Alice P. Frazier: Community Bankers Are Built for Service

I’d like to think my numerous years of 4-H involvement sparked the sense of community within me, and I’m imagining that as you read this, any community banker who’s a 4-H alumnus suddenly moved their right hand to their forehead and began reciting the pledge. 

While as community bankers, we do not have a formal pledge, we operate our banks and serve our communities as if there were one. From sponsoring Little League teams and working with nonprofit organizations to hosting financial literacy sessions and participating in committees, boards and beyond, we are a constant presence. More importantly, we are there not because we have to be but because we want to be.

Acts of service

That sentiment extends far beyond financial contributions: We are involved. At my bank, for example, we offer eight hours of paid time off for our team to volunteer. In addition, when we have held our monthly anniversary breakfast to celebrate our employees’ tenure, we have delivered Meals on Wheels together and then shared a meal ourselves. 

These examples only reflect a tiny fraction of the collective work we achieve as a community of community bankers. Just look at our National Community Bank Service Award winners featured in this month’s issue to deepen your awareness of the good we do collectively. They respond to natural disasters, lead with employee-driven giving, and deliver food and hygiene essentials to students, among other efforts.

While community banks do financially support our communities, our efforts speak to so much more. They reflect hours of participation in committee and board leadership roles. They point to educational programs that we stand up to help businesses and consumers understand how to protect themselves from fraud. They represent business summits where we bring in experts to talk to clients about small business needs like insurance, succession planning and generational transfers. This work is all about how we help the community flourish.

And as I reflect on our impact, it humbles me, and it also makes me recognize that each of us is drawn to this role because we have hearts made for service. Community banking as a career pulls us in because we know that we have the potential to make a real difference in the lives of our customers, neighbors and friends throughout our communities. 

Serving others sparks something inside, and it’s a pretty amazing feeling when you’re able to strengthen the community as part of your job. Fortunately, community banking makes that a reality for each of us every day.