MANSFIELD — Mansfield KeyBank employees put work on halt Wednesday to give back to the community.
For the second year, KeyBank participated in the “Flower Pot Project Powered by KeyBank,” which provides potted plants to shut-ins and nursing home/assisted living facilities residents.
This project represents one of many that KeyBanks across the country did Wednesday as part of KeyBank’s “Neighbors Make the Difference Day.”
“About 80 to 85 percent of our branches close across the nation so that all the employees can go volunteer in the community,” said Dara Shade, area retail leader.
Locally, KeyBank has partnered with various organizations in the past on different volunteer opportunities.
In speaking with Roberta Perry of the Richland Community Development Group, Shade said the Flower Pot Project was born.
Shade said the project, which ties into Mansfield in Bloom, was well-received by community members, noting that some of the recipients still have their plants from last year.
“Many of them are absolutely thrilled,” she said.
The project involved 15 KeyBank employees, which represents about 75 percent of the bank’s workforce in Mansfield, Shade said.
Among them was personal banker Nick Love, who’s in his first year with KeyBank.
“I’m excited to help and give back to the community,” he said.
He noted what a rarity a project like this is for companies to take on, saying, “Not a lot of companies do this.”
KeyBank employees were joined by Spanish Immersion School students, who helped with potting the plants, as well as RCDG representatives.
By the end of the day, Shade said they’d deliver close to 500 plants to about nine nursing homes in the Mansfield area.
The project was sponsored by Rinehart-Walters-Danner & Associates Insurance Agency, Osgar’s Auto Body and Alta Florist & Greenhouse.
