Investing In Our Community
As a community bank, we invest in the future of the communities we serve. At Beach Community Bank, lending money is not the only way we invest in our communities; we support many local organizations with donations of our resources and time.
We invest in the future of our communities by promoting financial education, serving as mentors, and working to reduce poverty, homelessness, and hunger. Since 2003, we have been a part of Okaloosa Saves, a campaign dedicated to helping individuals save money, reduce debt, and build wealth.
For the past two years we have hosted seminars and field trips for students of Silver Sands School, which serves approximately 170 students with disabilities from Okaloosa and Walton counties. The seminars showed students how to write a check and balance a checkbook; we even sponsored a school savings competition. The field trips allowed students to become more familiar with financial institutions and even see the inside workings of the bank. Also, employees mentor students through organizations such as Big Brother, Big Sisters and Take Stock in Children.
We are proud to partner with Bridges to Circles, a collaboration of non-profits and other community members, that matches highly motivated people living in poverty with allies who provide emotional support and assist with overcoming the obstacles to getting out of poverty. One support we provide is free savings accounts for individuals in the program working to meet a savings goal.
We have sponsored, with interest free loans, nine new homes for deserving families through Habitat for Humanity. This year, we have joined forces with Bay Area Food Bank’s Backpack Program, which provides chronically-hungry children with food for the weekends. Each week during the school year, employees pack sacks of food for over 75 students.
The military is a vital part of the communities we serve. We appreciate the service of the Armed Forces and enjoy participating in events to show our gratitude. Many of our officers serve as Honorary Commanders, which allows bank officers to learn more about the military’s local and national impact.
In 2008, we were the title sponsor for the Doolittle Raiders Homecoming, an event that commemorated the training of the Raiders who bombed Japan in World War II, and we are a sponsor for the Raider’s 71st reunion in 2013. We also support Fisher House of the Emerald Coast, which provides a safe home for military families when a family member is undergoing treatment at any local medical facility.
Because many of us and our family members have faced difficult health situations, we support a variety of health organizations. Two of the primary events we dedicate time to are American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure and American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. This year, our Tour de Cure team raised over $5,000 and came in second out of the local corporate fundraising teams. Our Pensacola Relay for Life team raised over $2,000 this year.
We also like to invest in this area’s future by supporting organizations that work with children. In conjunction with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, we brought the SafeAssured ID program to the community at no cost. The SafeAssured ID program creates an encrypted mini-CD of information about a child to help law enforcement make the most of the first 48 hours if a child goes missing.
So far in 2012, employees have donated over $1,000 to help organizations that support children including Children in Crisis, Eleanor J. Johnson Youth Center, and Truth for Youth. Throughout the year, we also sponsor various sports teams and school activities and participate in drives for school supplies, children’s coats, and non-perishable food.
In addition to all of these organizations, many officers are actively involved in and support service organizations such as Rotary International, Kiwanis, Junior League of the Emerald Coast, and Exchange Club.
We also participate in area chambers of commerce to get involved in community events and help us learn the needs our local business communities. We are actively involved with the Crestview, Niceville-Valparaiso, Fort Walton Beach, Gulf Breeze, and Pensacola Chambers of Commerce.