Strengthening our communities through volunteerism
By Kathy Schoettlin
Chief Communications, Culture and Social Responsibility Officer
Throughout our nearly 190-year history, Old National has focused on strengthening and supporting the communities we serve. One notable way we achieve this goal is by empowering our team members to volunteer and ensuring that they get paid time off (two hours per month) to do so.
In 2022 alone, Old National volunteers collectively logged nearly 47,000 volunteer hours in support of nearly 1,700 organizations. Since 2005, when Old National began tracking employee volunteerism through an online portal, our team members have spent more than one million hours volunteering!
“While the financial industry is often driven by budgets and balance sheets, we believe our people are our most valuable asset,” noted Old National CEO Jim Ryan. “Regardless of role, location or tenure, our team members embrace their role within the communities we serve and understand that we are always ‘Better Together’ when we roll up our sleeves and get involved.”
Our ACE teams lead the way
In 2015, Old National established Associate and Community Engagement (ACE) teams throughout our footprint. These small teams of highly engaged, community-focused ONB employees execute local community projects and facilitate team member engagement, including volunteer opportunities. This includes taking the lead on Old National’s annual “Pay It Forward” campaign, which focuses on supporting and thanking our non-profit partners in fun and creative ways.
Every ACE team has an executive sponsor who works closely with them to set strategic direction and execute initiatives targeted to the specific needs of that community.
“I’ve always enjoyed the togetherness the ACE Team brings to our market,” said Emily Mick, ACE team leader in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “The camaraderie, teamwork and fundraising efforts we have for a common goal of helping our community warms my heart!”
Demonstrating our community commitment through Better Together Days
On Sept. 28-29, 2022, Old National put our values into action through our inaugural Better Together Volunteer Days event. Not only did we help strengthen the communities we serve, we also proved that we truly are Better Together when we are very intentional about giving back to our communities.
During these two days, more than 1,500 ONB team members devoted a collective 5,300 hours in support of 110 organizations. For example, in Southwestern Indiana, approximately 20 team members came together to help one of their fellow employees, Ashley Alvarez, complete the framing of her Habitat for Humanity-sponsored home.
“At the start of (Better Together Days), my house was not standing,” Alvarez explained. “At the end of those two days, my house was ready for trusses thanks to the volunteer passion of my team members.”
“When we have large groups like (those) Old National brings coming out to volunteer, it moves Habitat forward by days,” said Amy Arflack, family group coordinator for the Habitat for Humanity chapter that sponsored Alvarez’s home. “It’s amazing to see how much people with giving hearts and giving hands can do for the community.”
The joy of volunteering
Each year, Old National’s executive leadership team recognizes one team member as our volunteer of the year. In 2022, that honor went to Kim Hagan from Jasper, Indiana, who logged an amazing 438 volunteer hours.
“Volunteering makes strong communities, and that is something we can all benefit from,” said Kim. “My family inspires me to be involved, and I’m fortunate to work with amazing people who are also passionate about volunteering.”
Kim noted that while there are many things that can bring someone joy, volunteering is at the very top of her list. “The joy I get from volunteering and making a difference is something that can’t be matched,” she said.
Old National’s second annual Better Together Days, a footprint-wide volunteer event, is scheduled for Sept. 20-21, 2023.
