Gallery: Zions Bank Paint-a-Thon helps local senior citizen

ZIONS BANK’S PAINT-A-THON BRIGHTENS HOMES, LIVES
Local senior citizen gets more than just paint thanks to Zions Bank volunteers
Senior citizens, veterans and disabled residents who face challenges maintaining their homes are getting a helping hand from Zions Bank’s 28th annual Paint-a-Thon service project.
The Orangeville home of Clyde Luke, 86, will receive a fresh coat of paint from local Zions Bank employees who are “brushing up” on community service to help low-income elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners. The program doesn’t just brighten neighborhoods, but the lives of homeowners, too.
The average age of this year’s homeowner is 74, with an average yearly income of $23,000. Projects completed during the annual week-long event were selected with the assistance of nominations from the public, 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.
Throughout the service project that continues across the state through June 16, more than 2,800 Zions Bank employees and their families are volunteering to clean, scrape and paint 42 homes in Idaho and Utah.
“Each year, we look forward to working together to help meet the needs of homeowners like Clyde,” said Zions Bank Teller and Paint-a-Thon team captain Shellee Cologie. “Not only is the project rewarding for both our employee volunteers and for our homeowners, but it demonstrates Zions Bank’s mission to create value in our communities.”
In addition to painting, Zions employees provide 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 28 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 1,140 homes throughout Idaho and Utah. 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, a division of ZB, N.A., 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 25 full-service financial centers in Idaho and Wyoming. 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 22 consecutive years. Founded in 1873, Zions Bank has been serving the communities of Utah for more than 140 years.