Lake City Bank’s commitment to the Flanner house began back in 2017, when a group from the bank met with then-new Executive Director Brandon Cosby, who described the basic services the community lacked, including a bank, grocery store, and a path to home ownership.
Interactive Teller Machine on site
The bank’s first initiative was installing a banking solution, in the form of an Interactive teller machine (ITM) on the Flanner House grounds. The state-of-the-art ITM connects users to a live video teller for just about any banking service during business hours, and works as an ATM for the basics 24/7, with a $1 fee for non-Lake City Bank customers. While the ITM is temporarily closed, the bank plans to reopen it at a future date.
Mobile Grocery Store
When the pandemic hit, the problems associated with being located in a food desert multiplied. When Brandon shared his vision of a mobile grocery store for the community, the bank stepped in to help purchase two minibuses for the effort. The ability to purchase food right outside your front door has been widely well received.
Making Home Ownership a Reality
Next up, Lake City Bank worked with the Flanner House to help move more neighborhood residents from renting to home ownership. The bank has made mortgages available to individuals who have participated in the Flanner House Center for Working Families program. Our latest report from Gloria Crawford, Vice President, Community Reinvestment Officer indicated that when the bank closed its first loan our team attended the ceremony where the new homeowner cut the ribbon to her newly renovated home—hopefully the first of many.
We are pleased to report as of November 2024, we have closed four loans with three more expected in the near future.
