With the start of school less than a month out, UWATX’s volunteer arm, Hands On Central Texas, is already planning the Back to School Volunteer Day at Webb Early College Prep Academy.
Volunteers will come together on August 18th to help teachers prepare their classrooms for the year, beautify the campus and distribute donated school supplies to different programs and areas of the school. One of our dedicated partners, Broadway Bank, has been volunteering with our back to school efforts for the past two years. Broadway Bank’s home city of San Antonio hosts a large school supply collection, which inspired Austin Assistant Market Manager, Jackie Oliver, to bring those efforts to Austin when she reached out to UWATX in 2014. That year and the following year, 2015, Broadway Bank successfully collected supplies for more than 50 students in need at a partner middle school by hosting collection events at their downtown Austin branch.
Jackie made sure to keep the Broadway Bank group involved and volunteering throughout the year. Employees participated in the H-E-B Feast of Sharing in November, Spring Day of Caring and Fall Day of Caring. Additionally, Broadway Bank donated holiday meal kits to families at the Mendez Boys and Girls Club Thanksgiving Dinner. The meal kits included food to prepare a delicious family meal and an H-E-B gift card to purchase a turkey. We had the opportunity to chat with Jackie and her marketing team about what drives Broadway Bank’s philanthropic involvement:
1. How long have you been involved with UWATX?
Broadway Bank Congress Avenue opened in May 2014 and our bank’s Care Corps began volunteering with UWATX that same summer 2014.
2. What is Broadway Bank’s volunteerism like?
Broadway Bank has a robust volunteer boots-on-the-ground organization called Care Corps that spans out in the communities where we live and work to make a difference in the lives of people who most need it. In 2015, 63% of Broadway Bank employees worked together to benefit 138 charitable projects. All together, that’s 13,561 hours that Care Corps volunteers donated of their valuable time, at a dollar value of $312,852.27.
The Care Corps was created in 2004 to honor our founders, Col. Charles E. Cheever Sr. and Betty, his wife. Betty was a kindergarten teacher, so the bank has a particular interest in supporting non-profit organizations that support students and education. In the Austin area, we actively volunteer at the Spring Day of Caring, St. Vincent de Paul Dinner Service, Financial Literacy at LBJ High School, the Central Texas Food Bank, Wimberley Flood Relief, United Way for Greater Austin and Austin Junior Forum School Supply Drive.
3. What reactions have you seen from your fellow employees regarding Broadway Bank’s volunteer efforts?
Broadway Bank employees enjoy a common bond around the bank’s commitment to the communities where our 39 banking centers are located. Our Care Corps volunteers take an active leadership role in successfully implementing community non-profit projects. It is a core principle that leads to a great culture and an outstanding relationship in the community. It is exciting for us to see how our volunteer efforts make a difference for those most in need. Now with three Austin-area locations, Broadway Bank Care Corps volunteers are excited and find it deeply gratifying to make an impact in the capital city with our time, talent and treasure.
4. Why do you give back to UWATX?
We know that the projects and organizations that UWATX supports are right here in Austin, and we are excited to be a part of making a difference in early childhood education, dropout prevention and in the financial stability of our community. With such a critical role in our capital city, UWATX represents the open arms and heartfelt commitment to the community that have made Austin such a great place for our employees and our bank. So giving back is our way of saying thank you for embracing us as we work to be “here for good” in the capital city.
5. What has been your favorite volunteer project?
Our favorite UAWTX event is Feast of Sharing because it is wide-reaching in its scope and impact on individuals and families in the Austin area. The atmosphere is contagious, the pace of the event allows for maximum opportunities to mingle with fellow Austinites and the overall goodwill it has in our community is significant.
6. Why do you believe others should give back?
Giving back is part of what we do at Broadway Bank as a natural way of being good stewards of the communities where we live and out of an abundance of compassion for those who are in need. Making a difference through lending a hand and lots of heart is an immeasurably rewarding experience. Through our Care Corps, we know there is strength in numbers, so we encourage volunteerism, realizing that one person can make a difference and that it definitely has a ripple effect.
7. What do you think makes Austin greater?
Austin is a city like no other, because it is a unique, diverse and dynamic capital that offers everyone a great place to be an individual and give back his or her one-of-a-kind talents to making it better every day. Through a genuine spirit of volunteerism, Austin residents give back, make a difference and make us proud to be a part of the community! We think that our efforts are a part of the large picture of volunteerism that makes Austin greater!