Community Banking Stories #2: Strategy & Innovation

As is tradition here at PCBB, we celebrate Community Banking Month each April by highlighting the efforts of community banks as they strive to better their communities. Last week, we brought stories of teams in community banking that pour their hearts into charitable endeavors. In our second of four articles for this year’s Community Banking Month series, we focus on community banks that have made their mark with strategy and innovation.Mobile Bank Branches Serve the Amish PopulationWhen you hear the term “mobile banking,” you typically think of an application accessed on your phone for on-the-go transactions. Bank of Bird-in-Hand, located in Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, has put a whole new meaning to the phrase. The bank operates a fleet of fully equipped, 34-foot Mobile Banking RVs. Starting with one RV in 2018, Bank of Bird-in-Hand currently has four mobile branches serving Lancaster and the surrounding counties at 19 different locations, including hardware stores, greenhouses, and open-air markets. Each mobile branch has an ATM, teller window, and walk-in service area where customers can open accounts with a team member.The mobile branch is a natural fit to serve the needs of the Plain Community since the travel distance of the Amish population is limited due to their means of travel. This concept has been well-received as 1,900 families rely on a mobile branch as their primary banking resource. In 2025, mobile branches accounted for approximately 17% of the Bank of Bird-in-Hand’s total transaction volume.One of the benefits of the bank’s mobile branch program is the ability to enter and test a geographic market quickly and economically compared to the time and capital investment of constructing or renovating a branch building. Currently, Bank of Bird-in-Hand has nine brick-and-mortar branches across its footprint. Five of those branches were established directly through insights gained from the performance of a mobile branch in that geographic area.Hand Up Loans Replace High-Interest Payday LoansIn 2024, Citizens Bank & Trust Company, located in Shreveport, Louisiana, launched the Hand Up Loan Program as a low-cost alternative to payday loans. Since the program's inception, the bank has received 33 Hand Up Loan requests via referrals from The Highland Center, the VOA, and the Shreveport Financial Empowerment Center.This program has helped a number of customers replace payday loans that frequently carry APRs over 300% with Hand Up Loans that have an average APR of 12.5%. One borrower purchased a vehicle to drive for Uber and DoorDash, while another financed a used dump truck for a business startup that performs land clearing, bush hogging, and debris hauling. This business has secured several jobs with the city of Shreveport. In addition, a veteran consolidated debts to transition out of a veterans housing program with plans to become a homeowner in the next year.Helping Families Afford Their First HomesThe lack of affordable housing is a challenge that many cities across the country are facing. Inventory is low, prices are high, and wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. For those living below the average median income, homeownership can feel like an impossibility.Piedmont Federal Bank in Winston-Salem, NC is helping families that cannot afford to buy a home realize the American dream of homeownership. The bank is the lender for the Equitable Homeownership Project, which was started by the Moravian Church in an effort to provide affordable housing to families historically harmed by redlining. Through this program, builders construct homes at cost, and lots are acquired from the city for as little as $1.Piedmont Federal Bank tailors mortgages to reflect the requirements set in place by the city’s first-time homebuyer program. The bank has successfully placed families in every one of the homes built so far, and plans are underway to build five times as many homes in the years to come. “The collaboration between all invested parties has been the key to our success,” the bank stated. “The payoff is getting to see a single mom provide her children with bedrooms for the first time in their lives and knowing she will have a lasting asset to provide wealth for generations to come.”Debit Card Program Gives Back to Schools and CharitiesThe Ohio Valley Bank Company, located in Gallipolis, Ohio, gives back to the community it serves through its Community First Mission. In an effort to carry this mission into its deposit services, the bank has created the Community First Debit Card Program. These are fully functioning Visa debit cards that are used as a way for the bank to give back to local schools and other nonprofit organizations.Customers can upgrade their debit card design to support their favorite school or charity without changing their card number or opening a new account. When they do, half of the $10 upgrade fee is donated to the school or charity. The bank currently offers 50 debit card designs, with new designs being launched soon. We are proud to feature the stories of these banks that are making bold moves in strategy and innovation, and we applaud their dedication to finding solutions that help lift their communities. In our third Community Banking Month article next Thursday, we will focus on community banks that are investing in their employees and company culture.