2020 Charitable Giving Surpasses $100,000
October 21, 2020
Through September, the Merchants Bonding Company Foundation has donated more than $100,000 to non-profit organizations across the U.S. Over one-quarter of these contributions have been directed to organizations supporting children and families such as the YMCA, Variety – the Children’s Charity and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
An important initiative for the Foundation in 2020 has been addressing the increase in food insecurity since the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic. Merchants’ West Des Moines office coordinated a drive-through food drive collecting non-perishable food items and monetary donations for the Food Bank of Iowa, and the Foundation gave $2,500 to the Food Bank of Iowa’s COVID Relief Fund. Another $10,000 was donated to various food banks in the Pacific Northwest and southern states on behalf of Merchants’ agent partners in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Merchants’ regional offices in those territories.
Merchants’ associates have also been giving their time and talent to support their local communities in 2020. Commercial Underwriting Assistant Jeanne Schulte put her sewing skills to good use, donating hundreds of homemade masks to Easterseals Iowa and MaskHelpers.org. Six Merchants underwriters teamed up with Habitat for Humanity’s “Rock the Block” event where they spent the day assisting low-income homeowners with repairs, maintenance and safety updates on their homes. Associates donated new and gently-used children’s books to Stuff the Bus as part of United Way of Central Iowa’s Day of Action.
Meals from the Heartland, Children and Family Urban Movement and Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) are a few of the other organizations that have benefited from Merchants’ VTO program, which provides up to 7.5 hours of paid time for associates to serve organizations of their choice. The VTO program supports the diversity of associates’ giving and further represent Merchants’ efforts to support the communities in which our associates live and work.
The Foundation’s fundraising activities for the remainder of 2020 will continue to support the Food Bank of Iowa to ensure vulnerable Iowans have safe access to the nutrition and resources they need, and the Food Bank can respond quickly during emergencies like COVID-19. To learn more about the Merchants Bonding Company Foundation and the organizations we support visit our Foundation page.