Zions Bank Paint-a-Thon

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Senior citizens who have struggled to maintain their homes benefitted from a fresh coat of paint and landscaping help during Zions Bank’s 24th annual Paint-a-Thon service project.
The Huntington home of Willis Shumway, 85, received a makeover from local Zions Bank employees who traded balance sheets for brushes to support the project, which benefits low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners as well as veterans.
Throughout June, more than 4,100 Zions Bank employees and their families volunteered to clean, scrape and paint 59 homes in Idaho and Utah.
This year, Zions Bank reached a milestone when volunteers painted the 1,000th project since Paint-a-Thon community outreach began in 1991.
The average age of this year’s homeowner was 73, with an average monthly income of $1,645. Projects completed during the annual event were selected with the assistance of state housing agencies, community organizations and local churches.
Zions Bank is committed to helping senior citizens remain in their homes as long as possible, maintaining their independence, dignity and health. Nearly 90 percent of people over age 65 want to stay in their home for as long as possible, and 80 percent believe their current residence is where they will always live, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute.
“We look forward to Paint-a-Thon every year because it’s an opportunity to help our neighbors spruce up their homes and yards when they can no longer do the job themselves,” said Zions employee and Paint-a-Thon Team Captain Brookelle Langi. “The project is personally rewarding, and it allows us to create value for our communities and neighborhoods.”
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 was 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 24 years, Zions Bank employees have put aside summer pastimes for a week each year – volunteering in the evenings after work and on Saturday. Not counting the dollar value of volunteer hours through the years, the bank has donated more than $1 million toward beautifying homes in the two states.
Zions Bank is Utah’s oldest financial institution and is the only local bank with a statewide distribution of financial centers, operating 100 full-service centers. Zions Bank also operates 26 full-service financial centers 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 20 consecutive years. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the communities of Utah for more than 140 years. Additional information is available at www.zionsbank.com.