Bank helps local children enjoy holidays

Last year, when the time came to prepare thank you notes, children at the Highland Park Community Nursery School and Day Care Center created a banner they could send to the Harris Bank in Glencoe, which delivered so many of the gifts they received.

It was a larger-than-traditional thank you note, to be sure, but it communicated the good feelings fostered by generosity.

One child had requested a flashlight, which he received. When it came time to thank the anonymous donor for the gift, the child carefully drew a picture of his treasured new flashlight.

For Jean Wallace Baker, Nursery School and Child Care Center executive director, the flashlight drawing illuminated the impact such normal and traditional gifts as Barbie brand dolls, clothes or suitable princess gear -- such as the wands, crowns and sparkles that go with being a princess-- can have on the lives of children at this time of year.

To build these kinds of positive memories, Harris Bank collects paper mittens made by children which record the age, first name and three gifts for display on a Christmas Tree at the Glencoe-Northbrook branch. Customers who come to the bank can take a mitten and, later, drop off the wrapped package of gifts at the bank, with the mitten attached, so it is reunited with the child. Bank employees deliver the gifts to the Highland Park Nursery School and Day Care Center, 1850 Green Bay Road.

Wishes granted

"All wish lists are met in some way," said Ann Moeller, assistant to bank President Martin Heldring.

Moeller said the bank is a United Way sponsor and helps many agencies during the year. For example, they helped the Nursery School and Day Care Center with playground improvements last summer and have assisted a shelter for homeless women in Chicago.

Although their holiday Giving Tree has been sponsored by the Harris Bank in Glencoe for three years, bank officials this summer opened a branch in Highland Park at Laurel Avenue and Second Street.

Baker said the Harris program gives children a happy and meaningful holiday at a time when parents may be struggling with other bills and responsibilities.

Great time

"There are a number of children whose holiday would be very slim if it were not for this type of generosity," she said. "It's a great time of year to be here because there is so much generosity and warm feelings that are shared between the community and children. It's wonderful."

Baker said the Harris Bank program fosters other benefits, such as teaching the responsibility of thank you notes. Children learn about giving to others and how that too can reward them. One benefit has come from parents who now give back to the center because they remember when they themselves were there.

"One mom dropped off gifts for an entire family. Her father used to do that," Baker said.

Providing gifts helped that mom remain in touch with the values and the memories of her father, Baker said.

Families of children at the Nursery School and Day Care Center are generous too. They bring gifts, some provide food gifts for the staff, and others have presents for children there. In turn, children at the center make something for their own parents: a gift and its wrapping paper and a card.

"There's a lot of gift giving all around," Baker said.

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.