Independent Banker - March 2023 - 73
Next: Your advocacy tools for 2023
she explains. Over the years, that
empowerment has taken the form of
grants, donations of equipment and
volunteer hours. In June 2022, for
example, the community bank's team
members took part in a beautification
day with shovels, rakes and " a lot
of sweat equity, " preparing for
the nonprofit's annual graduation
ceremony at its Oxford site. Valley
Bank also provided laptops and
printers for a new computer lab,
and its property management
group donated desks and cubicles
from branches and departments
that were being renovated to a new
learning center.
" Having a local impact is something
that's very important for us, "
Valley Bank's relationship
with Walter Hoving Home
began in 2018.
says Bernadette Mueller, Valley
Bank's EVP for corporate social
responsibility. " We want to be viewed
as partners in our local communities,
serving not only the people who live
there but the people who work there,
our whole constituency in that area,
whether that be community groups
or households. "
Creating a path forward
In addition to donations and
volunteer hours, Valley Bank
also provides financial literacy
education as part of Hoving Home's
Career Readiness Program. Using
a Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau curriculum called " Your
Money, Your Goals, " Austin teaches
nine one-hour sessions to the women,
covering saving, spending, budgeting,
credit, debt management, managing
financial setbacks and more. She also
makes a point of keeping her students
informed about current events that
illustrate why financial literacy is
so important.
These days, she is reaching more
women than ever. " I used to do the
sessions in person in Oxford, N.J., "
she recalls, " so I would drive on a
weekly basis from an office in the
Wayne area, an hour and a half up
to Oxford, and then back another
hour and a half home to my house.
When COVID hit, that changed
everything. And I became a little bit
more effective at using Zoom. So,
I conducted Zoom classes for the
individuals in Oxford. "
At the beginning of 2022, the
director of Hoving Home asked her if
she could conduct classes for its other
facilities as well: two in Garrison,
N.Y., one in Pasadena, Calif., and
another in Las Vegas. By teaching
virtually, Austin has expanded Valley
Bank's reach nationwide.
" I feel that we as Valley have
to support our local community,
" Our opportunity is
to reach those who
need it the most and
provide a service so
that, when they are
able to regain their
lives, they're going
to be able to make
informed decisions and
know there's advocacy
available to them. "
-KAREN AUSTIN, VALLEY BANK
wherever and whoever that might be, "
says Austin. " And our opportunity is
to reach those who need it the most
and provide a service so that, when
they are able to regain their lives,
they're going to be able to make
informed decisions and know there's
advocacy available to them. I feel
Valley has played an extraordinary
part in that, and I'm grateful to be
part of that work. "
That gratitude runs deep, says
Mueller. " Our people, across the
board-from the facilities and
the property management people
loading desks, to the tech people
setting up laptops-have been feeling
the same way, just feeling so good
about what they're doing, " she says.
" We're getting much more than
we're giving. "
Roshan McArthur is a writer
in California.
Independent Banker - March 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - March 2023
Table of Contents
Independent Banker - March 2023 - Intro
Independent Banker - March 2023 - Cover1
Independent Banker - March 2023 - Cover2
Independent Banker - March 2023 - Table of Contents
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 2
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 3
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 4
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 5
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 6
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 7
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 8
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 9
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 10
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 11
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 12
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 13
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 14
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 15
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 16
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 17
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 18
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 19
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 20
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 21
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 22
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 23
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 24
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 25
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 26
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 27
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 28
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 29
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 30
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 31
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 32
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 33
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 34
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 35
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 36
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 37
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 38
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 39
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 40
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 41
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 42
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 43
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 44
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 45
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 46
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 47
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 48
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 49
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 50
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 51
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 52
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 53
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 54
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 55
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 56
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 57
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 58
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 59
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 60
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 61
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 62
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 63
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 64
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 65
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 66
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 67
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 68
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 69
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 70
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 71
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 72
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 73
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 74
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 75
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 76
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 77
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 78
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 79
Independent Banker - March 2023 - 80
Independent Banker - March 2023 - Cover3
Independent Banker - March 2023 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/february2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/january2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/november2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/october2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/september2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/august2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/july2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/june2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/may2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/mspc/independentbanker/april2017
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com