Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Columbia Bank teller and Warms Hearts spokesperson Laura Van Dyke, right, and Kathy Wride, bank manager, stand with the Warm Hearts donation bin and goal monitor at the bank. The winter drive started Nov. 21 and will run through Dec. 31.
It started with a vision to help homelessness in the Pacific Northwest. Last year, Columbia Bank Vice President and Marketing Director David Devine came up with the Warm Hearts Winter Drive, to be conducted at every Columbia Bank branch in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.
“The Warm Hearts Winter Drive is something we started doing in 2015 to benefit organizations working on behalf of people struggling with homelessness,” said Devine.
Devine said that Washington state is the fifth largest in the nation when it comes to people who are homeless.
“To be in the top five states in terms of the homeless population is something we would like to see reversed,” he said.
The bank last year set a goal of $100,000 in cash donations in addition to warm item donations. That was exceeded.
“In 2015, we raised more than $150,000 in cash and collected and delivered almost 12,000 items of warm winter wear,” said Devine.
The drive this year started Nov. 21 and will run through Dec. 31. The bank overall has set a goal of $160,000.
“We're well on our way to meeting that,” said Devine. “We've already seen some good success.”
The bank had raised $93,000 through Monday, Dec. 12. It had also received several item donations.
“Folks can go into any Columbia Bank location and donate socks, hats, shoes, gloves, scarves, blankets; anything that's going to keep someone warm during the winter,” said Devine.
The items stay local.
“Whether it's goods or cash, it is delivered to an organization within your community,” said Devine.
That organization here is the Community Action Center of Eastern Washington.
Devine said one of the highlights of the program is seeing how the employees at the banks work with it.
“My favorite thing about the drive is the involvement of our employees,” he said, noting employees at different branches organizate activities to help raise more cash.
In Colfax, the bank has organized a hot chocolate bar on Fridays. Customers can come in for some hot chocolate by donation. This will happen every Friday until the end of the drive. Additionally, this Friday, Dec. 16, the bank is having an ugly sweater contest.
Bank employees will wear ugly sweaters to work, and customers can vote for their favorites by donation.
“Our employees are really the heart and soul of our efforts here,” said Maura White, marketing communication manager with Columbia Bank. “Even the little things they think are unimportant make a really big difference. It's all those little, tiny efforts. When you amount them together they become grand.”
The Colfax branch is collecting warm items, as well as cash donations. The branch itself has a goal of $1,000 to meet by Dec. 31.
“We need more money,” said Laura Van Dyke, teller and Warm Hearts spokesperson with the branch here.
The branch has collected less than $500 to date for the drive.
The drive will run through Dec. 31, and donations can be made at any Columbia Bank location. In Whitman County, locations are in Colfax, Pullman and Rosalia. Additionally, donations can be made online.
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