Bankers teaching elementary school students?  You bet - when it comes to financial literacy and savings – First Volunteer and Benton Banking Company bankers take to the classrooms with curriculum to help educate youth about finances and savings.  

 “While today’s kids can receive and send text messages through their cell phones or use the Internet to do their homework, many don’t know the basics of savings and money management,” said Joe Waters, President of Benton Banking Company.  “Studies show that people who learn to save early in life usually make smarter financial decisions later. That’s why our bankers participate in the American Bankers Association’s National Teach Children to Save Day – it starts kids off on the right path to savings for their future,” Waters added.

First Volunteer Bank has been a participant in the annual Teach Children to Save Day for several years; as well as the fall educational program, Get Smart About Credit.  “Each year we have reached out to more and more young people in the nine-counties we serve in Tennessee.  Our bankers want to reach more students than a one day program allows, so we conduct our programs over a two-week period.  This spring we began in late April and concluded in mid-May”.  To date in 2008, forty-five First Volunteer and Benton Banking Company Bankers have taught more than 7,000 students in 37 Tennessee elementary schools during the effort.  “This supersedes our effort last year where we reached more than 6,000 students with the spring and fall programs,” stated First Volunteer CEO Patti Steele.

The Tennessee Bankers Association recently named First Volunteer Bank as the “Bank of the Year for 2007” for their financial educational programs.  “We are flattered to be honored by the Tennessee Bankers Association with this award,” said Patti Steele, President and CEO of First Volunteer.  

“We understand that if we are going to teach future generations to save, we’ve got to start today,” Steele added.

In the Polk County and Charleston area more than 1,100 elementary school students were reached with the Teach Children to Save curriculum.  The schools included Benton Elementary, South Polk Elementary, and Charleston Elementary.

First Volunteer is a $652 million financial institution with 25 branch offices throughout nine counties in Eastern and Middle Tennessee.  First Volunteer Corporation, including the Insurance Agency, has 250 employees.