Feeding the Firemen

Lacey Mathison heard the sirens as she left for lunch. It was 1:20 PM on a freezing March day in the small town of Walhalla, ND, population 932 — the kind of town where sirens are uncommon. Lacey’s eyes followed the sound past Choice Bank, where she works as a Business Loan Service Specialist. Just a few blocks away, there it was — a growing plumage of thick black smoke, rising towards the sky.

Word travels fast in a small town. Lacey quickly learned it was the North Border Enterprises building, a company run by a man named Rossie Goulet. Mr. Goulet has been a customer at Choice for over 20 years. Born and raised in Walhalla, he found a successful living building and selling pallets all over the region. He owned and operated North Border Enterprises with a handful of other employees.

For Lacey and LaRae, it’s a joy to be part of an organization that celebrates the same values they do as a community.

“It’s awesome to see that Choice Bank values even the small things, like feeding the firemen. That thoughtfulness is a core value of our culture,” LaRae said. “There’s no red tape, no loopholes to get something special done for others.”

“Right,” Lacey added. “It’s just everyday life at Choice!”

Epilogue

The building, unfortunately, was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

A few days later, the owner of the business, Mr. Goulet, came into Choice Bank. Wooden pieces from some of Mr. Goulet’s pallets had been used to decorate two walls in the bank in previous years. Mr. Goulet stared at one of the walls for a long time.

“You could see it in his face. To think it was all gone, completely gone…” Lacey shook her head.

When Mr. Goulet turned to Choice Bank for help, Lacey was glad to be of service. She helped him send several important faxes.

“I was glad to help him out in some way,” she said.

Lacey doesn’t know what Mr. Goulet’s next steps will be. However, she knows Walhalla, and she knows her team at Choice Bank. Just as they did in response to the fire, she knows the community will come together.

Our People First values are at the heart of everything we do. Learn more about our passion for putting People First here.