Back

Community State Bank, Ankeny, IA

Entry Year: 2019
Entry Category: Supporting Military Families
Asset Size: Small
Program Name: Care Packages for Deployed Soldiers

Program Summary:

Our branches are located in Iowa Home Base Business communities. This means we support our soldiers -- deployed and those serving here at home. Johnston, where one of our banks is located is home to an Iowa National Guard Base.

We have employees at the Bank, who have family members on active duty and also deployed overseas. It became significantly more meaningful to know those serving from our local community. This is the second time we have collected items from employees and customers to pack and send over 120 care packages to deployed soldiers. We sent specifically to an employee's spouse and an employee's brother to distribute to their units. Those who contributed also had the opportunity to write thank you post cards to the soldiers. We included those in the care packages. We also invited students from a local elementary school to write thank you letters to include in the care packages.

We also raised over $1,200 in donations from employees and customers to assist with postage. Bank employees, along with students from our local medical university, Des Moines University, assisted in packing the boxes. Another group of employees loaded and mailed the packages, with assistance from our local Johnston, IA USPS branch.