Tester applauds Opportunity Link on being named Promise Zone finalist

Senator says non-profit organization demonstrates commitment to Montana, bettering lives

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today congratulated Montana non-profit organization Opportunity Link on being named a Promise Zone finalist, demonstrating the group’s commitment to fighting poverty in Northcentral Montana.

Promise Zones are part of a new federal initiative to fight poverty nationwide by providing local community leaders with the tools they need to rebuild their communities and invest in economic growth in tribal, rural, and urban areas. Opportunity Link was named a finalist due to its collaborative efforts between counties and tribal communities in the state to increase access to quality health care, transportation and education across 11 different counties and three reservations in Northcentral Montana.

“I applaud Opportunity Link on this achievement and for their commitment to build on this success,” said Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “These communities show incredible vision by working together to improve lives across our region. This is the kind of collaboration and leadership that creates strong communities, and I will continue to support Opportunity Link and the folks that they serve.”

“Being named a finalist reflects the hard work that our city, county and tribal members devoted to this regional planning project and the work we do every day to promote economic prosperity in northcentral Montana,” said Opportunity Link Executive Director Barb Stiffarm. “I am encouraged by what this region was able to accomplish by working collectively, and will be encouraging our regional partners to continue their collaborative support to secure this designation in the next round of applications.”

Finalists are eligible to receive technical assistance as well as national publicity to help promote promising practices in their communities. Finalists are also able to reapply for designation the following term.