Diabetes – Why We Walk

Diabetes, a disease that affects the body’s ability to make insulin, affects nearly 8% of theU.S.population and ranks in the top 10 for leading causes of death. Type-1 diabetes usually develops in the childhood and teenage years while Type-2 diabetes often develops later in life. It costs billions of dollars each year in treatment and related costs. The average diabetic spends 2.3 times more on medical expenditures than the average person. There have been many advances in recent years for the treatment of diabetes. Glucose meters, insulin pumps and medications have definitely helped doctors and patients improve their quality of life and take better care of themselves. But, we are still looking for a cure and many promising research projects have demonstrated that we may be getting closer all the time.

2011 marks the 11^th year the Joe Walkers team has participated in the Mankato Walk for Diabetes. The walk, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, raises funds for research to find a cure and for diabetes education. My family has three members battling the disease, myself, son Matthew and daughter Randi. Because of the way that diabetes affects our family, our son, Mike, organized the Joe Walkers team in 2001 to help raise funds to support research. The Joe Walkers team is named to honor Mike’s uncle Joe who passed away at age 39 from complications of diabetes. Other employees of Citizens BankMinnesota affected by this disease have also joined the team along with many friends and family members. Including 2011, our team has raised close to $50,000.00 through pledges and fundraisers. Together with similar walk teams acrossAmerica, we are raising millions of dollars each year to make a difference and find a cure.

We would encourage everyone, whether affected by this disease or not, to find out more about diabetes, the promising research that is being done and to help support the search for a cure. More information can be found at www.diabetes.org.

By: Robert Wise, Vice President

Make a Difference

“In the darkness shines the light of an angel”, said one Soldier.  Citizens Bank Minnesota employees decided we wanted to do something to make a difference, so on December 10, 2009 Citizens teamed up with Operation Minnesota Nice and sent our first packages to our newly adopted Soldiers/Marines who are overseas.  This is not a matter of whether you believe we are overseas for the right reasons, but a matter of supporting our Military that have received their Orders and have been called to duty.  Many of the men and women we have adopted hadn’t received so much as a letter from home. For them to know that someone back here cares about them makes a difference in their lives and makes their days a little bit brighter.  There are days these men/women go without a meal from their Mess Hall. Snacks are sent to help provide a little nutrition or help tie them over. Out in the field, they wear holes in their socks in a matter of days.  We send them new socks, as they don’t have a retail store to purchase new ones.  They may go for weeks without a shower.  Sending wet wipes and Q-Tips helps them stay somewhat clean. Many of our Military are overseas for the holidays.  We send them Holidays in a box.  As of April 4^th, 2011 our employees have sent a total of 209 packages to 43 adopted Military personal (totaling 2,359 pounds of hope). Currently we are sending packages to 11 Military personal every month until they come home.  Right now, the cost of shipping is $12.95 per package.  The cost of a Thank You…Priceless.  If you would like to make a difference in a Soldier/Marine’s life, donations are being accepted at any of our Citizens Bank Minnesota locations. Make a difference today! 

For more information go to: http://www.operationminnesotanice.com/.  

By Jill Derksen, Loan Processor/Secretary

Meals on Wheels

We’ve all experienced it…the aroma of oven roasted turkey wafting through the open door, the sight of enticing mashed potatoes slathered with grandma’s blue ribbon gravy.  And don’t forget the accompanying brightly colored vegetable favorites neatly heaped to cover every visible fragment of plate beneath the inviting festival of tantalizing flavors. 

Or maybe for you it’s the zesty aroma of thick-layered lasagna and the accompanying basil & garlic fragrance to tantalize your taste buds. 

Whatever your favorites, whatever your most enticing menu items, our local Meals on Wheels volunteers load up & deliver these and other tasty and nutritious meals to nearly 100 senior or special needs citizens all around New Ulm.  

With the generous funding efforts of the United Way, Kraft, 3M, and others, the Lutheran Social Services Senior Nutrition Program has worked tirelessly to provide a wide variety of these nutritious tidbits, and here at Citizens Bank Minnesota, we’ve teamed up with other New Ulm volunteers to deliver those nutritious meals to the shut-ins who are depending on them.  

Once the lunch bug hits and one of our 20 volunteers opens the door of the New Ulm Community Center, the aromas tickle the sensations as the piping hot meals are wrapped and boxed into coolers to keep them warm inMinnesota’s frigid winter temperatures.  But whether we deliver in -30° F or in 90° F, the results are always the same:  Smiles and greetings, thankful recipients, and warm and satisfied stomachs! Many THANKS to all of our generous community volunteers! 

By: Judy Hahn, Loan Processor

National Teach Children To Save Day

For the past six years, Citizens Bank Minnesota has participated in “National Teach Children to Save Day”. In that time we have reached out to 4,800 students between all of our locations. The purpose of “National Teach Children to Save Day” is to help raise awareness about the importance of saving money as well as to teach youth how to develop lifelong savings habits early in life. 

Citizens has chosen to focus on second graders for “National Teach Children to Save Day”, so every April, a group of bank employees go and visit all of the elementary schools in the surrounding areas. We present them with a fun, interactive 30-minute presentation. We start the presentation by asking them if they know what it means to save. We also ask them if they know the different places they can save their money and then we jump into a fun game. The game consists of splitting the class of second graders into two different groups; one group represents a savings account at a bank and the other group represents saving in a piggy bank. We pass out pretend money, using Laffy Taffy, and students take turns making deposits into either the bank or the piggy bank. After each round, we show them how the bank adds interest to the bank account, by adding more Laffy Taffy. At the end of the game, the bank account is over flowing in comparison to the piggy bank.  We then ask the students where they would like to save their money. They all undoubtedly respond “the bank” because they can see how much more the bank account has accumulated from earned interest, whereas the piggy bank does not. 

We also teach the students about the safety of keeping their money in a bank versus a piggy bank at home and also about savings goals. One thing that absolutely amazes me each year when we do the presentation is the response we get when we ask the students what their long term savings goals are. College is usually the number one response to this question which, I think, is great for second graders! 

At the end of the presentation and after all of the students’ questions have been answered, we give them a coupon to come see us at Citizens so we can start a savings account for them. 

Learning the importance of saving early is crucial for a lifetime of good financial habits and participating in “National Teach Children to Save Day” is one way Citizens is helping raise that awareness while giving back to the community at the same time. 

By: Pamela Stoltenberg, Personal Banker/Assistant Branch Manager

Adopt a Soldier

A little bit of peace.  Citizens Bank Minnesota has teamed up with Operation Minnesota Nice, adopting Soldiers/Marines who are overseas and sending them care packages from “home”.  Currently our employees are sending 12 Military personal packages every month.  This is not a matter of whether you believe we are overseas for the right reasons, but a matter of supporting our military who have no choice but to be there.  Many of the men and women we have adopted haven’t received as much as a letter from home, so for them to know that someone back here cares about them makes a difference in their lives and gives them some peace of mind. There are days these men/women go without a meal from their Mess Hall. The snacks sent help provide a little nutrition or help tide them over. They wear holes in their socks in a matter of days.  We send them new socks, as they don’t have a retail store to purchase new ones.  They may go for weeks without a shower.  Sending wet wipes and Q-Tips helps them stay somewhat clean. Many of our Military are overseas for the holidays.  We send them Christmas in a box. If you would like to make a difference in a Soldier/Marine’s life, donations are being accepted at any of our Citizens Bank Minnesota locations. One soldier who had received a package said, “In the darkness shines the light of an angel.”  Be an angel today!

For more information go to: http://www.operationminnesotanice.com/.  

By Jill Derksen, Loan Processor/Secretary