In the Community

RAYMORE, MO (12-11-2025) Community Bank of Raymore (including branches in Peculiar and Harrisonville) and sister bank, Community Bank of Pleasant Hill, have successfully wrapped up their 7^th Annual Operation: Gratitude! The purpose of this program is to strengthen community bonds as we unite to express gratitude, share holiday cheer, and bring a bit of “Home” to each active-duty service member as they are away from friends and family.

Community Bank is immensely grateful to every school group, organization, business, customer, and friend for their abundant support of hundreds of thank you notes, help with shipping costs and boxes of personal hygiene products, snacks, and other holiday fun!

This year, the bank had the pleasure of partnering with Mrs. Huff’s Ray-Pec High School class again, who played a part in helping transform plain boxes into cheerful, festive packages! As well as partnering with local schools and youth groups who were involved in the collection of letters and ornaments to send to troops. With the help of the community, funds for shopping and shipping costs were raised through several restaurant partners: Harrisonville Culvers night, Raymore, Harrisonville, Pleasant Hill and Peculiar Sonic days, HTeaO day, Johnny’s Tavern night, Texas Roadhouse night, Pleasant Hill Nutrition Day, and Mojito’s night. Thanks to the combined efforts of local daycares, schools, and community over 1200 notes of appreciation were written and 300 ornaments were included in the care packages!

Bank employees are honored to coordinate this effort and add special personal touches such as miniature handmade keepsake boxes, personalized ornaments, and other tokens from home and one heartfelt moment was when a customer brought in 200 handsewn stockings filled for us to include in the care packages. Employees also hosted a bake sale, raising over $1000 in a single day!

Over 316 decorated boxes were filled with beef jerky, macaroni and cheese, snack bars, coffee, hydration drink packets, Christmas trinkets, and cards/letters of gratitude and appreciation. Those boxes were packed into 47 larger boxes and are being shipped to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard in locations such as Abu Dhabi, Germany, Korea, Iraq, and Spain.

“We started this to honor and show appreciation for the 1% of people who choose to defend our nation no matter the sacrifice. We understand they're away from home and would like to send a piece of that to them,” Tina Graef, Vice President and Operation: Gratitude Co-Chair.

“This year is my 5^th year out of the seven years we have been conducting this event and every year more community involvement has increased. This year we collected more than 1200 letters and cards from various local schools, churches, and even our Community Bank of Raymore clients which has been the most in all five years I have been on the committee, and it brings me so much joy,” Darcie Gray, Operations Associate and Operation: Gratitude Committee Member.

Collection dates for next year’s event are November 1^st through November 15^th. If you want to partner with Community Bank, please contact Shauna Stephenson or Tina Graef at 816-322-2100.