Heart-n-Soul Community Café Wins $25K Giving Hearts Day Nomination Contest.

Community Nominations Surpass 1 Million.

As donations poured in online and over the phone on February 12, a heartfelt crowd gathered at Dakota Medical Foundation, eager to find out which nonprofit would receive the donation.

“It means so much to know that Gate City Bank is investing so much into the community. It takes all of us to make a community strong,” said Leola Daul, Founder and Executive Director of Heart-n-Soul Community Café, which addresses food insecurity by donating food to people in need and serving locally grown food under a pay-what-you-can model. “This gift keeps the food truck rolling into neighborhoods that need connection just as much as they need nourishment. It strengthens our capacity to reach more people, more often and in more places throughout our community.”

Winning Gate City Bank’s Giving Hearts Day contest will help Heart-n-Soul Community Café provide 2,000 meals at their mobile café to community members facing hardship.

“What it truly funds are moments where someone is reminded that they are welcome,” Daul said. “It funds the mother who quietly asks for an extra serving because her children are waiting at home. It funds the senior on a fixed income who has not shared a meal with someone in weeks. It funds the young adult who stops by not only because they are hungry, but because they know someone there will ask how they are doing and listen.”

The bank received a strong response from community members during the nomination period, helping push the overall total since tracking began in 2017 to more than 1 million. The contest has been a Giving Hearts Day community tradition since it started in 2014.

“This really reflects the heart of our communities,” said Amanda Torok, Gate City Bank Senior Vice President of Culture. “People want to help, and we love giving people a simple yet impactful way to support the causes that matter most to them.”

After the nomination period ended, the bank chose the winner from a randomly selected pool of finalists. But the bank’s dedication to Giving Hearts Day didn’t stop there. Gate City Bank’s total financial contribution surpassed $230,000 spread across more than 350 charities and included:

• Donating more than $100,000 to various organizations through sponsorships and pledges related to Giving Hearts Day.
• Matching Giving Hearts Day donations made by team members – more than $40,000 as of 1 p.m. Thursday.
• Giving $29,000 to just over 200 charities throughout the region through its charity gift program for homebuyers. Throughout the year, customers who close on a home with Gate City Bank can choose a charity to receive $50 from the bank, given during Giving Hearts Day season. Since launching in 2022, this program has donated more than $114,000 to local charities.
• Contributing $20,000 in regional gifts by letting each bank location choose where to donate funds.
• Giving $10,000 as part of Dakota Medical Foundation’s Golden Ticket selections, drawn randomly throughout the day.
• Holding a multi-community food drive to collect nonperishable items for local food pantries. The food drive continued at all Gate City Bank locations throughout Giving Hearts Day.
• Delivering snowbank signs to help raise awareness about this important day.
• Providing volunteers to staff the Giving Hearts Day Call Center and write thank-you notes.

“We believe strongly that creating a better way of life means giving back to our communities through philanthropic giving and volunteering,” Torok said. “Giving Hearts Day is a special time when our entire region is focused on making a difference for others. Being part of that collective generosity reinforces why we do what we do and reminds us that when we come together, we can create meaningful, lasting change.”

Since 2014, the bank has donated more than $2.4 million and supported over 350 charities through Giving Hearts Day. Learn more at GateCity.Bank/GivingHearts.