Building Community from the Ground Up: Verity & Gardner House

Out in the community, Verity’s Beacon Hill team is forming meaningful connections and creating real impact. One of the most exciting new partnerships to emerge in recent months is with Gardner House, an affordable housing community located in Seattle’s Rainier neighborhood. Since October 2024, Beacon Hill staff have been working closely with Gardner House leadership and residents, helping open new accounts, sharing information about Verity’s services, and paving the way for tailored financial education workshops.
 

To get a closer look at how the partnership began and where it’s headed, we spoke with Montel Smith, Assistant Branch Manager at Beacon Hill.

Q&A with Montel Smith

How did your partnership with Gardner House come about?
Montel: Our Branch Manager, Lien [Nguyen], met Gardner House’s coordinator at an event in Othello. It was just a brief conversation, but a few months later, he reached out via email. They were looking for a financial institution to partner with—someone who could support residents who don’t have access to traditional banking services or the ability to pay bills easily.

What was it like visiting Gardner House for the first time?
Montel: Luis [Armenta] and I went in thinking we were going to present to staff, but it turned out to be a meeting with just the directors. So it was a little intimidating! [laughs] But they connected with Verity’s mission and offerings. Being a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) was important to them, as it served about 90% of the 220+ residents who needed financial resources. We waived the membership fee for Gardner House residents and let them know about our free checking option, which offers a cost-effective, low-barrier entry into banking. Before us, they had been referring residents to a large bank  that charged for both.

What’s been your favorite part of this experience?
Montel: Meeting the residents. They come from different backgrounds and were genuinely curious about how we could help. After our first workshop, Luis and I spent a long time just talking with folks, getting to know their stories. It really felt like we were building community from the ground up.

What’s next for the partnership?
Montel: We’re just getting started. We’ve only met about 8–10 residents so far, but the response has been amazing. Gardner House has over 20 additional locations they’d love Verity to connect with. This has the potential to become something much bigger.

Looking Ahead
Thanks to Montel, Luis, Lien, and the entire Beacon Hill team for leading the way on this inspiring community partnership. Their work demonstrates how Verity’s mission—to make meaningful, people-first banking accessible to all—comes to life, one connection at a time.