A Backpack Full of Hope: First Federal Bank of Louisiana Wins National Award

There’s a moment every August when a child slings a new backpack over their shoulders, and anything feels possible.

For more than 1,600 students over the course of three years, that moment came with the help of First Federal Bank of Louisiana, and now the rest of the country is taking notice.

First Federal Bank of Louisiana has been named the winner of the Emerging Community Bank Service Award, part of the Independent Community Bankers of America’s (ICBA) National Community Bank Service Awards. The honor recognizes the bank’s Backpacks of Hope program, and the story will be featured in the September issue of ICBA’s Independent Banker magazine.

Since launching in 2024, Backpacks of Hope has delivered more than 18,600 food items and 13,000 wellness essentials to economically disadvantaged students. The idea is simple but powerful: no child should start the school year hungry or without basic necessities. The execution, though, is anything but simple. It takes partnerships, planning and the entire bank rolling up its sleeves.

“The Backpacks of Hope program has expanded our brand’s reach and authenticity,” says Sam Wilkinson, president and CEO of First Federal Bank of Louisiana. “But more importantly, it has created more engaged and invested employees who are committed to our mission. We’ve been an important part of the fabric of our community since 1949, and this program has helped bring our mission to a new level.”

Employee energy is more than a talking point; it’s the engine of the whole program. Across the first two years, more than 90% of First Federal Bank of Louisiana’s employees in the market area took part in some form, whether donating food and hygiene items, packing backpacks, showing up at schools on delivery day or spreading the word. The bank’s Change Makers Volunteer Team led the charge.

With Children’s Miracle Network as the bank’s partner, year one brought the program to Fairview Elementary in Lake Charles, where nearly 92% of the school’s 600 students are economically disadvantaged. Year two carried it to Cypress Cove Elementary in Carlyss with Westlake Chemical as an additional partner. Year three took place with 400 backpacks going to Vinton Elementary in Vinton.

Principals have seen the impact up close. “The bank’s process of giving out the backpacks floored me,” says Maranda Lanham, principal of Cypress Cove Elementary. “The community truly showed up. It wasn’t just words; it made the kids feel loved and valued and ready to tackle the new school year.”

ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey summed up why the program resonated with judges nationally: “First Federal Bank of Louisiana’s Backpacks of Hope program is a powerful example of community banking at its best—identifying a meaningful local need and rallying employees, partners, and resources to meet it. By providing students with nutritious snacks and personal care essentials at the start of the school year, First Federal Bank of Louisiana is helping give children the confidence and support they need to focus on learning and thrive.”

First Federal Bank of Louisiana will continue to grow the Backpacks of Hope program with its partners in order to impact as many local students as possible. For more information, visit ffbla.bank.