Young people stretch $100 for the good of others
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – If you were given $100 with simple instructions to “do good,” what would you do? This was the “Here for Good” challenge presented to every recipient of Independence Bank’s 2020-2021 scholarship program during the virtual reception on April 29.
With only 11 days to complete, the submissions varied immensely, showing the creativity, determination and heart of the students throughout the Commonwealth. With 63 recipients investing over $6,000 into their local communities, the “Here for Good” mentality spread like wildfire.
“This is exactly the impact my father, Charles A. Reid, would have hoped for from the recipients of the scholarship program created in his honor,” said Chris Reid, Chairman and CEO of Independence Bank. “I’m so proud that we could inspire the same young people that inspired us to go out and do more for the communities that helped shape them.”
In Warren County alone, one student decided to give the money to her mother to spend on herself for Mother’s Day since she always put others in the family before herself.
“The ‘Here for Good’ mentality starts at home,” explains Warren County bank President, Brad Howard. “If we can wake up with a spirit of giving to those closest to us, it will inevitably impact the community around us at large.”
Every Bank employee was invited to review some of the most meaningful submissions and voted that one special student so embodied the giving spirit of Independence Bank that he deserved an additional “Here for Good” scholarship. The winner was Andrew Dunn, a Du Pont Manual High School graduate from Louisville. The Here for Good scholarship, originally in the amount of $1,776, quickly advanced an additional $10,000 after Chris heard Andrew’s story, bringing the total amount to $11,776.
Andrew called his project, Dinner On Us, where he created 10 family dinner boxes including pasta, sauce, bread, Oreos and chocolate chip muffin mix. With assistance from the assistant principal of Minor’s Lane Elementary, 10 families were identified for this act of kindness. At the Friday afternoon carpool pickup, those 10 families were surprised with Dinner On Us that they could quickly prepare for their family that night.
While the scholarship program may have wrapped for the year, Independence Bank’s “Here for Good” campaign is just getting started.
“Our Bank has made a promise to the places that we call home that not only are we committed to being a long-standing member of the community, but we will take care of those around us,” said Independence Bank President Jacob Reid. “It’s a deep part of our culture at the bank and we’re excited to bring those around us into the fold.”
For more information contact Rachael Frey at rfrey@1776bank.com.
