Two-thirds of employees volunteered over 4,500 hours at local non-profits in 2019
MANCHESTER, NH (February 20, 2020) — St. Mary’s Bank, the nation’s first credit union, is proud to announce that employee volunteerism remained high in 2019, with even more employees reaching personal volunteer-hour milestones than in 2018.
One-hundred-and-thirty-seven employees generously volunteered 4,595 hours — the equivalent of 574 eight-hour workdays — to over 150 organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Greater Manchester, The CareGivers, Make-A-Wish NH and The Salvation Army, among many others.
Fifty-four employees achieved individual volunteerism milestones this year, up 15% from 2018. Top volunteer Jake Powers, senior accountant, alone logged over 230 hours coaching and volunteering at several area organizations. Marketing director Elizabeth Stodolski was not far behind, completing over 200 hours primarily in service of Scouting for Bedford Troop 5 and the Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America.
“I admire and applaud our employees for giving so much of their time and energy to making a positive impact in our communities,” said Ron Covey, St. Mary’s Bank President and CEO. “Now more than ever, their passion for service inspires and guides us as we continue our long-standing mission of ‘people helping people’.”
In fact, St. Mary’s Bank’s annual United Way corporate donations are determined in part by where employees spend their volunteer hours, according to Pamela Roy, the credit union’s senior vice president and director of human resources. “Aligning financial support with volunteer efforts is one of the many ways we encourage and show appreciation for employee volunteerism,” said Roy.
The credit union’s volunteer-hour milestone club recognizes employees with a small award starting at 25 volunteer hours completed. “My favorite incentive is at the 100-plus-hour level,” said Michelle Chergey, community relations coordinator. “To thank these individuals, St. Mary’s Bank will donate $100 to the non-profit of their choice.”
In 2018, St. Mary’s Bank added a volunteer time off (VTO) program to make it easier for employees to find time to volunteer. “We offer a minimum of eight hours of VTO for non-exempt fulltime employees to use during work hours for any volunteer opportunity,” said Chergey, who organizes volunteer activities for employees on and off the clock.
“What I love about our volunteer program is all the support we receive from St. Mary’s Bank,” said Powers. “The financial contributions, plus the volunteer time off program, really maximize the impact we make.”
Photo caption: Fifty-four St. Mary’s Bank employees were recognized for their volunteerism in the community with 26 individuals achieving 25 or more hours, 16 individuals achieving 50 or more hours, 10 individuals achieving 100 hours or more, and two individuals achieving over 200 hours of volunteer service in 2019.
About St. Mary’s Bank
St. Mary’s Bank is a full-service, not-for-profit financial cooperative with branch locations in Manchester, Hudson, Londonderry, Milford, and Nashua and dedicated mortgage centers in Nashua, Concord, and Portsmouth. Founded as the nation’s first credit union in Manchester in 1908 and still headquartered there today, St. Mary’s Bank emphasizes a long tradition of service excellence, convenience, and value in its delivery of progressive banking products and services that help members save, invest, borrow, plan, insure, and retire. Forbes Magazine recently ranked St. Mary’s Bank the number one credit union in New Hampshire for overall recommendation, satisfaction, and trust.