Commerce team members build homes and connections with Habitat for Humanity.
Whether through their daily work or their service in the community, the team members of Commerce Bank strive to make a positive impact on people’s lives. One example of this takes place each fall, when a group of Commerce team members participates in Habitat for Humanity’s Pride Build in Kansas City. This event promotes inclusivity and empowers the LGBTQIA+ community through access to stable, affordable housing.
Since 2021, Commerce team members from PRIDE, the bank’s employee resource group (ERG) supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, organize a group to spend a day participating in the Pride Build. Commerce’s ERGs, which are open to all team members, are groups that help people from different backgrounds feel a sense of belonging, make personal connections with others who share similar experiences, and further their careers.
Garrett Pouncil, a senior talent development program manager at Commerce and member of PRIDE, has participated in several of the Pride Build events. He appreciates the many ways the events are beneficial. “Getting involved in the Pride Builds not only deepened our connections with the community, but they also helped Commerce team members connect with each other,” he says.
“Everyone who participates has had a really positive experience.”
The ripple effect has extended to other ERGs at Commerce. Members of VIBE, the bank’s ERG dedicated to raising awareness of multicultural perspectives, participated in 2024 and plan to do so again this year.
Pouncil says the events involve hard work but are worth the effort. “Sometimes we’re literally doing construction work with hammers and nails,” he says. “Other times we may spend the day doing yard work. It just depends on what’s needed. No matter what, it’s fulfilling to see the direct impact of the work you’re doing. You get to see the improvements you’re making in real time. It’s great to see your efforts come together like that, knowing you’re doing it for a good cause.”
The events are a bonding experience for team members. “At these builds, you often work alongside people from different areas of the bank,” Pouncil explains. “It’s nice to have that shared experience, where later you can laugh about how sweaty the work was or how tired we all were by the end of the day. It gives you memories and builds relationships.”
The group’s involvement in the Pride Builds is appreciated by the Habitat for Humanity team in Kansas City, Pouncil says. “Of course, that’s not why we do it,” he adds. “We’re just happy to be involved. It’s important to us to be invested in our community. We want to show up and be active, and we want to make an impact. When others at the event learn we’re from Commerce, it’s not uncommon for them to say they’ve seen us doing good work in the community before. It’s great to be part of an organization that people respond to in a positive way like that.”
Most importantly, adds Pouncil, supporting nonprofits like Habitat for Humanity shows how Commerce is committed to making a difference in the community. “It connects back to what’s important to us,” he says. “The PRIDE ERG wants to help people, and working with Pride Build is such a great way to give back. It’s something we’re all proud of.”
