Above / Naperville is home to two Busey Bank locations, one at Main and Water streets in downtown Naperville and another one in Naperville Plaza. Last week Busey was honored by Illinois Bankers Association for community involvement and stewardship. In addition, Busey Bank operates with 63 branches in 45 different cities and towns in the state of Illinois. The bank also has 19 more offices in three states.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. / Busey is proud to announce it has been named a recipient of the 2022 Community Service Award by the Illinois Bankers Association and was honored at the IBA’s Annual Conference on June 9 in Springfield, Ill.
The IBA Community Service award honors financial institutions that go “above and beyond” in the area of community service. Three awards are presented annually to financial institutions that demonstrate a high level of service in their communities and honors an institution’s entire portfolio of community service projects, not just a single project.
“Busey is truly honored to receive this award,” said Amy Randolph, Busey’s Chief of Staff & Executive Vice President, Pillar Relations. “We have a passion for helping our communities through a number of initiatives and strive to be a true community partner and steward. It’s especially rewarding to be recognized by our peers at the IBA for the impact our associates are making in their communities.”
Busey’s nomination hinged around four initiatives that highlight its powerful demonstrations of community involvement:
Busey Drives Generosity: a campaign which encourages Busey associates and customers to generously give donations to benefit local neighbors in need through donation drives hosted at each Busey service center;
Little Free Libraries: a partnership to promote literacy by building and installing Little Free Libraries at 15 Busey service centers across the institution’s five regions;
Community Promise Month: an annual celebration during the month of April dedicated to honoring associate’s passions, encouraging local involvement and maximizing Busey’s impact in the communities it serves; and
Community Connection at Busey: a formal community engagement program which invites associates to learn from partnering non-profit organizations about opportunities to become more connected with their communities.
Naperville resident and Busey Bank Director Scott Wehrli also was pleased to note the recognition by the IBA for “our commitment to community development and volunteerism.”
Wehrli cited support of local initiatives such as the summer sculpture series, hosted by the Downtown Naperville Alliance.
“‘Cruising into Summer’ is a 2022 project where we partnered with Metea Valley High School students to create the unique truck parked outside Busey’s downtown Naperville service center,” said Wehrli.
Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship
Wehrli adds that Busey Bank offers financial support toward continuing education endeavors to applicants of all ages and educational backgrounds through the Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship.
“Also recognizing area youth, we’re proud to offer the Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship program that supports local students looking to further their education,” said Wehrli. “Scholarship applications are currently being accepted through June 30. Together, we’re creating positive impact in our vibrant, thriving community, a place where we’re proud to live and work.”
150-year history of giving to communities its serves
Busey has been proud to give back to communities for more than 150 years—doing the right thing for customers and building trusted relationships that span generations. Working with its communities to support the arts, advocate for our youth and help neighbors in need, Busey bridges needs by providing financial capital through monetary contributions and guidance, human capital through energetic and committed volunteers and social capital through leaders at the table to advocate for business and sustainability practices within our communities.
Since 2015, Busey associates have given 50,000 hours of their time to hundreds of community organizations while the organization’s charitable donations total over $1 million annually. Over half (53%) of Busey’s larger contributions in 2020 were CRA qualified donations—supporting the critical needs of each community through scholarships, youth programs, court advocacy, food insecurity, shelter and more.
To find out more about Busey’s dedication to the communities it serves, visit busey.com.
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