In today’s world of business and banking, every hour of employee time is vital to serving the needs of customers and community. At Lake City Bank, community service is also a fundamental investment of employee time; it is a core value, in fact.
That’s why year after year Lake City Bank employees commit thousands of hours to Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana. The partnership provides the experiential JA learning that builds student understanding of financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurism.
“Our many employees who volunteer with JA truly enjoy connecting with students. Their investment of time aligns with local school needs and supports interactive student learning,” says Eric Ottinger, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Banking Officer at Lake City Bank. “We are especially thankful for the many teachers across our communities who invite Lake City Bank into their classrooms to interact with students.”
During the 2022-2023 school year alone, Lake City Bank employees gave 1,385 volunteer hours to JA. That generous gift of time ensured 172 enriching student experiences that reached thousands of students across northern Indiana.
“The investment the Lake City Bank team makes each year through its volunteer commitment to Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana is immeasurable,” says Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana President Lena Yarian. “They have shared their personal experiences during JA activities in the classroom, at JA BizTown® and JA Finance Park®, and this year became a 3DE® Business Partner. Lake City Bank volunteers are bringing classroom learning to life, encouraging career exploration, and reinforcing the connection of education, work and life.”
For the second year in a row, Lake City Bank has received the prestigious U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Bronze Award for its devotion of employee volunteer hours during the 2022-2023 school year. The banking team gave 1,385 hours to sharing Junior Achievement’s work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literary activities with thousands of students across northern Indiana.
Created by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, Lake City Bank was one of only 69 companies across the nation honored with the award. Jana Miller, Vice President, Retail Banking Officer at Lake City Bank, was in Washington, D.C. to accept the honor.
“I’m proud to help students develop skills, set economic and career goals, and start on a path toward great business and work opportunities,” Miller says. “It’s simple, really – we all benefit when young people learn and experience new concepts.”
Community service is a core Lake City Bank value, and its employees live that value within their local schools.
“As a community bank employing 652 local individuals throughout our branches, this significant gift of 1,385 volunteer hours in one school year is a testament to the commitment of our team in support of the future of our young people and our communities,” says Ottinger.
