The Finlandia Foundation of Montana (FFM) is an advocate for global diversity and is dedicated to the preservation of Finnish- and Scandinavian-American cultural heritage in Montana and the Rocky Mountain region. FFM was formed in the spring of 2017 when we, the two founding members, Jenni Rohrbach and Jenna McVey, connected through the Traveling Sauna, a wooden sauna house on wheels that came to visit Missoula in April 2017 because of us. We saw a need to promote Finnish culture in our small and vivid community of Missoula, but realized more potential in partnership and thus invited other Missoula Nordics to join us and maximize our efforts together. Today FFM board of directors consists of Finns, Danes, and Americans. Together, the theme of Finland’s centenary celebration for its' independence also suits us quite well.
Our collective experiences, both Jenni’s work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki and with the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations in New York and Jenna’s passion for Finland that has developed over the years, have culminated in the realization of FFM. The Nordic countries and their like-minded philosophies have inspired us to think the same way when it comes to community and collaboration. Although FFM is a very new organization, we have had an active presence and have already accomplished quite a lot through our community outreach and events. We seek to introduce Finnish and Scandinavian culture and ideas to the wider public, especially in regards to education and innovation. We hope to enrich our community by promoting multiculturalism, diversity, acceptance, and equality on the local level, something we firmly see as core Nordic values. These values are closely connected to “development, collective impact and social capital” when working towards building more diverse and cohesive communities in Montana.
We’ve been working hard to get Finnish maternity packages to Missoula and hopefully throughout Montana. (This initiative was actually written about in several local newspapers in Finland.) We also connect with families and youth through our music outreach program and through our international exchange student program in partnership with the Council for Educational Travel USA, Missoula County Public Schools, and the University of Montana. So far we have participated in an international fair at the University of Montana, as well as hosted the Traveling Sauna, a Nordic fiddle concert, a May Day celebration, a Finnish movie night, and a get-together for the Nordic exchange students in Missoula. The highlight of the year for FFM will be a community dinner event in November specifically celebrating the Finnish Centennial. We at FFM are honoured to be part of Finlandia Foundation National and look forward to what the future will hold. For more information on FFM, please visit finlandiafoundationmontana.org or find us on Facebook under Montana Nordic Group.
Photo Text: The FFM board with Finnish and Scandinavian exchange students: Making friends with newcomers and embracing cultural diversity in Missoula. Discussions about the success of the Nordic countries in higher education, an example of Finland as an educational superpower. Also supporting the national and local Welcoming Week campaign for refugees and immigrants.
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