When Associated Bank employees gathered in Rockford for a team meeting, they didn’t just focus on business—they took time to give back. The group became the first company to participate in United Way of Rock River Valley’s new Corporate Kit Building Program, assembling literacy kits that will inspire a love of reading in local children.
The program makes volunteering easy by bringing the experience directly to the workplace. United Way provides all materials and guidance so teams can assemble kits—from literacy and hygiene kits to snacks and teacher supplies—that are then distributed to local organizations.
The bulk of the literacy kits went to Head Start classrooms, while others were shared at Trinity Lutheran’s Trunk or Treat event and will be handed out during the VanVleet Family Foundation’s Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway. A few kits also reached families through home-visiting programs such as Brightpoint and Rockford Public Schools, with several set aside for siblings of babies in the UW Health NICU.
For Michael Pura, Associated Bank’s Community Market President for Rockford and Beloit, the partnership was a natural fit. “We value our relationship with United Way. They’re our neighbors and one of the first community partners we think of when we want to get involved,” Pura said. “They make it easy for us to engage our colleagues and give back.”
Convenience played a big role in this event’s success. “We had a group of about 30 people in Rockford from southern Illinois on their way to a company meeting in Green Bay,” Pura explained. “We wanted to do something meaningful together, and United Way made that happen right in our office. We didn’t have to go anywhere. It was the perfect team-building activity and a way to give back at the same time.”
That combination of service and teamwork reflects Associated Bank’s broader commitment to community engagement. According to Pura, every employee receives a full day of paid volunteer time each year, and partnerships like this help make it easy for everyone to use it.
“Some colleagues are early in their careers and may not have a specific cause they’re connected to yet,” said Pura. “Partnering with United Way gives them a direct, simple way to make an impact.”
The benefits go beyond helping the community; they strengthen relationships within the workplace. “I hope our colleagues had fun and that it didn’t feel like ‘forced fun,’” Pura said with a smile. “These events help people connect with coworkers they might only talk to on the phone. It builds camaraderie while doing something good for others.”
Pura encourages other local companies to consider bringing United Way’s kit-building program to their teams. “I’d 100% recommend it,” he said. “United Way is finding creative ways for businesses to give back. When employees volunteer, engagement goes up, and people feel better about where they work. There’s a real halo effect.”
For Associated Bank, the literacy kit event was more than a service project. It was a reminder of what can happen when community and company values align. “It’s easy, it’s local, and it makes a difference,” Pura said. “You can’t ask for much more than that.”