The National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11th is a way to honor and commemorate the sacrifices made that day by remembering the heroes, armed forces, first responders, and countless others’ acts of service to defend our nation’s freedom. Mountain West Small Business Finance encourages its team members to participate in the day of service by taking the day off (with pay) and engage in meaningful community service activities.
Doggone Hard
Danny Mangum, MWSBF chief operating officer, thought spending the morning of the 11th at the Humane Society seemed like a great plan, but may have underestimated how much he’d be impacted.
“I was in way over my head,” he explained, getting emotional talking about the eyes of the animals. “It was so heartbreaking, and there’s such a huge need.” The challenges facing animal shelters and lower levels of pet adoption have been well documented after an influx resulting from the pandemic. Mangum said the visit has inspired him to do more for the animals, starting with being a regular volunteer. “It’s one of the reasons we participate in the Day of Service and encourage our employees to find something – a neighbor, a cause, or an organization – where they can help fill a need. We want to be good community partners beyond just the financial piece.”
Local Impact
For Kaylee Carter, Marketing Specialist, that meant making blankets out of fleece and dropping off supplies for Lifting Hands International. Carter explained: “Lifting Hands International is sending large shipping containers of aid to refugees around the world each month. Winter is just around the corner, and they are looking for blanket donations to send to refugees in different countries around the world including Ukraine, Jordan, and Turkey.”
Julie Dunford, Closing Specialist, took a direct approach to serving right in her neighborhood where tragedy struck earlier this month when a 13-year-old girl passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack caused by an infection.
“We were able to reach out to the parents, and they agreed to have a funeral for her at our local ward house. We had many in our neighborhood help supply food and even had several people operating cotton candy machines.”
Julie shared she was able to help with the setup and serving of a meal to the family after the funeral.
“It was wonderful to see the love and support that was shown to this family by a neighborhood who gathered around and stood beside this family in their greatest time of need.”
The family was comforted and overwhelmed by this act of service.
In a time where there is so much divisiveness, it was so touching to see people of all backgrounds come together in unity and love.
Way Up North to Our Team Down South
Jennifer Elton, Underwriter based in Idaho, helped place flags around her community to commemorate the day. Leslee Lundgren, Loan Specialist, helped purchase much-needed hygienic items for the Provo Food & Care Coalition: an organization whose mission centers on alleviating hunger and diminishing the plights of poverty. The organization’s website shares: “Our primary objectives include finding suitable housing, teaching financial accountability, facilitating an elevation in personal morals and values, and helping each patron achieve their full potential.”
Coming Full Circle
“Traci Murphy (Administrative and Payroll Specialist), Kim Reading (Assistant Corporate Secretary), Maggie Bradshaw (Servicing Specialist), Marcie Nelson (Servicing Specialist), and Madie Sivertson (Loan Specialist)”
Earlier in the month, a team of SLC MWSBF employees joined in helping with the Thursday night dinner at Circles Salt Lake. Circles is “a poverty reduction initiative designed to help people achieve upward mobility and self-sufficiency.” (from https://circlessaltlake.org/about-us/)
Collectively, these MWSBF employees helped provide food and human capital for serving and clean up. The event served as a catalyst for two MWSBF employees to become Allies for the program.
What’s a Circles’ Ally?
“We’re not mentors,” Kim Reading, MWSBF receptionist and Office Coordinator explains. “And I like that,” noting that a mentor holds a certain power dynamic, but an Ally’s role is different.
Circles’ website notes that “An Ally emphasizes who they are, not what they do, and is committed to learning from someone experiencing poverty.” This is one of the main reasons Kim felt called to this particular type of work.
She expressed her interest in learning about people and their stories of overcoming great odds. One effective way for an ally to create a lasting impact is by connecting with a Circle Leader and offering support as the Circle Leader pursues their goals. A Circle Leader is someone living in poverty who aims to build a secure future for themselves and their family, transitioning from surviving to thriving. This involves a commitment of at least 18 months in the program and regular attendance at weekly meetings, which provide dinner, childcare, programming, and community support. Circle Leaders identify a career or educational path with help from Allies and a Circles Coach where ultimately the goal is to get a Leaders’ household to at least 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
Kim and Danielle have committed to being Allies for 18 months Committing for this extended period helps provide a level of stability for Circle Leaders who are experiencing instability in myriad ways.
As an empty nester, Kim explained “I’m always looking for some way to serve. I’ve volunteered and done work with other organizations like the Road House.” She said that Circles is a good fit because she wasn’t responsible for teaching a class or having a certain level of expertise in a field. The work is about being a non-judgemental resource for support. MWSBF is honored and proud of the work our employees are doing at Circles and throughout the community.