The Magic of Giving Back: Spirit United Winner HomeBank SB
When the economy took a downturn, HomeBank SB decided it was time to take more of a leadership role in the community to try to address some of the economic stresses like poverty and homelessness. HomeBank decided to partner with United Way of Central Indiana to find the best ways to address the issues facing the communities the bank serves. "It’s more than just a bank, it’s all about serventhood," says HomeBank president Dan Moore. Over the years, HomeBank has contributed thousands of hours to volunteering and over $124,000 in financial contributions to United Way. HomeBank's mission is to make lives better, something they accomplish every day through their philanthropic work in Morgan County and were recognized for with United Way's Spirit United award.
Dan Moore, President of HomeBank, accepted the Spirit United award during United Way of Central Indiana's 2018 Annual Meeting. Founded in 1890, HomeBank doesn't have shareholders -- it's owned by the customers. "This allows us to serve our communities in a very meaningful way," Dan shares.
Over the years, HomeBank has built a culture of giving, something Dan is very proud of. Last year, the organization increased their giving to United Way by 50 percent. What makes their culture so unique? "We’re a 'we' organization – it’s an effort of all of us and it is beautiful. If you live that out, it's a game changer," he says.
And live that out they do! One of the first major givebacks HomeBank did was called Give the Gift of Giving. "Most businesses involve people just starting their career who don’t have a lot of resources, so they have never really experienced the opportunity to give," he says. So HomeBank gave employees $200 to give to an organization they felt could make an impact with that $200. "They did research, they did their homework! That $200 to them was a powerful tool. The things they came up with were just mind boggling - the meaningful organizations they supported with their $200," Dan explains.
Give the Gift of Giving was just the beginning of HomeBank's work in the community. "It was just the evolution of a culture of giving, where we see the benefits of it both personally, and more importantly how it effects the lives of others," he shares. From helping build homes with Habitat for Humanity to reading to third graders as ReadUP tutors, HomeBank employees are going above and beyond for their community.
"As an institution, we gather people together because we know that all of us are smarter than any one of us. I see United Way doing the same thing – you're bringing people together to grow," he said.
United Way is proud to recognize HomeBank as one of our 2018 Spirit United award winners for their incredible work in our community. If your business, employer or organization is interested in partnering with United Way to make positive change in Central Indiana, consider starting a workplace campaign to jump start your organization's community involvement and engagement.