Fifth Third Bank, First Eagle Bank and Inland Bank and Trust Presented with Illinois Bankers Association Community Service Awards

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fifth Third Bank, First Eagle Bank and Inland Bank and Trust were honored as 2015 Illinois Bank Community Service Award winners by the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA). The awards were presented on June 17 during the 124^th Annual IBA Conference held at the Peoria Marriott Pere Marquette and Peoria Civic Center. This is the 13th year for the Illinois Bank Community Service awards, which honor Illinois financial institutions that demonstrate a high level of service in their communities.

Here is a capsulated look at some of the winners' projects. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the many projects these banks have engaged in within their communities.

Fifth Third Bank, Chicago
In 2011, Fifth Third Bank developed a campaign to support veterans and the local military community. Beginning around September 11^th, employees and the public are encouraged to make donations to the bank's Folds of Honor fund. Each year, between September 11^th and Veteran's Day, this fundraising effort raises money to help fund scholarships for local family members of wounded or lost soldiers.  Bank employees also prepare care packages for soldiers serving overseas.  To date the bank has sent more than 10,000 care packages to troops from Illinois overseas, donated more than $750,000 and has served thousands of hours of community service to help veterans organizations. Marketing Director Andrew Hayes accepted the award on behalf of the bank. 

First Eagle Bank, Chicago
First Eagle Bank has had an outstanding CRA rating dating back to 2009, and it also has a CDFI certification, which are both testaments to their deep commitment to the communities they serve, including underserved communities. They have undertaken a number of community development initiatives, including providing an $850,000 subsidy to Mercy Housing Lakefront through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago Affordable Housing Program.  Employees serve on boards and committees of many organizations, including Facing Forward to End Homelessness, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Illinois Jumpstart Coalition, Horizons for Youth and Habitat for Humanity.  The bank also partnered with the Chicago Housing Authority on its Student Internship Program, designed to provide job readiness training and placement opportunities for current CHA residents. President and CEO Andy Salk accepted the award on behalf of the bank.

Inland Bank and Trust, Oak Brook
Inland Bank and Trust created a Project Purple Roads program with the American Cancer Society to provide paid time off from work and mileage reimbursement to all employees so they can volunteer to drive cancer patients to and from treatment appointments.  They provide matching donations where employees are able to donate one hour of pay for six months to a CRA charity and then are rewarded with a day off. They also created a Pay it Forward campaign where employees are given funds and asked to do acts of service for others. This encourages employees to be passionate about giving and helping others. CEO Howard Jaffe accepted the award on behalf of the bank.

The Illinois Bankers Association, the voice of Illinois' banking industry, is a full-service trade association dedicated to creating a positive business climate that benefits the entire banking industry and the communities they serve. Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks and savings banks that together employ well over 100,000 people in nearly 5,000 offices across the state. The IBA is proud of its diverse membership, serving all sizes of financial institutions from the smallest community bank in the state to the largest national bank in the country. Illinois headquartered banks and savings institutions safeguard more than $341.5 billion in deposits and extend more than $225.8 billion in loans to consumers and businesses.

SOURCE Illinois Bankers Association