Zions Bank Paint-A-thon in Elmo

By By

Zions Bank’s 20th Annual Paint-a-thon brightens up home in Elmo.
More than 52 homes throughout Idaho and Utah received makeovers by Zions Bank employees during the company’s 20th annual Paint-a-Thon service project. Celebrating two decades of neighborhood outreach, Zions Bank employees traded in their balance sheets for brushes and paint to help beautify homes throughout the state, from Logan to St. George. Home projects included the Elmo home of Ina Larue Lofley, who is 78 years old. More than 3,000 Zions Bank employees and their families volunteered to clean, scrape and paint homes in the state’s largest single-employer volunteer event of its kind.
The Paint-a-Thon benefits low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners. The average age of this year’s homeowner is 75, with an average annual income of $18,145. Projects completed during the annual weeklong event were selected with the assistance of state housing agencies, community organizations and local churches.
Twenty years ago, when Zions Bank first launched Paint-a-Thon, the population of elderly people living in Utah was just about 150,000, but today, it is estimated to have grown to more than 250,000, according to the Utah Division of Aging and Adult Services. With the aging population booming, Zions Bank is helping elderly homeowners by fixing up their homes, which enables them to live independently in their homes while maintaining their dignity and health.
“Getting paint under my fingernails doesn’t bother me when I’m involved in this rewarding service project,” said Zions employee and Paint-a-Thon team captain Joel Hatch. “As community bankers, we are proud to help our elderly neighbors by fixing up their houses and helping to give them pride in their homes.”
In addition to painting, Zions employees provided yard clean-up, pruning, mowing, planting and minor repairs as needed by homeowners. The cost for all paint and supplies is contributed by Zions Bank.
Launched in 1991, Zions Bank’s Paint-a-Thon began as a volunteer project for a dozen homes along Utah’s Wasatch Front. Over the past 19 years, Zions Bank employees have put aside summer pastimes for a week each year, volunteering in the evenings after work and on Saturday, to paint a total of 732 homes throughout Utah and Idaho. Not counting the dollar value of volunteer hours through the years, the bank has donated more than $781,000 toward beautifying homes throughout Utah and Idaho.
“Many things have changed over the last 20 years, but Zions Bank employees have proudly maintained the annual Paint-a-Thon, a project that gives each of us the opportunity to help meet the needs of local homeowners,” said Scott Anderson, Zions Bank president and CEO. “Not only does a home makeover benefit an individual resident, it also benefits a community by beautifying the neighborhood.”
Zions Bank is Utah’s oldest financial institution and is the only local bank with a statewide distribution of branches, operating 105 full-service branches throughout Utah. Zions Bank also operates 25 full-service branches in Idaho. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional banking services, Zions Bank is also a leader in small business lending and has ranked as the No. 1 lender of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loans in Utah for the past 15 consecutive years. Founded in 1873, Zions has been serving the communities of Utah for more than 135 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com.
Mrs. Lofley the home owner was thrilled to see a fresh coat of paint on her home and appreciates the service.