58 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2020 BANKING ON COMMUNITY Horizon Bank, Michigan City, donated $1,000 in August to the Lafayette Police Foundation to provide personal protective equipment to law enforcement officers to help protect them from COVID-19. Community First Bank of Indiana, Kokomo, donated $2,500 in August to the Noblesville Elks Lodge, which was unable to hold its annual Steve Renner Golf Outing for Cancer Research due to the pandemic. The Elks project helps support Purdue University Center for Cancer Research and the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center. Centier Bank, Merrillville, has rolled out a homebuying e-course through its new online financial educational series, Centier To You. Information and resources about the homebuying process is free and available to the public. The homebuying series includes Top 5 Tips of the homebuying process, including understanding a FICO score and information about down payments, available at: centier.com/centier-to-you-homeownership. Centier Bank, Merrillville, donated $4,100 in August to Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana to contribute to the nonprofit’s virtual programming. With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the organization faced technological hurdles in transitioning to virtual services while experiencing an average 15% increase in requests for services and program activity. DEPARTMENTS Horizon Bank, Michigan City, donated $10,000 in August to Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County in sponsorship of programming to assist with increased costs that resulted from COVID-19 modifications, such as extended club hours, decreased staff/club member ratios and enhanced sanitization protocols. The organization is operating clubs at three Michigan City area schools, providing online learning support, fun activities and healthy meals. Horizon Bank, Michigan City, and Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) have announced a Horizon Scholars Program, which provides a paid internship to CCSJ juniors who have been identified by business and technology department faculty. Participating students additionally are offered summer employment. Two students have been selected for internships in the trust department in Michigan City and in the credit analyst department in Merrillville. The family of the late Patrick C. Botts, along with representatives of Northwest Bank, Warren, Pennsylvania, and Muncie BY5, dedicated the Pat Botts Free Children’s Library in August. Located within the bank’s 110 E. Charles St. office in Muncie, the library is open to area families to “take a book, leave a book” at no cost and no expectation for return. Botts passed away last October while serving as president and chief operating officer of MutualBank, which later merged into Northwest Bank. Among other community activities, he was a founding member of Muncie BY5, dedicated to early child development and education. The Old National Bank Center for Business Excellence – a partnership between Butler University and Old National Bank, Evansville – has announced an initiative geared toward strengthening and supporting businesses owned by underrepresented groups throughout Indiana. The ONB Center will waive its annual membership fee of $1,000 for the first year for companies that meet the following criteria: • Privately held companies, headquartered in Indiana, with majority ownership by an underrepresented population, including all people Personal protective equipment donated by Horizon Bank helps protect frontline law enforcement officers from exposure to COVID-19. Shown at the Community First Bank of Indiana check presentation to the Noblesville Elks Lodge are (from left): Randy King, Elks; Pete Smith and Monica Peck, CFB board members; Janelle Campbell and Scott Hammersley, CFB personnel; Cliff Decker, Elks; Josh Faudree, CFB; and Geoff Robinson, Elks. Centier Bank, Merrillville, presents a donation to Mental Health America of Northwest Indiana. Shown are (front row, left to right): Lauren Zurbriggen, Centier Bank, and Andrea Sherwin, MHANWI; and (back row, left to right): Anthony Contrucci, Centier Bank, and Richele Kaiser, MHANWI. Shown at the dedication of the Pat Botts Free Children’s Library are (from left): Chris Cook, Dave Heeter and Chris Caldwell, representing Northwest Bank, with Botts family members Taylor, Adam and Jane Botts; Molly, Sam and Jake Bucholtz; Archie, Jordan and Ben Botts; and Erica and Jason Bucholtz. Continued on facing page.
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