About Us
Our Mission
Providing Free Sustainable Heating Fuel to Those in Need
Little Woodbank is dedicated to providing free, sustainable heating fuel to veterans, low-income families, and the elderly in the Flathead Valley community. Our mission is to ensure warmth and security for our most vulnerable neighbors by collecting and distributing firewood annually.
Meet the Founders
The Little Woodbank was started by Sarah and David Puerner—two disabled veterans who know what it’s like to face a Montana winter with limited resources and big hearts. What began as a couple of people with chainsaws and a pickup has grown into a regional effort to keep vulnerable families warm.
We’ve spent years helping neighbors, clearing downed trees, and building partnerships to make sure no one is left in the cold. With the help of volunteers, donors, and community sponsors, we're turning waste wood into a lifeline—one cord at a time.
Small Wood. Big Warmth.
David Puerner, TSgt, USAF (Ret.)
Dave is a retired U.S. Air Force Instructor Loadmaster with 23 years of active duty service and extensive combat experience across Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Somalia, and Afghanistan. After military retirement, he continued flying globally as a 747 Loadmaster and worked in logistics, aviation operations, and disaster relief. He is 100% disabled and lives with combat-related PTSD.
Dave holds a third-degree black belt in Judo and leads the Yuma and Wellton Judo programs alongside Sarah, providing structure, mentorship, and discipline to kids who need it most. He is also a Team Rubicon Sawyer 2, having deployed on major hurricane responses and multiple national operations since 2012. He currently serves on the boards of three nonprofits and brings a lifetime of leadership, logistics, and heart to everything he does.
Though not born in the Flathead Valley, Dave moved here when he was ten, left after high school to serve his country, and later returned to give back to the community that raised him. Like many long-time locals, he’s watched housing costs skyrocket and homelessness rise as newcomers push out working families. The Little Woodbank is one way he’s choosing to stand up and do something about it—starting with firewood.
Sarah Puerner
Sarah is a U.S. Army Veteran, 100% disabled, and lives with PTSD related to military sexual trauma. A retired firefighter/EMT and longtime Team Rubicon volunteer, she has deployed on multiple disaster relief operations since 2012. She’s currently earning dual degrees in Behavioral Health and Surgical Technology at Mohave Community College. Sarah also holds a blue belt in Judo and helps run the Yuma Territorial and Wellton Judo Clubs, teaching underserved youth de-escalation, confidence, and respect through martial arts.
Sarah is no stranger to building something from the ground up—she and Dave were founding members of the Stronghold Freedom Foundation, which advocates for veterans exposed to toxic hazards at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Air Base. Creating The Little Woodbank wasn’t their first rodeo—it was just the next step in continuing a life of service.
Get Involved
Join Us in Making a Difference
Support our cause by volunteering, donating, or spreading the word. Together, we can provide warmth and security to veterans, low-income families, and the elderly in the Flathead Valley.