How community banks can make a big difference in your hometown

As we blogged earlier, The Open Door Pantry recently received the gift of a new truck. With this truck, the nonprofit can put even more fresh food right into the hands of people who need it most.

This newly expanded ability to help people in Dakota County came about thanks to support from Minnwest Bank. The two organizations are fundamentally different, but if you look closer you see that they have a similar outlook. Both are focused on doing good in their communities. If that surprises you, perhaps you’re not expecting nearly enough from your bank.

At Minnwest Bank, volunteerism and philanthropy are more than just something nice to do. It’s a core value of community banking, and here’s a snapshot of what that looks like.

  • In 2017, Minnwest donated more than $300,000 to our communities via a range of local organizations that address issues such as child education, senior and child welfare, and economic development.
  • Twenty-one employees have given $6,675 to the United Way through payroll deductions — donations that go right into their local nonprofits.
  • Each employee at Minnwest Bank gets eight hours of paid volunteer time each year. In 2017, our employees volunteered 601 hours of this paid volunteer time to local schools, animal shelters, nonprofits focused on family and health, and arts groups. Sometimes you may see us out there as a group. For example, you may have seen us picking up litter for Adopt-A-Highway, making fleece blankets for a crises shelter or wrapping holiday gifts for a local nursing home.
  • Some of our employees go well above and beyond the eight hours of volunteer service. By our count, Minnwest employees have given 3,404 hours of their time to their communities. That’s something worth celebrating. And that’s why each year, we honor one of our own with the M.D. (Pete) McVay Community Service Award — named for our founder, who recognized the valuable role a community bank plays in a community. In 2018, we honored Eric Lynner for his tireless support of local organizations in the Montevideo community.

At Minnwest Bank, we’re focused on giving back to the community and making it a better place to live, work and play. The fact that everyone on our team, from customer service representatives to the lenders, is a community member has a lot to do with that.

Whatever your banking and lending needs happen to be, discover how Minnwest Bank’s style of relationship banking can help you achieve your goals. Just like you, we’re working hard every day to make this a great place to live.

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