44 MARCH / APRIL 2019 BANKING ON COMMUNITY The Farmers Bank, Frankfort, pledged last fall to match up to $5,000 for all donations made to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Fund from the beginning of September through Oct. 31, 2018. As a result of community donations of $6,491.53, combined with the bank’s match, a total of $11,491.53 was raised for the purchase of equipment for the SWAT team, including tactical communication headsets and ballistic shields. Farmers State Bank, LaGrange, donated last fall to “Shop With a Cop” programs in each of the counties the bank serves. Through this program, local law enforcement officers and first responders take children in need shopping at Christmastime. The bank made the donation through its Blue Button Jean-erosity campaign, which allows employees to wear blue jeans on designated days in exchange for small monetary donations. Home Bank, Martinsville, has made four donations totaling $86,500 as part of its community gift program, through which the bank donates 10 percent of its profits back to not-for-profit initiatives within its markets: • Youth First – Home Bank presented a gift in the amount of $30,000 to Youth First, an organization that partners with schools across the state of Indiana for master’s-level social workers to work with students and also provide programming to help prevent substance abuse. Funding is to be split between the MSD of Martinsville and Mooresville Consolidated School Corp. • Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation – With a donation of $30,000, Home Bank is partnering with the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation to fund an inaugural “Build Yourself” class in Martinsville, designed to prepare adults for jobs in the Indiana construction industry. After completing the six-week training school, participants take part in a hiring event, with a goal of placing workers with companies in jobs making $16-$24 per hour. • Smith Elementary Fine Arts Academy – Home Bank presented a check for $16,500 to the Smith Fine Arts Academy of the MSD of Martinsville, an elementary school that offers a curriculum enhanced by arts programming. A large number of the school’s students come from poverty situations and would not otherwise have opportunities for arts pursuits. • Imagination Library – Home Bank chose the Imagination Library program in Johnson County for a community gift of $10,000 to help fund local expansion of this initiative, which is part of a program established by Dolly Parton to encourage reading and literacy for young children. The program mails one book a month, at no charge, to children from birth to age 5, for a total of 60 books per child. Our Community Bank, Spencer, has partnered with Owen Valley High School to create OCB Financial Literacy Academy, a mini-branch staffed by students under the guidance of bank employees. As part of the school’s business education program, student participants learn customer service skills while helping classmates make deposits and other transactions. Additionally, the bank has created “Student Access 360 Checking,” a checking account designed around the needs of teens. The account can be opened, with parental permission, with as little as $5. There is no monthly fee, and each participating student receives a debit card that can be used in ATM machines and stores; the debit card has strict limits to help students develop responsible habits. At the presentation of funds to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Fund are, from left: Thomas D. Crawford, chairman, The Farmers Bank; Jeff Ward, Clinton County Sheriff; Karen Gregerson, president/CEO, The Farmers Bank; and Daniel Roudebush, assistant SWAT commander-Clinton County Sheriff’s Office. Shown at the donation to Shop With a Cop are, from left: RJ Robinson, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department; Joe Urbanski, president/CEO, Farmers State Bank; Steve Swick, CEO, Swick Broadcasting; Mike Wood, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department; and Lisa Hewitt, senior account manager, Swick Broadcasting. Tana Lobb of Home Bank (far right) presents a donation check to teachers and administrators of Smith Elementary Fine Arts Academy. DEPARTMENTS
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