LAS VEGAS – As the state’s oldest and largest state-chartered bank, Nevada State Bank believes it has a responsibility to provide financial education to people throughout Nevada.
Each year, Nevada State Bank employees volunteer to teach classes to school children and adults on topics ranging from budgeting and saving money to preventing identity theft and using credit wisely.
In June, the bank recognized 81 colleague volunteers from Southern Nevada at its annual Financial Literacy Volunteer Recognition luncheon. From June 2014 through May 2015, bank employees volunteered to teach 692 classroom hours through Junior Achievement, Nevada State Bank’s “Banking on Your Future” program, and Get Smart About Credit and Teach Children to Save (both programs of the American Bankers Association). The outreach to the small business community included 40 hours through collaborations with SCORE and Business Opportunity Workforce Development (BOWD). Fifty-five colleagues who taught four or more classes received special recognition for their efforts.
Several community partners attending the luncheon described the benefits their clients receive from these financial literacy programs. Brandi Lopez, director of life skills and education for The Shade Tree shelter in Las Vegas, said many of the women in the shelter, especially victims of domestic violence, have no experience in handling money and may never have had a credit card or checking account. “The classes taught by Nevada State Bank volunteers make a big difference for these women,” she said. “They are at the core of helping them be successful when they leave the shelter, find jobs and manage a household.”
Kim LaFausto, case manager for the Youth Offenders (YO) Specialty Drug Court, explained that many of the young adults in the YO program are high school dropouts who have drug problems in addition to their legal issues. “You have no idea of the impact of what you do,” she told the volunteers. “The financial literacy classes make a world of difference in their lives. We’re so grateful that Nevada State Bank is part of a community that’s helping these young people re-establish their lives and get back on the right track.”
Recognizing that financial education starts at an early age in our schools, the bank makes a special effort to encourage colleagues to teach Junior Achievement (JA) lessons in elementary schools throughout the state. Nevada State Bank Senior Vice President Stacy Watkins has served on the board of JA of Southern Nevada for nine years, currently serving as its board president. Together with Jodi Manzella, JA’s executive director, and Michelle Jackson, its education director, she thanked the Nevada State Bank volunteers who teach JA lessons to students in Southern Nevada, both in classrooms and also at JA’s annual Finance Park for eighth-grade students.
In addition to their financial education efforts, colleagues volunteer their time for a variety of groups serving their communities, and many serve on boards and committees for nonprofits and community organizations. These efforts have helped Nevada State Bank achieve and sustain an “outstanding” rating in community relations from the FDIC.
“Each year, we increase the number of volunteer hours,” said Drew Zidzik, community relations manager for Nevada State Bank. “From June 2014 through May 2015, 450 colleagues volunteered for 141 organizations, spending a total of 6,260 hours helping out in the communities where they live and work.”
About Nevada State Bank (@NevadaStateBank)
Nevada State Bank, with assets of more than $4.0 billion, is largest state-chartered bank in Nevada. A full-service bank with 50 branches statewide, Nevada State Bank offers a complete range of consumer, private and business banking services. It is a subsidiary of Salt Lake City-based Zions Bancorporation (Nasdaq: ZION), one of the nation’s premier financial services companies with affiliates in 11 Western and Southwestern states. For more information on Nevada State Bank, call 702.383.0009 or access www.nsbank.com.
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