MT. PLEASANT — Blue skies, sunshine, and generous donations from Wayland State Bank brought joy to the Mt. Pleasant community Thursday afternoon.
Every year Wayland State Bank (WSB) makes donations throughout the Mt. Pleasant Community. This year, those donations went to Iowa Wesleyan University, Tolson Community Action, Mt. Pleasant Christian School, The Fellowship Cup, and Cradle of Hope.
“We gather our deposits from the community, so it is only natural that there is a strong correlation to giving back, whether it is with resources or donating time,” WSB President Chad Hudson said. “It is a partnership. If the customers and community are doing well, we should be doing well. We strive for that.”
As Hudson made the rounds delivering donations, a theme of gratitude not only for these donations, but also for the continued support of the Mt. Pleasant community emerged.
“I’ve been at four different banks, this community pulls together, and not every community does,” Hudson said. “It has always felt like we’re pulling together. This is the best community I have lived in.”
Hudson and his family have lived in Mt. Pleasant for the last twelve years.
“I have been to a lot of places state side and overseas, and I’ll never stop saying that Henry County is unique.” Fellowship Cup Director Ken Brown said.
“We’re blessed to be in a community that is giving so greatly the last two, almost three years, now,” Brown said. “When COVID hit, the community responded and we’ve had our best years in the last two and a half years as far as giving and the support of the store.”
“We served a lot of folks between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Brown said. “The need was high and we wanted to make sure we had more than enough.”
“It is just things like this that help us continue to do what we do and help us grow,” Brown said of the $2,500 donation from WSB.
According to Hudson, Wayland State Bank has donated $2,500 to the Fellowship Cup and Community Action every year he has been with the bank. This is his 12th year making these donations on WSB’s behalf.
Head Start Family Specialist Keli Morgan spoke highly of the Mt. Pleasant community as she received the donation for Community Action.
“This goes toward our general fund,” Morgan said. “When we have donations like this it helps with the other things that we can’t normally make happen. [Community Donations] really are what keeps our programs running.”
“It doesn’t always have to be anything big,” Morgan said. “Just the little things matter, too.”
“We are very very thankful that we have you guys to help coordinate everything,” Hudson said. “You’re an important piece of the puzzle.”
“It takes a whole village to make the village run,” Morgan responded.
“We look where we can help families and these ladies help families in so many ways, that we’re able to help then through the food pantry or energy assistance in all those various ways,” Hudson said. “We feel like we are able to help quite a few people through here.”
“What a great donation,” Community Action Receptionist Joan Wegener said with a wide grin. “It will help a lot of these people in our community!”
That grateful spirit continued as Hudson delivered $500 to Mt. Pleasant Christian School Principal Tina Hill.
“We will probably apply [this donation] to our security doors,” Hill said. “We are about half way there, because it is quite expensive.”
“So, we just pray for favor,” she said because the school’s intention is to install security doors for the new school year in 2023.
Wayland State Bank has donated annually to Mt. Pleasant Christian and Iowa Wesleyan University for a number of years, as well.
“Wayland State Bank is proud to support the continuing growth of Iowa Wesleyan University and its positive impact on our community,” Hudson said as he presented WSB’s donation to Iowa Wesleyan University’s Development Director Jim Pedrick.
According to Pedrick, “Iowa Wesleyan University, a transformational learning community whose passion is to educate, empower and inspire students to lead meaningful lives and careers serves the communities of southeast Iowa through undergraduate and graduate programs with in-person and online classes.”
Before closing out 2022, Hudson made one last stop to deliver a donation to the Cradle of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center.
Director Peggy Knudson beamed as she accepted the gift.
“God has been so faithful,” she said and further spoke on the community’s support of Cradle of Hope.
“Someone last year asked us why we didn’t have an ongoing registry on Amazon or Walmart,” Knudson said. “So we made a registry and within a matter of a month, it was empty.”
Knudson has plans for this specific donation from WSB.
“It’ll definitely go to anything we have need of in the baby room,” she said.
The baby room is like a small store inside Cradle of Hope.
Moms that come to the program earn “mommy money” for attending classes and participating in other aspects of the program.
They then spend that money on items like baby clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, cribs, car seats, and many other needs.
“The first thing we buy [for the store] is car seats because they can’t leave the hospital without a car seat,” Knudson further explained.
“We always get a good stock pile of baby beds,” she said. “We had so many babies born this year; we totally went through our beds.”
“We always spend this money on diapers and wipes because every time a client comes in she usually leaves with a package of diapers and wipes,” Knudson said.
“It’s a blessing that’s for sure,” she said.
“It’s all about giving back,” Hudson concluded. “We all need to be good stewards of what God has given us.”
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
Wayland State Bank President Chad Hudson presents the bank’s donation to Peggy Knudsen for Cradle of Hope. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Mt. Pleasant Christian School Principal Tina Hill accepts Wayland State Bank’s donation from President Chad Hudson. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Continuing Wayland State Bank’s tradition of giving back to the community, President Chad Hudson (right) presents a donation to Fellowship Cup Director Ken Brown (left). (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Henry County Community Action’s Head Start Family Specialist Keli Morgan (middle) and Office Receptionist Joan Wegener (left) happily accept Wayland State Bank’s donation. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)