On Saturday, Nov. 21, Cendera Bank in Bells will host a community-wide Winter Market to benefit the Bells and Savoy Volunteer Fire Departments.
When Branch Manager Joshua Bowers joined the community bank a couple of months ago, he wanted to get to know the people they served and better understand the needs of the community.
It wasn’t long before local faith leaders approached him about helping with a pie and cake auction to benefit the volunteer firefighters in Bells and Savoy. Bowers knew it was something the bank would be happy to support, and he began thinking of ways to make the event even bigger.
He knew the bank had several pieces of outdated equipment, including an old vault safe, Coinstar machine and microfiche machine, that he thought might spark some interest at an auction. Cendera Bank partnered with the faith leaders, and the idea quickly grew into a larger auction.
The idea grew even further when local artisans heard about the event and expressed interest in participating. What began as a pie and cake auction has now grown into a full-fledged Winter Market and auction featuring live, silent and online bidding; raffles for prizes such as Texas Rangers suite tickets and a hunting trip donated by community partners; children’s inflatables; food trucks; and live music featuring local talent.
The Winter Market will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Cendera Bank, located at 615 E. Bells Blvd. All proceeds will benefit the fire departments.
“All of our firefighters here are volunteer – we have no paid firefighters,” Bowers said. “These people have full-time jobs, and every minute of their free time is spent being available for whenever the city calls. And they always answer the call. This is how we can answer ours.”
Cendera Bank has been in business since 1904 and is the only bank serving Bells, Savoy and Ector. While the average bank sees approximately 300 in-person clients each month, Cendera Bank handles about 3,800 in-person monthly transactions.
“Cendera is a community bank,” Bowers said. “Seeing how many people rely on us for in-person transactions is a great amount of responsibility. It’s our job to serve this community.”
The bank’s commitment to community service won’t end with the Winter Market. The following weekend, local motorcycle clubs will arrive at the bank to collect donations for their annual toy drive. The groups have joined forces to help make the holidays brighter for area children in need.
New, unwrapped toys are being accepted now in the bank’s lobby and will be picked up on Nov. 28.
“My goal is to have the lobby so full of toys that our clients aren’t able to walk into the bank,” Bowers said.
While Bowers is glad Cendera Bank can play a role in these community efforts, he is quick to point out that the bank isn’t the hero of the story.
“The volunteer firefighters; the motorcycle groups – those are the heroes who are the driving force behind these ideas,” Bowers said. “The bank is simply glad to be a community partner in these opportunities.”
Mark your calendar for the Winter Market on Nov. 21 and consider dropping off a toy donation by Nov. 27. Together, these community efforts offer a meaningful way to spread a little extra holiday cheer while supporting those who give so much to the community.
