It all began with our 100th Anniversary celebration in 1992, when Monroe Bank employees celebrated by building a house for Habitat for Humanity. The joy of working together outside of the parameters of our job descriptions was something that employees wanted to continue—especially since the end result was something so tangible that made such a difference in our community. Soon after, Monroe Bank partnered with our local United Way chapter to find volunteer opportunities throughout the community, and our annual Day of Caring was born.

Now, every year, in each of our markets, Monroe Bank closes its banking centers for a half-day, giving employees paid time off to offer their volunteer services to local charitable agencies and not-for-profit organizations.

Over the years, we have painted buildings, scrubbed floors, collected food donations, mended fences, planted flowers, sorted clothing donations, and much more. What’s more, since we began our Day of Caring as an annual event in 1995, other organizations have followed suit. The Bloomington Volunteer Network began organizing a Week of Caring in 1996, placing volunteers from all over the community on various United Way agency projects. Today, thousands of community volunteers provide assistance during Bloomington’s Week of Caring.