One of Star Bank's Core Values is community commitment and we try to live this value every day.
We take great pride in building life-long relationships within the communities we serve. Our employees are active in many different organizations that enhance the quality of life for individuals in the community. We believe that reinvesting in the community will bring long-term social and economic gains which are critical to the success of independent community banks!
Our bank and our employees demonstrate this commitment throughout the year as we donate our time, talent, and treasure to many worthy causes that benefit our communities. The bank encourages staff to 'give back' and serve others whenever possible. Over the years, our employees have volunteered countless hours of their time and talent serving local charities, schools, churches, sports teams, non-profits, and more. The summer months are a particularly busy time for us as we participate in town festivals, parades, and so much more.
Star Bank employees are giving back in 2020!
December 7th - Brenda and Rachel from our Eden Prairie office spread Christmas joy by providing presents to a deserving military family through Operation Home Front. Operation Home Front is a nonprofit that supports military families with everything from paying bills to providing back to school supplies or holiday gifts.
October 30th - It was a SPOOK-TACULAR affair on Main Street. Our Eagle Bend team participated in Trunk-or-Treat put on by the Eagle Bend Fire Department. It was a great, Covid-safe event that brought the community together.
For several weekends in October, Jay from our Eden Prairie office volunteered at Prop Shop sorting and preparing donated items to be given to families in need. Prop Shop is a nonprofit that donates gently used clothing, home goods, and furniture to community members in need.
September 13th - Steve from our Bertha office donated his time serving lunch at the Hewitt Lion's Club Auction Fundraiser. The Lions club supports the community through a variety of projects including fight blindness, feeding the hungry, and aiding our senior and disabled community members.
September 2nd - Janice from our Bertha office served up some supper to teachers at Bertha-Hewitt School's open house. A++ job, Janice!
August - Members from our Maple Lake office volunteered at the Maple Lake Regional Baseball tournament selling tickets, concessions, and merchandise.
July 29th - It was a great day at Star Bank, Eden Prairie. We welcomed the American Red Cross for our quarterly blood drive. Covid safe, of course!
July 24th - Craig and Denise from our Maple Lake and Annandale offices represented Star Bank at the Annandale Area Chamber Golf Tournament to support our local community. FORE!
May 16th - Vickie and Sharon from our Verndale office helped review scholarship applications submitted to the Verndale High School Scholarship Committee. Our future is bright in Verndale, MN! Thanks for helping our senior class shine bright for a greater tomorrow, Vickie and Sharon!
May 12th - Saving lives and giving back today at Star Bank, Eden Prairie. We hosted our quarterly American Red Cross blood drive and we are so grateful for both our donors and volunteers.
(Pictured: Katie, Charlie, and Harry Wahlquist)
March 11th - Julie and Jean from our Maple Lake office volunteered on March 7th on behalf of the Maple Lake Chamber of Commerce at their main fundraiser of the year, the annual Irish Party! Way to go Jean and Julie!
February 22nd - Members of the Annandale and Maple Lake team are all smiles at the Kiwanis bowling fundraiser for Youth First!
February 19 - Robin from our Elbow Lake office volunteered her time making Valentines bags for veterans at the Eagle's Nest. The Eagle's Nest is a nonprofit facility that helps veterans and their families through PTSD, homelessness, chemical dependency and other wounds of war.
The Star Bank employee curated cookbook, All Star Cookbook: Recipes you can bank on, was a wildly successful fundraiser. All the cookbooks were completely sold out at each of our offices. We are honored and grateful for the success of this fundraiser and to be able to donate all of the proceeds to charitable organizations in our local communities.
Star Bank employees spent over 900 volunteer hours in the community in 2019!
As a result of volunteer efforts and charitable giving, Star Bank has been selected by Minnesota Bankers Association (MBA) as a "Community Champion".
Star Bank employees are giving back in 2019!
September - Star Bank was a proud participant of the Minnesota Bankers Association Community Impact Month. Throughout the month of September, all ten Star Bank locations donated their time and talents to charities in the community. Check out the short video below to see how each location got involved.
July 26 - Star Bank is a proud sponsor of the Verndale Days Celebration, an annual tradition in the Verndale community which includes a scavenger hunt, music, fireworks and more!
Pictured: Back row: Sharon and Janell
Front row: Caitlyn and Vickie
Front row: Caitlyn and Vickie
July 13 - Our Bertha team enjoyed participating in the Annual Bear Country Days!
July 4 - Nothing can rain on our parade. Okay... we got soaked but members of our Annandale and Maple Lake team still enjoyed participating in the Annandale 4th of July parade!
Pictured below: members of our Annandale and Maple Lake team plus their families!
June 26 - Our SVP/Chief Administrative Officer, Katie Wahlquist, is participating in a mentorship program with TeamWomen over the next 12 months. The program pairs her with a “mentee” from another organization. Mentoring is a personal and professional development strategy through which a mentor person facilitates the intentional development of the mentee through meetings and strategic discussions.
It is great to see our leaders making a difference in the community and the lives of others through volunteerism and mentorship!
June 21 - Star Bank team members and supporters are participated in the annual Annandale Area Chamber of Commerce golf tournament to support the local community.
Pictured below:
Denise - lender at our Annandale office, and Craig - lender at our Maple Lake office
June 19 - Carol and Anje, members of our Eden Prairie office, spent last night cooking for Eden Prairie TreeHouse! 20+ youth and adults were fed! TreeHouse is a non-profit that supports teens in the Eden Prairie community through mentorship, support groups, and activities. Thanks Anje and Carol for giving your time and talents back to our community!
Pictured below: Ken and Carol Andersen, Anje, and a youth from TreeHouse
June - We’re partnering with Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce EPC Women and PROP - People Reaching Out to People to help others in our community. Our Eden Prairie office is a drop-off location for non-perishable food items. We are accepting non-perishable foods and monetary donations now through the end of August.
June 3rd - We are a proud sponsor of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce annual golf tournament! We enjoy meeting fellow Eden Prairie businesses and handing out Star Bank swag!
May 29 - We had some visitors in our Barrett office -- students from the West Central Area Secondary School! Our employee, Venus (far right), met with the students about checking accounts because they are discussing a coffee cart business. How fun!
May 28 - Our Elbow Lake office is spreading the word about the buckle up and cell phones down initiative being sponsored by Grant County. Be safe on the roads! Pictured below is Michelle - CSR
April - Star Bank employee (and Tree Trust board member), Kurts Strelnieks celebrated Arbor Day at a Minneapolis tree planting event with Tree Trust Executive Director, Jared Smith. Tree Trust's mission is to improve the community environment by investing in people. Their programs teach practical job skills to young people, connect volunteers to their community, and create opportunities to green our local community!
March 26 - Kristie from our Verndale office celebrates her one-year anniversary with the local fire department. She also volunteers as a First Responder and plans on taking EMT classes as well! Thanks for all you do Kristie and congratulations on your anniversary!
March 20 - Taylor from our Eagle Bend office volunteering at the Faith Lutheran Church - American Red Cross blood drive! Community commitment is one of our core values. Full-time Star Bank employees have the opportunity to get paid for volunteering in the local community one day each year!
March 18 - Virginia and Fay from our Eagle Bend office along with other ladies from their church are on a mission to serve 5,000 people soup and sandwich meals! Every 3rd Tuesday of the month, the ladies donate their favorite soup and serve others for three hours! The program has been running since November 2013 and the count is now 2,900 meals!
March 16 - Irish eyes were smiling upon Maple Lake as they celebrated the 42nd annual St. Patrick's Day Festival. Thousands gather from the surrounding communities to partake in the day's festivities. Nearly 100 units representing local businesses, organizations, and clubs marched in this year's parade! Thanks to all who helped bring the St. Patrick's Day Festival to life--it brings so much good to our community each year! A special shout-out to our fantastic Star Bank team who were all smiles as they helped control the parade traffic in their stylish vests!
March 8 - Members of our Annandale and Maple Lake team spent an evening being trained in AED and CPR.
A special shout out to Kirk from the Maple Lake Fire Department and Ruth the EMP and certified CPR trainer-- you did a great job!
March 7 - Star Bank was happy to welcome members of the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce for a legislative meeting in our Community Room which is dedicated to local non-profits.
Thank you, Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce for all that you do! We are happy to call EP home!
Thank you, Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce for all that you do! We are happy to call EP home!
Our fabulous business development specialist, Anje.February 23rd - Star Bank employees participated in the Annandale Youth First fundraiser at Tom & Gary's Bowling Alley! Annandale Youth First is a nonprofit which hosts a variety of different events to keep the youngest members of our community active, healthy, and engaged.
February 19th - Members of our Eden Prairie team volunteered at the PROP - People Reaching Out to People annual Empty Bowls event. PROP is a local non-profit that supports the community by supplying food and other household goods to those in need.
