QNB Bank Designates EITC Funds to Support High School Mentoring Programs!

Carl Kessler, VP of Security/BSA Officer at QNB Bank (on left) gives an EITC check donation of $2,000 to Ursula Raczak, CEO at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County (on right.)

Jamison, PA (February, 2018) –QNB Bank designated $2,000 of their Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) dollars to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County (BBBSBC), in support of the agency’s innovative High School Bigs and “BLAST” programs. The High School Bigs program is in the Council Rock, Pennsbury, and Quakertown School Districts. In this program, high school students, called “High School Bigs,” are matched as mentors one-to-one with elementary school students, called “Littles,” within their district. In the 2016-2017 school year, 32 elementary school students, were matched with High School Bigs. The Littles in this school-based program made significant improvements both academically and socially, while they also increased their ability to avoid risky behavior.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County’s “BLAST” (Bigs & Littles Autism Support Team,) program was launched in 2015, in the Council Rock School District. In this unique program, specially-trained High School Bigs are matched two-to-one with elementary-aged Littles who are diagnosed with having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). BBBSBC staff provides ongoing training, support, and coaching to the High School Bigs, specific to meeting the needs of children with ASD.  In both of these programs, the high school students receive leadership education and training, and experience the value of community service. The younger students benefit from having older role models who encourage, motivate and inspire them to learn new skills, and achieve their goals. All EITC funds go directly toward supporting the in-depth screening and training of the High School Bigs, as well as the on-going coaching and guidance provided to both the Bigs and the Littles. This type of “match support” is a hallmark of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and helps to create successful, long-lasting mentoring relationships, with significant, positive outcomes.

“QNB Bank’s mission includes operating in an environment in which our communities benefit from our corporate citizenship,” said Carl Kessler, VP of Security/BSA Officer at QNB Bank. “We are honored to provide financial support to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County.”

“These programs are unique in that they benefit the high school students as much as the elementary students,” said Ursula Raczak, CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County. “Having the support of community partners like QNB Bank is what enables us to provide essential programs like these.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCEC)’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program allows Pennsylvania businesses to designate a portion of their tax dollars to support eligible educational improvement programs, in lieu of paying PA corporate income taxes. Businesses apply to the DCEC in early July each year, and are notified if they are eligible for the EITC program. The tax credits are applied to scholarship and educational improvement organizations.  For more information on the EITC program, please go to www.newpa.com.

About QNB Bank

QNB Bank, which is celebrating its 141st anniversary, operates eleven branches in Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh Counties, and offers commercial and retail banking in the communities it serves. In addition, QNB provides securities and advisory services under the name of QNB Financial Services through Investment Professionals, Inc., a registered broker/dealer and registered investment advisor and title insurance, as a member of Laurel Abstract Company LLC.

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