Missoula State Office

This year we celebrate our 25th birthday and it has been a great year for MPA. I have the honor to be a part of MPA since 1990. I have received far more from MPA staff and leaders than I could ever repay and as I look back, I see great accomplishments. MPA challenged banks and successfully got them to commit funding in low income neighborhoods. We challenged utility companies and stopped unnecessary rate increases. We won Good Cause Eviction for people living in mobile homes; we developed and implemented the 1st Welfare Bill of Rights ensuring fair and equitable treatment; we won living wage ordinances in two Montana cities, and most importantly, MPA ensured that our members had a voice at decision making tables.

In addition, MPA helped a dream come true by giving the freedom and support needed to build a movement dedicated to addressing issues that directly affect Montana's urban Indian population. The IPA Founding Board, Andy Gardner and Nina Cramer, who were MPA Leaders along with Dr. Henrietta Mann, Carole Meyers, and Bill Walls, all leaders in our Indian community, were instrumental in helping to build the foundation for Indian People's Action. MPA's former Executive Director, Jim Fleischmann, and MPA's 1996-1997 State Board of Directors were supportive and willing to invest in Indian People's Action and provided the organizing guidance and experience needed for success. And now IPA is 10 years old! Sadly, IPA lost one of its founding members with the death of Bill Walls this summer. We will miss his guidance, wisdom, and especially his humor!

To date, MPA has achieved much but as "they" say, 'this is only the beginning'! An organization like ours with great members and great staff, along with great friends and allies, we can't miss!

~ Montana People's Action State Office~ 208 East Main Street, Missoula MT, 59802 ~

Phone: (406)-728-5297 ~Toll-free: (888)290-5711 ~ Fax: (406)-728-4095 ~ mpa@mtpaction.org~