BLOOMINGTON, IND. — Monroe Bank (NASDAQ:MROE) is closing several of its banking centers in Monroe County on September 11 for a half-day so employees can take part in volunteer projects across the community.

Most Monroe Bank banking centers in Monroe County and the Bank's Loan Center will close at Noon on September 11. The drive-through Kirkwood Auto Banking Center at 306 E. Kirkwood and the banking center inside Marsh at 1825 N. Kinser Pike will both remain open regular business hours for the full day.

It is the seventh year that the Bank's employees have volunteered en masse during the United Way's "Week of Caring," and with this year's United Way theme of "Remember, Respond, Rebuild," Bank employees are especially moved to participate.

"We look forward to this day each year," said President and Chief Executive Officer Mark D. Bradford. "It's a day that we feel particularly unified with our communities. It is especially fitting this year to donate our time and labor on Patriot Day. To lend our elbow grease to non-profit groups that provide stability and unity to the community on a daily basis, that's how we wanted to commemorate September 11."

Bradford himself will be at Seminary Park, joining several Monroe Bank employees and other community volunteers in planting bulbs in a Remembrance Garden – one bulb for each life lost in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Monroe Bank employees in Monroe County will participate in a dozen Day of Caring projects, volunteering for such organizations as the Richland Bean Blossom New Elementary School, Hoosier Trails Council of Boy Scouts, Middle Way House, Stone Belt, Shalom Community Center, Shelter Inc., Hospitality House, Richland Bean Blossom Health Care Center, Highland Park Elementary School, My Sister's Closet, and RSVP where employees will sort and package school supplies for children in Afghanistan.

While Monroe Bank's volunteer force of more than 175 employees is split among several volunteer projects, each Monroe Bank employee will be easily recognized by the forest green Monroe Bank t-shirts they don with "VOLUNTEER" written across the back.

Even with a contingent left behind to keep some locations open and to maintain daily operations, Monroe Bank's workforce can translate into as many as 700 hours of hands-on volunteer service and nearly $10,500 in donated salaries and benefits in just one Day of Caring. The tradition of giving back is honored throughout the year: Monroe Bank employees logged nearly 6,900 unpaid volunteer hours at approximately 140 charitable organizations from July 2001 through July 2002. And so far in 2002, the corporation has made financial contributions to not-for-profit causes totaling more than $78,000.

Monroe Bank banking centers beyond Monroe County also participate in a Day of Caring. The Bank's Avon and Brownsburg banking centers in Hendricks County will be closed on Friday, September 13 to volunteer, with the Plainfield office open normal business hours on that day. Monroe Bank in Bedford will participate during the Lawrence County Week of Caring in October, and the Brownstown banking center already volunteered during the Jackson County United Fund Week of Caring earlier this spring. Each of these banking centers will be open during normal business hours on September 11.

Monroe Bancorp, headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, is an Indiana bank holding company with banking and ATM locations in Monroe, Jackson, Lawrence and Hendricks counties. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Monroe Bank, was established in Bloomington, Indiana in 1892, and offers a full range of financial, trust and investment services to its more than 20,000 retail and commercial customers. The Company's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® National Stock Market under the symbol MROE.