For 25 years, Merchants Bank has officially been helping those who have needed extra food through the “10 Days of Giving.” And in those 25 years, Merchants has always looked for ways to expand its reach in helping others.
This year, in addition to the “10 Days of Giving,” Merchants is helping nominated local food shelves through “Swipe Out Hunger,” where Merchants is donating a nickel to those nominated food shelves, up to a total of $10,000, every time a Merchants Bank debit card or credit card is used.
The “10 Days of Giving”
The “10 Days of Giving” runs from December 1-10. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Winona and 24th anniversary in St. Charles, where 2,113,685 pounds of food of food have been collected. Other locations are running events in connection with the “10 Days of Giving,” especially our banks in Hastings and Cottage Grove. Other locations are also running information.
You can support the “10 Days of Giving” by making monetary donations or donations of non-perishable food items at participating Merchants Bank locations between December 1-10.
“Swipe Out Hunger”
This year, we asked that our locations all nominate a local food shelf to receive a part of the proceeds from “Swipe Out Hunger,” our second Facebook giveaway. Each nominated food shelf has the opportunity to receive money from Merchants Bank between November 29 and December 15. The nominated food shelves in Winona, St. Charles, Cottage Grove and Hastings also receive the benefits for the “10 Days of Giving.”
Supporters of the nominated food shelf can vote once a day at the Merchants Bank Facebook page. At the end of the giveaway, participating food shelves will receive a percentage of the total amount of money donated to “Swipe Out Hunger” based on the percentage of votes the organization received on Facebook.
Here are our bank locations and the nominated food shelves:
Apple Valley and Rosemount – Eagan & Lakeville Resource Center
Caledonia and Spring Grove – SEMCAC Houston County Food Shelf
Cannon Falls – Cannon Falls Food Shelf
Cottage Grove – Friends in Need Food Shelf
Hastings – Hastings Family Services
La Crescent – La Crescent Food Shelf (Prince of Peace Church)
Lakeville – 360 Communities
Lanesboro – SEMCAC in Preston
Onalaska – The Hunger Task Force
Red Wing – Red Wing Area Food Shelf
Rochester – Channel 1 Rochester
Rushford – SEMCAC in Rushford
St. Charles – Southeast Minnesota Education & Resource Center
Winona – Winona Volunteer Services
Time frame: Nov. 29-Dec. 15, 2013
Participants: Nominated Food Shelves in markets served by Merchants Bank
Voting/Program Rules: After accessing the “Swipe Out Hunger” voting app through Merchants Bank’s Facebook page. You may cast one initial vote for your favorite food shelf, then return for another single vote each day during the contest period, midnight November 29, 2013 through midnight December 15, 2013. Votes will be tallied at the end of the contest and awards will be based on the percentage of votes received. NO customer relationship necessary to vote. On December 18, winners will be announced on Facebook and will also be notified by email.
Awards: Checks will be awarded as soon as possible after final votes are tallied. Money distributed will be based on the percentage of votes an organization receives, up to a total of $10,000.
Please Give Generously
Whether or not you decide to participate in the “10 Days of Giving” by giving a monetary donation or a non-perishable food item, or support “Swipe Out Hunger” through using your debit or credit card, we do ask that you consider giving this holiday season to those in need.
