Jana M. Planka was recognized as one of the 2017 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award winners by the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation for her work with Mentor Rhode Island. She serves as executive vice president of retail banking for Coastway Community Bank.
What influenced you to initially become involved with what is now Mentor Rhode Island – the Warwick Mentor Program in 1996? At the time, I was asked by a customer to consider becoming a mentor. He was a mentor in the program and spoke so highly about it. Frankly, I did not think that I would be that good at it or that the children would respond to me that well. But I fell in love with the program and the kids and it quickly became something that was near and dear to my heart. I am still in contact with that customer today, after all these years, and we talk about what mentoring has meant to both of us.
How has Mentor RI and its services grown since you first became a mentor? I was among the first mentors in the Warwick Mentor Program. Back then, they were known as the Chamber Education Foundation and did a lot of workforce-development and GED prep work. Now, they’ve grown to be the statewide experts in youth mentoring as an affiliate of Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership, offering training and technical assistance to all mentoring programs in the state. They’ve also replicated their successful Warwick school-based mentoring model in five additional communities. They work tirelessly to make sure kids are connected to high-quality, caring, adult relationships to help them succeed.
What does being a mentor mean to you? I was very fortunate to have grown up with lots of guidance and support from those around me. And now, I believe that the best way to acknowledge the gifts I’ve been given is to reach out to someone who needs that support. Mentoring allows me to give back in a way that’s meaningful to me, and being recognized for it is the icing on the cake.
How does Coastway Community Bank give back to the community? At Coastway, community is woven into the fabric of our company culture. Since we opened our doors in 1920, Coastway has been committed to serving the communities in which it does business. Our top priority is improving the lives of our neighbors. Volunteerism is expected of employees at all levels, and opportunities are provided to fulfill this requirement, even during work hours. In 2016, our employees volunteered more than 4,800 hours to community organizations across the state, with a focus on mentoring youth and on our financial-empowerment curriculum.
What other causes do you hold close to your heart and why? I am on the board of The Providence Center, the largest, most comprehensive mental health agency in Rhode Island. I have a relative who has been plagued by mental illness all of his life and it is such a heartbreaking, debilitating disease for both him and his family. The Providence Center provides treatment and support in such an innovative and collaborative way, focusing on the “whole” individual and all of his or her needs.