To celebrate the connections between local businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, families and their hometown community bank, Farmers & Merchants Bank is recognizing the Power of Community Month with a main focus the week of April 15–20, 2024 during National Community Banking Month and National Financial Literacy and Capability Month.

“We are proud to be a part of the Berlin community,” says FMB owner Catherine Kujawa, “During the month of April, we are taking the opportunity to show extra appreciation to the wonderful place that we work and live in.”

The purpose of Power of Community Month is to highlight the longstanding tradition of local hometown community banking. The role banks play in building strong communities, and the quality products and personal services we provide give our customers the support they need to succeed.

FMB is proud to serve our community year-round, and some of the activities our bank will be engaging in during the Power of Community Month include:

Community Food Drive

April 1-15^th we will be holding a community food drive in our lobby with donations benefiting the Berlin Food Pantry. Look to our Facebook page for more information.

Fraud Prevention Class

Tim Bartol and Nikki Herman will be holding a Fraud Prevention class at the Berlin Senior Center April 16^th from 1:00 pm -2:00 pm to cover the tactics and methods cyber criminals use in digital attacks, how to recognize these scams, and demonstrate ways to protect yourself from falling victim.

Friends of the Park Clean-up and Planting Crew

FMB volunteers will work with the Friends of the Park committee to clean-up and assist in plant the flowerbeds around Berlin. This will take place Tuesday 4/16 and Thursday 4/18.

Teach Kids to Save

Thursday, April 25 is National Teach Children to Save Day. Georgia Trochinski will read “A Boy, a Budget and a Dream” to the 2^nd grade classrooms at Clay Lamberton and All Saints Catholic School. Each child will take home a book to continue the learning at home.

“The Power of Community Week highlights the collective impact of Wisconsin’s banking industry,” said Rose Oswald Poels, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. “Bank employees tailor their efforts to the individual needs of their areas — from giving financial literacy presentations in local schools to running food drives to volunteering in nursing homes — it shows how passionate they are.”

For more information on the Power of Community Week and to see an interactive map of service initiatives around the state, please visit www.wisbank.com/BanksPowerWI.