Together for Good - 2 Years Later

In 1985, the United Nations designated December 5 as International Volunteer Day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism. I love that the act of volunteering is found in all cultures, languages, and religions. I believe it is one of the best ways for people to find common ground.

Each year, hundreds of millions of people volunteer their time and skills to help make the world a better place. And while they are volunteering to help improve the lives of others, they also gain a greater sense of belonging in their communities.

In honor of this year's International Volunteer Day, I'm going to share how the Together for Good Council was started, highlight our Good Day initiative and thank my teammates for making a difference in our local communities.

Launching the Together for Good Council

When I started working at United Community Bank in August 2020, it was a historic, extraordinary time, and, in that moment, United Community Bank's leadership team decided to deepen its commitment to service – to our communities, to our customers, and to one another.

I had the "once in a lifetime of opportunity" of joining the bank in newly created leadership role where I was responsible for oversight of the bank’s community impact initiatives along with serving as a key decision maker of the recently established United Community Bank Foundation.

During my first 100 days (while socially distancing and wearing a mask), I visited United Community Bank branches, toured communities, and listened to stories of people coming together to help individuals and communities move forward in a positive direction. I was amazed at how much our bankers gave of their time, talent, and treasure.

Although I wanted to visit every branch and talk to every teammate to hear how they were involved in the community, I knew that was impossible. I partnered with America's Charities to administer United Community Bank's first Employee Community Engagement Survey to hear from as many of my teammates as possible. The response rate was outstanding! The survey report provided invaluable feedback that helped shaped the strategic direction of our community impact initiatives.

After reading the community engagement survey results, it was clear that our bankers genuinely believed in leaving our world a little better than we found it. Perhaps more importantly, the results indicated how much that belief motivated our service and how much service is a part of our foundation and the core of our culture.?

I was inspired and energized every time I reviewed the community engagement survey report! One day, after talking to several teammates, I had a "aha" moment.

I drafted a proposal to create the Together for Good Council, a council of bankers who would serve as community engagement ambassadors across our footprint. They would apply to serve on the Together for Good Council and be selected based on their current community involvement. Our leadership team supported my proposal and in mid-November 2020, two of United Community Bank's most community minded bankers - John Goins and Johnny Chastain - were nominated as co-chairs to help make the proposal a reality.

John, Johnny and I worked together for months analyzing the community engagement survey data, talking to our teammates, planning the Together for Good Council and reviewing applications. We received so many applications from bankers who wanted to participate! It was inspiring to read how passionate our teammates were about their communities and the amazing ways they were making a difference. It was also so much fun working with John and Johnny! I appreciated their support, guidance, leadership and, now, friendship.

While John, Johnny and I were developing the plans for the Together for Good Council, I was also drafting a job description and recruiting for a new teammate to lead the council. I was so excited when Holly Manuel joined United Community Bank in June 2021! When we first talked, I could hear her passion for the community in her voice and based on her resume, I was confident she had the skill set to make the Together for Good Council even better than we planned. She had over 15 years of experience working with non-profit organizations and one of her areas of expertise was volunteer management. Holly hit the ground running in June and lead the efforts for United Community Bank's first Good Day - the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Needless to say, it was a success!

United Community Bank is headquartered in Greenville, SC and we are one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the Southeast, with 193 offices in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.?

Across the footprint, our teams consistently give of their time and heart to support their communities. Whether changing a flat tire for a customer, shaving their heads to fundraise for the fight against children’s cancer or turning the backyard of their branch into a community garden, our teams are focused on making a difference.?

Our 2020 Employee Community Engagement Survey Report gave us insight into the many ways our bankers made a difference in their local communities. As our leadership team analyzed the report, we noticed that even though our bankers were located in different states, they shared similar passions.

We decided to organize our bankers interests and launch an initiative called "Good Days."

Good Days are?five volunteer days that connect our bankers with local community organizations to help increase their capacity to do more good in the community. The Together for Good Council helps lead service activities in their local communities. In addition to the acts of service, the United Community Bank Foundation makes a total of $25,000 in donations to local 501(c)3 organizations to recognize each Good Day.

United Community Bank teammates are encouraged to organize acts of service within their communities or participate in projects led by the Together for Good Council. It is rewarding to see the different ways our bankers participate in Good Days!

Making a Difference on Good Days

When we launched our Good Day initiative in June 2021, we had no idea how fast it would catch on. Bankers across our footprint enjoyed reaching out to non-profit organizations, learning about community issues, volunteering with their teammates and making a difference! Here are a few highlights that show how our bankers were engaged in their local community on our Good Days:

9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

World Animal Day

Veteran's Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Financial Literacy Month and Teach Children to Save

As an organization, we believe in the power of coming together for good. Whether good is helping our customers, developing our team or supporting our community, we believe in coming together for positive progress. Leaving our world a little better than we found it is what motivates our service and is the idea upon which United Community Bank was built. I'd like to thank the entire United Community Bank team for making a difference every day! We look forward to positively impacting our communities for generations to come.