200 KeyBank Volunteers Serve 19 Maine Communities in One Day

Nearly 200 KeyBank employees fanned out across Maine this week with one mission: show up as neighbors, not just bankers.

The 35th annual Neighbors Make a Difference Day brought volunteers to 19 different projects throughout the state. Since 1991, this tradition has connected employees with communities that need extra hands, and this year was no exception.

In Bangor, eight employees spent their day at the local dog park, spreading fresh gravel across both the large and small dog areas. The work might seem simple, but it's part of a bigger effort to transform how the community sees this shared space.

"We're really trying to show the community that we're still here and we're trying to get rid of that old stigma dog parks are gross and nasty," said Phillip Pabellon, who serves on the Bangor Dog Park board. The park has ramped up its cleaning efforts and has a community event planned for July 12.

The connection between KeyBank and the dog park came naturally. A member of the local banking team also sits on the park's board, helping bridge the gap between corporate volunteers and community needs.

The Ripple Effect

What makes this initiative powerful is its intentional design. KeyBank doesn't just repeat the same projects every year. Instead, the bank seeks out different nonprofits and community needs annually, ensuring their impact spreads across diverse causes and organizations.

Employees traveled from across the region to participate. Some volunteers drove from as far south as Kennebunk to join the day of service, showing that the commitment to community goes beyond convenience.

The variety of projects means nearly 200 people spent their day making tangible improvements in 19 different corners of Maine communities. That's 19 organizations that got fresh energy, 19 projects that moved forward, and countless neighbors who saw their community get a little brighter.

When banks show up with shovels instead of just checkbooks, it changes the relationship between business and community. It proves that serving neighbors means getting your hands dirty alongside them, whether you're spreading gravel at a dog park or tackling any of the other 18 projects that happened that same day.