Community Involvement Ideas Here's what the Community Impact Month participants did in years past: We did a Build Day complete with food and beverages for eight employees plus the Habitat for Humanity crew. We also had a Customer Appreciation Day for our bank customers and had everyone bring a non-perishable item to donate to food shelf. Lastly, we collected items for school children including notebooks, pens, erasers, backpacks, scissors, paper, etc. Hosted a picnic to raise monetary & food donations for Renville County Back-The-Pack. Served a meal at the Janesville Volunteer Fire Department's evening meeting and made a cash donation. We collected items for the ECHO Food Shelf and also did a bake sale to raise funds to donate. Fall clean up, delivered care packages, served ice cream, and BizTown for Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. Packed Meals at Feed My Starving Children. Stuffed 9500 envelopes for the United Way. School supply drive for Saint James Public Schools. We held a run/walk to raise money to help cancer patients with expenses, such as travel, when receiving treatment at the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute. We donated a total of $7,400 to 360 Communities Battered Women’s Shelters. Helped Bloom Early prepare for an event. We collected hygiene items, snacks, paper items, school supplies for Neighborhood House. We split our staff into 13 teams and they did random acts of kindness throughout the communities we serve. We hit New Ulm, Lafayette, La Salle and Lakeville areas. Each team was given an amount they could spend if needed and they got the freedom to choose the organization/person in need. We collected items for the food shelf. We also paid to have a shredder at the bank so people could bring items in to shred at no cost. Community Shred Day. We had a shred truck at the bank for three hours and let anyone bring in their papers to be shredded. We helped CROSS Services of Rogers dispose of rotten and expired food to clear their shelves with new food to provide to those in need. Working with the City of Olivia to paint the shelter at Nester Park Reading to BOLD Elementary and St. Mary’s Catholic School 1st graders Helping unload the food on the semi trucks for the Renville County food shelf Donating board games to our local Christian Community Outreach Center for their after school program Delivering cupcakes to the teachers of the BOLD & St. Mary’s Schools to show our appreciation for educating our youth Delivering cupcakes to the Renville County Sheriff’s Office, Olivia Police Department and Olivia Firefighters to show our appreciation for keeping the community safe Collected and distributed school supplies to Vandyke Elementary. Clothing drive for YouthLink. Employees and customers were encouraged to bring in gently used clothing for homeless youth in the Twin Cities area. Employees could also donate cash which the bank matched up to $1,000. Collection donations throughout the week and brought our Food Truck to the Union Gospel Mission the Monday after to feed over 200+ homeless individuals. Held a blood drive, a shred event, and put together new home/housewarming kits for clients who have completed programs at RESOURCE And are preparing to move into their first apartment. Chores at CROSS of Benton County food shelf. :) We cleaned their walk-in cooler, floors, windows, vents, organized, painted & disinfected carts. Collected monetary and non-perishable food donations for the Northfield Community Action Center Food Shelf during our Customer Appreciation Days. Collected items and cash donations for Lewis House in Hastings, and had a dunk tank fund raising event. We fixed and brought a meal for the residents of A Place for You, a homeless/transitional shelter. We also went shopping to purchase ‘wish list’ items for both the residents and the shelter. We also held a community shred day – free for everyone, with the request of non-perishable food items. Packed food boxes for Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank. Helped move items out of storage at Camp Confidence and stage for their annual fundraising auction. Collected food and funds for the Roseau Area Food Shelf. Collected coats, hats, mittens (winter gear) for the Coats for Kids program. We raised money for Camp GK Bear (Grief camp for kids in the area K-6). We are sending volunteers to help at the event on October 7 and providing them with coloring sheets for the camp. Delivered Meals, organized mini events and treasurer services, built a pergola, etc.... Our bank gathered non-perishable food items and took cash donations for the Tower-Soudan Food Shelf. Packed food bags at The Sheridan Story to bridge the weekend food gap for 672 kids facing food access instability. Collected hygiene products, food products and made bowls and served food for United Way NEMN Buddy Backpacks. Food drive for VEAP. Worked on distribution days stocking shelves at the Becker County Food Pantry. a, purchased certificates for car detailing; b. Wore purple; c. Donated money and time to unload the truck of food at Chippewa Enterprise. Packed lunches for school kids to have over the weekends and collected hygiene products for United Way/Buddy Back Pack Program. Luverne – Exchange State Bank and the Hills – Exchange State Bank volunteered with both the Luverne and Hills – Beaver Creek School Districts. Exchange State Bank volunteered and provided a catered breakfast at each school for all teachers/employees of the school district. Exchange State Bank wanted to provide a positive community-building event and giving the teachers/employees a catered breakfast was just one way to tell them THANK YOU for all the hard work/going the extra mile they do for the kids/young adults in their communities they serve. Exchange State Bank is committed to serve in the communities they are in and the impact teachers do in those communities is irreplaceable. Read to Kenyon Wanamingo Elementary students, worked the KW concession stand during the volleyball game, packed backpacks for the food shelf and sorted clothes at the thrift store. Winter Coat Drive for United Way; bought dinner and entertained clients with disabilities at Bear Creek Services; internal campaign raising funds for the hurricane relief. We offered cookies and coffee in our lobby with a collection box for free-will donations to the Grant County Food Shelf. Donated hats/mittens to the elementary school for K-6 grade students at recess and bus this fall/winter. Volunteered at the Community Garden and picked pumpkins for a children’s community event this month and cleaned up the garden. Stained a lookout deck/patio for the City of Redwood Falls. We washed windows at Divine Providence Nursing Home and served lunch for children at Safety Day Camp. We had volunteers at our local Habitat for Humanity affiliate helping in their ReStore which is a retail store selling used and repurposed home items. We also had staff present at Central Lakes College during their Student Success Day. We did two sessions regarding technology and banking and how technology is changing the way we do business. Helped with a Habitat for Humanity build in St. Cloud; dDonated blood at the local blood drive; helped the local school host an event; held a fundraiser for our local Relay for Life. "Pop Up" Food Drive Collection at Lunds & Byerlys for PROP Food Shelf. We purchased personal care items and healthy snacks for the Hutchinson High School REACH Program participants (high school kids with varying issues). We reached out to Beyond the Yellow Ribbon and organized a crew to assist a local VET in late summer cleanup of his front and back yard. Gables Pines - VH, we reached out to see if we could make up and then drop off some care packages to those seniors who don't have many if any visitors. VHEDC - we reached out to see if there was anything we could assist with and they were looking for volunteers to assist in giving away complimentary Culvers frozen custard. A painting project for The Link. We packed 100 backpacks each week of the month of September. These backpacks are packed with meals for kids for the weekend. They are distributed to preschool and elementary children on Fridays of each week. a. Holiday giving tree - for several families in need; b. outdoor work, playhouse repairs; c. collected school supplies for local schools. Painted a shelter; helped clean and organize their athletic facilities for the City of Jordan. Pick up trash for the Department of Transportation – Adopt a Highway. Donate and serve ice cream for local booster club during a football tailgate party. The tailgate was designed to earn money for the club and recognize its sponsors. Sponsored a book signing with a children’s author encouraging healthy snacks. Gave each child a signed book. Collected School Supplies to donate to McGregor Elementary School. We helped fill backpacks for the Weekend Backpack Program for the Waseca Area Food Shelf. Family Place - storage room clean up; Jeremiah Program - cooked dinner for mothers and children; Ralph Reeder - stocked their food shelf; Little Bohemia - cleaned up their neighborhood bike trail; Salvation Army - food distribution. Cut Trees, cleaned leaves and walkways Did a drive to collect eyeglasses for the Recycle for Sight program and raised money to go towards a new vision screener for the Kid Sight program. Meals on Wheels program Assembled boxes, packed boxes and distributed boxes to clients Assisted the residents at the Fagen Fighers WWII Museum Packed backpacks for the Bring It Home Program Assisted the Lions Club on screening kids eyesight With the Knights of Columbus we collected Jackets for the Forest Lake School District. Food for his Children we collected gently used shoes. We made 1000 sandwiches! Donation drives We blanketed the town with hand sanitizers and hand soap labeled with our bank logo and "Banking on Germ Defense" cute labels. Painted park bathrooms Helped stock shelves We volunteered at their FALL Games in Woodbury. Pack food for their Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS) Program Our staff and customers collected non-perishable food items for 1 week in a grocery cart located in our lobby. At the end of the week, those items were delivered to the school. Two build days with the Rice Co Habitat for humanity Volunteer to do projects around community We hosted a free 1st time homebuyer seminar for our customers and community - Marketplace Home Mortgage provided our attendees with the information. Made a cash donation, helped serve and cleanup, provided the root beer floats and ice cream. Placed and picked up flower pots on main street. Fundraised for their next honor flight (they send area veterans to see the Washington DC memorials) by selling their merchandise (t-shirts, hats, cups) and hosting a Treats for Troops bake sale and Joes for GIs sloppy joe meal Sponsored & Hosted Community Bingo, Sponsored & Volunteered at the Annual Campaign Kickoff Did landscaping at a city park. Our branch delivered gift cards to customers at local businesses. We made 500 sandwiches Gathered donations for a non-profit called Amaze. Our employees at Americana community bank helped at CROSS 2 days, sort of through clothes and hanging them up for families to choose from. We hosted a community blood drive. We had employees who wished to donate participate, and the drive was also open to the public. We asked for donations and then the staff at each location created fleece tie-blankets for each organization, also donated new un-used blankets that were donated from the area communities. Collected new stuffed animals for our local Childrens Hospital. Also several of us worked shifts at our food shelf. Volunteered at their Adoption Event at the Hawk Creek Animal Shelter. We raised funds to support the programs assisted by the West Central United Way. Food Drive Unloaded a food truck with 7,00 lbs of food, painted a shelter and cleaned up garbage at a pond, read to 1st graders, delivered cookies to show appreciation to peace officers. Collected food for local food shelves, packed backpacks of food for under-privileged families, ditch clean up Looking for ideas that can be accomplished via social distancing? Make masks for your local schools or community groups Hold a food or school supply drive. Collections can be made with a drop off box Support local restaurants. Cater a meal for your local first responders or health care workers Write letters and/or create care packages. Send to residents of congregate care centers or front-line workers Make some phone calls. Schedule time to call your senior customers, just to chat Hold a virtual financial literacy class via Zoom Pick up trash in your city or adopt a highway Coordinate a drive-in movie for the community Run a social media campaign for charity. Encourage the community to post photos of a specific activity with a donation made for each photo. Open a sharing library. Fill it with books for the community to borrow, share and swap Start a delivery service. Run errands or make deliveries for vulnerable populations who must quarantine Hire a chalk artist to decorate a bike or walking trail in the community Stage a virtual 5k or bike ride