SHEFFIELD– Bank Independent will kick off its sixth annual School Share drive on July 8 to collect supplies for local children. From July 8 through July 26, school supplies can be dropped off at any of the Bank’s 28 North Alabama locations. On July 26th, Bank Independent team members will be at Walmart locations in Florence and Huntsville collecting school supplies to “Stuff the Bus” and raise awareness of the needs of local families.
In addition to the collection points, Bank Independent has pledged to match customers’ Smart 
Swipe savings up to a total of $10,000 between July 24 – 26. Smart Swipe is a simple savings plan that rounds up change from Bank Independent Debit Card purchases to the next dollar and deposits the difference into another BI account of the customer’s choosing.
Every time a customer enrolled in Smart Swipe uses their debit card for a purchase during the last three days of the share drive, Bank Independent will donate the pledged cash proceeds to the School Share partner organizations. It is easy to enroll in Smart Swipe. Customers can sign up at any location, online, through the Sync mobile app, or through Customer Service.
Rick Wardlaw
“Our customers are invested in serving the community, and particularly rally around causes that affect children. Removing obstacles to education by providing basic school supplies makes a big impact.” says Rick Wardlaw, CEO of Bank Independent. “The added Smart Swipe match allows our customers to invest in themselves, while encouraging them to make a positive difference towards School Share.”
The bank aims to build on the success of last year’s drive, which collected over 19,904 items. Supplies will be distributed through local organizations in each market including Committee on Church Cooperation in Decatur, Sidney’s Safe! Foundation and New Beginnings Church in the Shoals, and the Department of Human Resources in Madison, Limestone, Franklin and Lawrence counties. Items needed include backpacks, headphones, notebooks, paper, pencils, glue, folders, crayons, markers, and rulers.
School Share is part of Bank Independent’s Helping Hands program, which also includes employee volunteer efforts, donations and sponsorships. Other Share drives include Toy Share to collect toys for children during the holiday season, Shelter Share to benefit animal shelters, and Food Share to collect non-perishable food items. 
Helping Hands was inspired by employee requests for organized volunteer opportunities after the April 27, 2011 tornadoes. Since then, Bank Independent employees have donated over 6,832 hours in paid volunteer time to community efforts.
About Bank Independent
Since 1947, Bank Independent has taken pride in serving the customers who count on us to be there for them when they need us most. With 28 traditional Sales Offices across North Alabama and one Digital Sales Office, we’re committed to providing the best service, designing the most desired products and creating an overall excellent experience for each and every customer. As a local community bank, we believe in building relationships that run deep and last. All of our employees reside in our local communities and believe in giving back through volunteering. To become part of a bank that makes a positive difference in people’s lives, visit us at bibank.com.
Media Release/Sondra Koskey/Advertising and PR Manager/Marketing Department/bank Independent
