Greater Community Bank Provides COVID-19 Relief Across Northwest Georgia

For many, these trying times have become a real challenge. For Greater Community Bank, however, they are also an opportunity. Greater Community Bank and its staff are going the extra mile by providing relief efforts for those most in need within the communities it serves.

Melinda Ryan and Carolyn McFry are putting their creativity to use by hand-crafting sewn facemasks to donate to local medical professionals.  

Melinda says her daughter, who works in the medical field and is also sewing facemasks to donate, came to her with the idea. “Creating these masks was a no-brainer for us,” said Melinda. “We saw a need in our community and knew our sewing skills could help meet that need”. 

“I knew I could help when I learned my niece’s pediatric office was running low on supplies,” said Carolyn. “I decided to use fabric featuring Disney and Marvel characters to create masks for pediatric nurses that I know their patients will love!”. 

Recently, many Georgia hospitals are experiencing a shortage in supplies related to COVID-19, including facemasks. A number of these hospitals have made the decision to post specific mask-making templates online. Like Melinda and Carolyn, there are numerous individuals across the state donating their time, supplies, and effort to help combat these shortages. 

“Melinda has been making this Bank proud for over 16 years, while Carolyn is new to our Bank” said President and CEO David Lance. “Their decision to help meet the needs of our community during this time reminds us we truly have the greatest people on our team.”

Want to help, but not very crafty? Melinda and Carolyn are accepting donations of additional elastic so they may continue sewing facemasks. If you wish to contribute you may drop off supplies directly to them through the drive-thru at either Greater Community Bank location in Rome.

In Calhoun, the staff is taking a different approach, providing each customer to come through its drive-thru with an individually-wrapped roll of toilet paper. “It’s just something small that puts a smile on the face of our customers while also giving them something they can use that may be hard to find elsewhere,” says Ronise Jackson, Retail Banking Associate. 

Additionally, Greater Community Bank has partnered with the Voluntary Action Center (V.A.C.) to help raise money to continue to provide for families in need in Gordon County. V.A.C. Executive Director Stacy Long, who is also a former employee of Greater Community Bank, says monetary contributions are most needed at the V.A.C. at this time so that uncontaminated non-perishable items can be purchased in the near future. 

Greater Community Bank will be collecting monetary donations for the V.A.C. and has generously committed to match up to $1,000 of all contributions received. This match will be funded by the Greater Community Fund, a donor advised fund established with the Community Foundation for Greater Rome which exists for the sole purpose of supporting the local economy and community. Donations may be made through the Bank or online at VoluntaryActionCenter.org.

Kristy Brown, Vice President of Retail Banking, and Matt Robbins, Senior Vice President, are also helping Northwest Georgians in need. These two veteran employees of Greater Community Bank both serve on the Calhoun-Gordon Community Foundation Board of Directors, with Kristy serving as Chairman. Under the Board’s leadership, the Calhoun-Gordon Community Foundation has launched the COVID-19 Response Fund, “a charitable fund designed to provide flexible resources to organizations throughout the region that serve the most vulnerable individuals and families of Northwest Georgia communities amid the COVID-19 crisis”. This fund provides help beyond the limits of Gordon County, too, as those who wish to contribute may direct their donation to specific counties in Northwest Georgia. Donations may be made online at CommunityFoundationNWGA.org/covid19response. 

“Big or small, each of these unique efforts are being made with the well-being of our community members in mind,” said Donna E. McEntyre, Chief Operating Officer. “Our people are ready to help however we can, whether that means carrying a gallon of milk to an elderly customer in need or simply calling on our customers to see how they’re doing during this time. Our relationship with the community is one we value greatly, and now is our opportunity to truly show what it means to bank locally and why ‘Community’ is our middle name”.