Key Banks to close for ‘Neighbors Make a Difference Day’

    PORTLAND – More than 300 employees in Key Bank’s Maine district will participate in the company’s 22nd annual day of volunteer community service, “Neighbors Make the Difference Day,” Thursday, May 24.
    Key Bank staff will spend the afternoon volunteering for a wide array of community service projects in neighborhoods across the state; 43 branches will close at noon for the event.
    “As one of Maine’s largest businesses and employers, we believe it’s our responsibility to give back to communities throughout the state,” notes Sterling Kozlowski, president, Maine District, Key Bank. “That’s why nearly all of our employees are going to be out in local communities throughout the state to help non-profits as well as to build relationships with our neighbors. Between the employee community service and our philanthropic investment in financial education and workforce development programs, we are dedicated to making Maine a better place to live.”
    Neighbors Day began in Alaska in 1991, when a group of employees volunteered for an array of service projects in their communities.  The idea swept across the bank, where this year employees will donate an expected 32,000 hours, worth about $900,000.
    Over the 22-year history of Neighbors Day, employees have given more than half a million volunteer hours to their communities.
    One of the leading organized corporate volunteerism efforts in America, Neighbors Make the Difference Day is the signature piece in Key’s year-round philanthropic investment in its communities. Each project is an extension of the company’s commitment to strengthening the quality of life in the communities where its employees live and work.
    “As a bank, we help to improve the financial infrastructure of the cities and towns in which we do business,” notes Beth Mooney, KeyCorp’s chairman and chief executive officer.  “Neighbors Day comes from the heart: it reflects our employees’ commitment and desire to make a very personal contribution.”
    Key Bank established Neighbors Make a Difference Day in 1991. In 1993, the company rolled out Neighbors Day nationally as a means of enhancing the quality of life in the communities where its 15,500 employees live and work. While some two-thirds of Key Bank branches close at noon on Neighbors Day, certain locations will remain open. For more information, call 1.800.Key2YOU.