Sioux Falls-based Western Bank is honoring outstanding individuals across its footprint through a one-time award program called Great Gifts of Gratitude.
The program recognized the work and dedication of community members who went above and beyond during the pandemic by gifting a total of $70,000 to the 140 winners across its nine-state footprint.
Through an online nomination process, Great Western Bank received over 600 nominations after asking the public to submit stories of people throughout their community who were making an impact. To make an impact back in the winners’ lives and to help local businesses at the same time, Great Western Bank tailored the gifts to each person for a more personal experience. Those honorees include:
- Helping a therapist who started offering free mental health care and through her efforts, started a network of therapists to provide free care to those in need. She received a video calling device to talk with and see her family in Malaysia, as well as a set of luggage for when she is able to visit them again, and clothes to build her professional wardrobe.
- Gifting childcare equipment to a community member who opened her home for free care to neighborhood families who needed assistance during school/daycare closures. Also added to her overall gift was a $300 gas gift card to help her efforts of delivering bread and providing transportation/deliveries to neighborhood elders.
- Putting $1,000 toward a local brewer’s mortgage because he limited normal production to create and donate hand sanitizer.
- Gifting desk pedals to a caring teacher to help keep her students’ spirits and activity levels up during this unique school year.
- Covering part of a grocery budget to a volunteer who has been working tirelessly at a food pantry.
- Gifting a new stethoscope and scrubs to a nurse taking care of Veterans.
- Helping a mom take her kids back-to-school shopping.
“I go back to our values,” said Mark Borrecco, president and CEO of the $12.6 billion bank. “We want to empower locally and think globally, and we want to do the right thing. More so, we want to make sure we are committed to the communities we serve now more than ever.”
South Dakota’s Great Western more than 170 branches in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.