Banks and Banking

Do you have a special spot where you keep your favorite things? Maybe it’s a bright red toy box for your blocks or a little piggy bank for your shiny coins. It feels good to know your treasures are safe. Imagine a big, strong house for the whole town’s treasures. A place so safe and sound, everyone can keep their special things there. I am that special place. Hello. I'm your friendly neighborhood Bank, and my job is called Banking.

I have been helping people for a very, very long time. Way, way back, even before your great-great-great-grandparents were born, around the year 2000 BCE, people in a warm land called Mesopotamia needed a safe place. Priests in big, strong temples would watch over everyone's valuable grain and shiny metals to keep them protected. Much later, in a sunny place called Italy, I got my name. People who helped with money, called money changers, sat on long wooden benches. The word for bench was ‘banca.’ Soon, everyone started calling me a Bank. From a big temple to a little bench, I was always there to help.

Today, I am still helping. I help families save their money to buy a new house with a big backyard or to go on a fun vacation to the beach. Do you love yummy cookies or storybooks? I help grown-ups start their own shops, like a bakery that smells of sweet cinnamon or a bookstore filled with colorful pictures. When I help someone open a new store, it makes the whole neighborhood happy. My favorite thing to do is watch everyone's dreams grow, just like a tiny seed grows into a big, beautiful flower. I love helping everyone.