Stories

For nonprofit organizations like the Marine Corps Coordinating Council, the dollars saved with U.S. Bank products make a difference in serving their community

For Bob Pellow, a Marine Corps Reserve veteran and Purple Heart recipient, community building for Minnesota veterans has been and continues to be central to who he is.

“When I first joined the Marine Corps Coordinating Council back in 1988, it was just a bunch of veterans talking,” said Pellow, who serves as treasurer for the nonprofit, a Korean War veteran who was injured while serving as a heavy machine gunner at the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. “Slowly but surely, the Council changed, and we became so much more. Before COVID-19, we were very busy bringing in funds to host picnics and parties. COVID put a stop to that, and we’re just now coming out of it.”

It was during those years that the Marine Corps Coordinating Council banked with another financial institution that began charging $1 for a printed statement. Each year, that cost increased – all while the organization’s fundraising efforts were hit hard by the pandemic.

“I had no interest in spending money for that, and that’s when Adam stepped in,” said Pellow, who turned 95 this year.

Adam Naryka is the military and veteran segment lead within the diversity, equity and inclusion office at U.S. Bank. A fellow Marine Corps veteran, he’s known Pellow for eight years and has served on the Marine Corps Coordinating Council board for more than five years.

“I knew there had to be a solution for Bob and reached out to our small business banking team in the Twin Cities,” said Naryka. “That’s when our bankers were able to connect Bob with the bank’s concerted efforts to serve nonprofit organizations with specialized checking accounts.”

For nonprofit organizations like the Marine Corps Coordinating Council, the dollars saved by utilizing U.S. Bank products make a difference in being able to adequately serve the community.

“We realize that our nonprofit organizations face unique challenges when it comes to managing their finances,” said Ally Pike-Stevenson, the small business banking sales manager for the Twin Cities. “We’re so proud to be able to offer solutions that help them manage their costs and allow them the opportunity to do what they do best: be there for the communities that they are so dedicated to.”

For Pellow, the future of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council is shaped by the decisions made and the dollars saved today. The baton will soon be passed to the next generation of veterans looking to build and sustain a network of community and support for veterans – which includes Naryka.

“The least I could do for Bob, a hero, and for the group is to be able to connect him with the people who could help him solve for his challenges,” said Naryka. “The Coordinating Council provides such a valuable service to the men and women who serve, and I’m looking forward to where the future takes it.”