As we celebrate our nationโs independence and those who serve our country, we are proud to announce our new Veterans Employee Resource Group (ERG) which was established to support team members who are veterans or active service members, as well as team members who are family and friends of military individuals.
The newest of the bankโs several employee communities is co-led by veterans Jim Gallagher (Credit Officer) and Sam Weller (Assistant Treasurer/Investment Officer) with executive sponsorship by Bob Coffin (Chief Quality Management Officer). The mission of the Veterans ERG is to embrace and provide support to our team members that are veterans, active service members, and their families and friends by bringing awareness to the needs of the military community and creating opportunities through networking, mentoring, community involvement, career development, recruitment, and retention.
The groupโs first meeting kicked-off with a presentation by veteran Rodney Wyatt, founder and director of Salute 2 Service. Based out of Newtown, the organization serves individuals and the families of those who served our country. Whether itโs providing a veteran with clothing for job interview or groceries for a military family, or help with obtaining important documents like medical records or discharge papers, Salute 2 Service is available and dedicated to serving our communityโs veterans seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The non-profit organization was also a part of our recent Day of Service where team members sorted through and packed loads of donated clothing to be distributed to veterans and families in need.
โWhen they picked up all the clothing, I thought, โthereโs no way they can sort through this much.โ They sorted it all and returned it faster than you would pick up your dry cleaning. Penn Community Bank cares about the community and veterans in the area and it really shows,โ said Wyatt following the event.
In addition to participating in Day of Service, Veterans ERG leaders and members recently planted flags at the Jesse Hill Flag Memorial, a massive flag memorial to honor those who died in service of the country. Ahead of Flag Day, members gathered at Falls Township Community Park to set up the display of 70,000 flags โ one for every American soldier killed in the Vietnam War and the conflicts in the Middle East.
This ERG is the fourth employee resource group at Penn Community Bank, joining the Multi-Ethnic ERG, Womenโs Networking ERG, and LGBTQIA+ ERG. For more information on DE&I efforts and initiatives, visit www.PennCommunityBank.com.
