Asheville Savings Bank (ASB) recently celebrated 80 years of serving the Western North Carolina community by completing an additional 80 hours of community service in the months of October and November.
Aside from hosting customers – who the bank considers friends and family – at three different banking center events to commend the occasion, ASB also pledged to complete an additional 80 hours of community service in the months of October and November. This number represents one additional hour of community service for every year the bank has been in business – a tribute to the milestone, and one that supports area organizations including, Manna Food Bank, the Red Cross, United Way and Erwin Middle School.
The initiative, titled “80 for 80,” was a natural extension of the bank’s core values to help the local area thrive and prosper – something the entire organization is deeply passionate about every year, all-year round. On average, ASB employees volunteer over 680 hours each month across 80 local organizations.
“After 80 wonderful years, we wanted to show Western North Carolina that we are committed to the area more than ever,” said Suzanne DeFerie, President and CEO of Asheville Savings Bank. “Our goal is to positively impact the community by giving back with more than just our financial resources, but with two of the most valuable resources anyone has – time and a helping hand.”
“80 for 80” projects included volunteering at Manna Food Bank, where ASB team members sorted donated products, repackaged bulk food items and put together weekly Manna packs to help solve hunger in the local area. Employees also learned life-saving CPR techniques with the Red Cross and United Way – preparing them for future community emergencies – and volunteered at Erwin Middle School’s Family Night to help participants register and complete a community clean-up project.
“Conducting these extra hours of community service was a great way to close out the year and was also a rewarding experience for our employees. We look forward to continuing to our commitment to the local community though additional service projects in 2017,” said DeFerie.