Building Dreams Into Reality

“The highest reward for a person’s work is not what they get for it,
but what they become because of it.” – John Ruskin

Last week while working with the Martinez family on their home, the father Joe asked me, “Why does Independence Bank participate in Habitat Homes?” I answered without hesitation, “Habitat helps dreams come true – together we build homes – not houses. You and your family helped on previous Habitat homes, you have all worked very hard on your home and you will help out the next family and perhaps others on down the line. This is an incredible chain reaction that really builds the community.”

As I stood there last night at the dedication ceremony of Independence Bank’s second Habitat for Humanity home, I couldn’t think of a better way to express the reward that I felt when the family was handed the keys to their new home. All of the hard work, employee and volunteer hours came down to that very moment when one local Henderson family opened the doors to their very first home.

As we went inside to inspect our work the oldest son was standing in the second bedroom announcing, “This is my room – this is MY HOUSE!” He was already visualizing where he was going to put things as he mentioned, “All of my stuff probably won’t fit.” Seeing the excitement on that young man’s face was my reward. For those of you that don’t know Joey, he was one of the hardest working teenagers I know. After school, Joey would be right alongside of you making sure you could keep up. If you ask him, HE built that house.

That is reason why Independence Bank has committed to build seven Habitat for Humanity homes in our seven county area over a seven year period. It’s not for the recognition, or the plaque to hang on our wall. It’s about doing the right thing and sometimes that means stepping outside the four walls of the bank, rolling up your sleeves and digging in.

Just as the home is built on a solid foundation, working with our local Habitat offices gives us the opportunity to continue to build a solid foundation with our employees, directors, shareholders and the communities we serve, which is why community service is so important to Independence Bank. The reward is the joy and fulfillment that comes from helping others. While looking out into the crowd of people present for this exciting time, I would have to say that working with Habitat for Humanity on these first two homes has been one of the best return on investments in the bank’s history. So with that said, “Welcome home Martinez family!”  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of building a place for you to call home.

Remember: Houses are built with tools and sweat… Homes are built with families and love! I hope you consider the Independence Bank family to be part of your home.