box when making philanthropic contributions. He does this through his time, funding, and committee work.
Nutrition
Mr. Goguen helped feed the people of this valley, but he did not do it by donating food. He did it by purchasing the food bank a building to operate from. These nonprofits need assistance keeping the pantry full. Often the facilities may get plenty of food donations from local businesses, but they need to store them until required.
Further Reading: Michael Goguen – Member of the Board of Directors @ Click Security | Crunchbase
They typically will give them out to satellite organizations instead of directly to individuals. With a building of their own, the volunteers could stock and store volumes of food, which keeps the nutritional level up in Flathead Valley.
Education
True to Michael Goguen’s style, he did not give funds to the school for books and pencils. Instead, he took it a step farther and helped young women learn to code. Traditional education is the foundation of all learning, but today, computer and technical skills are necessary.
Women are climbing up the corporate ladder because of this form of early education, and Michael Goguen may have seen that first hand in his tech work.
With this training, young girls learn how to identify problems than solve them by building an app. It is a national organization, so when they finish the app, they can continue on to compete around the states.
Children and Security
The internet creeps into most everyone’s life. Children can become unwittingly involved with strangers. The US federal government has departments that monitor and look for suspicious activity from predators. Michael Goguen donated funds to the Flathead regional office to help protect the children in this area. People may not be aware that it silently moves among communities, but with the help of dedicated citizens and trained professionals, these people can be stopped.
Horses
Michael Goguen managed to add in horses to his plate of giving. He partnered with a local ranch that uses specially trained ranch hands and therapists to help disable kids ride horses. The experience lets a small person control a large animal, and literally, they sit on top of the world. This corral and form of therapy makes a big difference in a child’s mental and physical health.
Search and Rescue
In rural areas, medical aid can sometimes be far off, and the Flathead Valley was looking for ways to fund a helicopter. Local law enforcement asked Goguen if he would be interested in helping them support a helicopter for search and rescue purposes.
Also Read: Michael Goguen – Medium
Michael Goguen went beyond that and built a facility, bought the aircraft, and financed the operation. He also trained and participated in rescues.
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