We’ve been sharing stories with our readers about small business leaders who are innovating to save their companies in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Many of these small business owners are also turning to the community to help those who have been laid off or children who would otherwise get their meals at school.
Our financial institution partners at Celero, no strangers to philanthropy and volunteerism in good times, are also rising to the occasion. One such partner is First Financial Northwest Bank, a community bank with more than a dozen locations in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area in western Washington. FFNWB has begun a pair of initiatives that are both fun and heartwarming, as its employees support area charities and restaurants.
The first campaign, 30 Nonprofits in 30 Days, will see bank employees dip into their own wallets to support charities across its footprint of King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties, including multiple food banks and agencies addressing homelessness and affordable housing, emergency financial assistance, crime victim support and advocacy, and suicide prevention. Employees will pick a charity and donate in exchange for dressing down at work, a practice normally reserved for Fridays. From March 23-May 1, employees will be able to dress down for each day they donate.
Restaurants around the country have been among the hardest-hit businesses due to dining room shutdowns for social distancing, and FFNWB is supporting these western Washington businesses as well. In a campaign known as Thankful Tuesdays, the bank will provide lunch to employees from locally-owned restaurants and feature these establishments on their Facebook page to rally community support. Nominations for Thankful Tuesday nominees will come from the public via email to the bank’s marketing team at marketing@ffnwb.com.
According to Kristia Poppe, Vice President of Bank Relationships at Celero Commerce, the community leadership on display at FFNWB is no surprise. “One of the reasons I love my job so much is getting to work with amazing people like the team at FFNWB,” she said. “They are a fun group, and they are always community-minded. We love that they are finding ways to give back. We know that we’re all in this together to support our communities and our local nonprofits and businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, but it’s really inspiring to see partners who live that out each day.”
To follow First Financial Northwest Bank’s charitable efforts, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ffnwb or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-financial-northwest-bank/.