Old National Bank’s Pay It Forward ‘Acts of Kindness’ Campaign Helps Feed, Clothe Families and More
Old National Bank’s (ONB) Pay It Forward “acts of kindness” campaign continued for an eighth straight year, led by its internal Associate and Community Engagement (ACE) teams. In 2023, ONB team members gave back to communities through food drives, by helping families in need, by assisting childcare centers for low-income families, and more.
Generally comprised of 5-10 members, ACE teams exemplify Old National’s Values in Action, and are at the heart of creating a company culture that helps our communities thrive. ACE teams organize activities such as charity walks, sponsored community events and financial literacy programs, while also identifying and spearheading other high-impact community initiatives.
“The reason I volunteer with ACE is because ACE is our differentiator,” says Joe Thomas, ACE Central Michigan team lead. “Through the work we do, we show how important our people are, the positive impact we can have on the community, and what being part of a team is. ACE gives me the opportunity to show the people I work with every day that they are more than just a number.”
Pay It Forward actions included:
Kids Against Hunger
Quad Cities/Knox (Iowa-Illinois border) team members from all area banking centers donned aprons and hair nets (beard nets for the men) to package life-saving food for children across the world. Kids Against Hunger is an international food relief organization working to save the lives of starving people, and ONB team members packaged 1,500 meals.
Low-Income Childcare Services
Our Kentucky East ACE team partnered with New Directions and the St. Benedict Center for Early Childhood Education to help provide engaging and age-appropriate childcare to kindergarten and pre-K children. The Louisville center offers Head Start and Early Head Start curriculum to children in low-income families. We provided financial support and an orientation student-success event for parents.
Help for New Families
The Jasper (Indiana) market held three Jeans Days to collect funds for The Trotter House, which assists women and families who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy or difficult situation. Team members also held month-long collection drives, in all collecting 2,833 diapers, 45 packs of wipes, along with various toys, blankets, crib sheets, wash cloths and other supplies for new mothers.
Fill the Backpacks Day
Our team members from the Northern Chicago Suburbs, working with staff from the Round Lake Beach school community, identified 55 elementary and middle school students from 22 families or households that would benefit from a donation of school supplies. The Fill the Backpacks Day before the start of the school year was followed by a Back-to-School Backpacks & School Supplies event for other local families.
FoodShare Campaign
Our team members partnered with the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign, the largest grassroots food and fund drive in Minnesota, to restock the food shelves for various organizations that provide food aid. Our team members and clients contributed more than 2,700 items and more than $2,200 in cash donations across 30 Minnesota food aid organizations.
To learn more about Old National’s commitment to communities, in addition to sponsorship and grant opportunities, go to oldnational.com/about-us/community.
