Initiative with the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce reaches $250,000 milestone in community impact

WEST SPRINGFIELD—For the fifth consecutive year, Keiter is proud to support the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce with another $25,000 donation to fund the annual Keiter Card promotion.

The initiative has generated a quarter of a million dollars in direct economic impact on the Northampton community since its inception in 2021.

The Keiter Card allows consumers to receive $50 in local spending power for just $25, effectively doubling the impact on participating small businesses. The Northampton Chamber will contribute $5,000 to the campaign this year as well, increasing the benefit to the local economy to $60,000. 

“This milestone is a testament to what’s possible when businesses and communities work together,” said Scott Keiter, CEO of Keiter and former Northampton Chamber board member. “The Keiter Card supports local spending, keeps dollars circulating close to home and helps small businesses stay strong—and that benefits everyone.”

The 2025 Keiter Card promotion launches Monday, Aug. 4. Cards can be purchased exclusively at the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, located at 99 Pleasant St., Northampton, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Supplies are limited, and customers must request the Keiter Card at the time of purchase.

The promotion applies only to $25 Northampton Gift Card purchases and is limited to one per customer, per transaction. The Northampton Gift Card is accepted at more than 131 local businesses, including restaurants, shops, services, and spas.

Keiter is a family-owned construction services firm known for managing complex projects. The company operates across a variety of sectors, including higher education, industrial, healthcare, commercial, multi-family, and residential developments. 

Keiter has been named “Best Place to Work” in the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s Readers’ Choice awards, which have recognized Keiter for 11 years, and the firm has received multiple Valley Advocate Best Of awards, Super Sixty Awards presented by the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, and it was most recently named one of New England’s Fastest Growing Companies by The Boston Globe.

For more details, contact the Chamber at 413-584-1900.

The post Keiter Celebrates Fifth Year of Keiter Card Program with $25,000 Donation to Support Local Businesses appeared first on Beetle Press.

Donation will help expand healthcare access for Springfield’s underserved communities 

FLORENCE—Florence Bank has pledged a gift of $100,000 to Caring Health Center of Springfield and officially presented the award on Thursday, Dec. 19 at the center.

Florence Bank is committed to supporting initiatives that improve healthcare for vulnerable populations, and its mission aligns with that of the center. Among those at the check presentation were Tania M. Barber, president and CEO of Caring Health Center, and other leaders of the organization; Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity and other bank officials; and local dignitaries. 

The event underscored the need for health equity in the region’s diverse communities, and Barber told those who gathered that the bank’s donation offered the center a significant step toward the completion of its capital campaign. 

“The funds will advance Caring Health Center’s mission to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity by enhancing access to high-quality, value-driven care for our multi-ethnic community,” Barber said. “This gift will support capital improvements, including completing the Boston Road construction project, creating vital space to meet growing patient demand and diverse healthcare needs.”

Driven by a strong commitment to serving the community, community members established the Caring Health Center to fulfill local needs. Since its inception in 1995, the organization has been dedicated to providing essential health services to community members, positively impacting the lives of many, serving over 20,000 patients. 

Its offerings include comprehensive primary care, behavioral health, dental services, paid on-the-job education through the Tania M. Barber Learning Institute, and community-focused programs like health and wellness initiatives, all delivered in a culturally appropriate manner.

Barber believes that all people, regardless of their ethnicity, ability to pay or background deserve quality healthcare, and she is grateful for Florence Bank and its reputation for community giving.

“The bank is deeply embedded in its history and culture of community partnership,” Barber said. “For generations, the bank has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to supporting the neighborhoods it serves by investing in initiatives that foster growth, equity, and well-being.”

Garrity told those who gathered that Florence Bank is committed to supporting initiatives that improve healthcare for vulnerable populations, and its leaders were proud to make the $100,000 gift to Caring Health Center.

“Our goals for community health and wellness are well aligned with that of Caring Health Center,” Garrity said. “We are neighbors here in Hampden County, and we stand firmly behind the center’s mission to eliminate health disparities in all communities in our midst.”

To learn more about Florence Bank, visit FlorenceBank.com.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through the Florence Financial Group to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

The post Florence Bank Supports Caring Health Center’s Capital Campaign with $100,000 Contribution appeared first on Beetle Press.

Funds will help the organization make history and culture accessible to all area residents

FLORENCE—Florence Bank has provided a gift of $10,000 to Mass Humanities to help the organization make history and culture more accessible to residents across the state.

The private foundation is in its 50th year, serves all of Massachusetts and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Launched on the campus of the University of Massachusetts in 1994, Mass Humanities has been in Northampton for 20 years and recently announced a move to Holyoke.

“We have a mission to bring people together to embrace different perspectives, inspire civic engagement, spark conversation and build community,” said Brian Boyles, executive director of Mass Humanities. 

Boyles notes that the bank’s gift will be used to help fund two of four key initiatives, the Clemente Course in the Humanities and Reading Frederick Douglass Together. “We’ve seen those programs really grow and have been trying to keep up with all the interest there is in the humanities programs,” he added. 

The Clemente Course is an adult education program offered in partnership with Bard College in six cities across the state: in Western Mass, at the Holyoke Care Center and Martin Luther King Family Services in Springfield. The program provides access to those in economically disadvantaged households so they can study history, philosophy and literature, critical thinking and writing and public speaking.

Reading Frederick Douglass Together is offered annually in 60 towns across the commonwealth, where Douglass’ Fourth of July address is read aloud publicly. “It’s a way for people to come together around a historical text and listen to each other and talk about what they are learning,” Boyles said, noting attendance at these gatherings has tripled in recent years. 

Mass Humanities also offers Expand Massachusetts Stories, which helps local people reckoning with history by encouraging them to visit museums and libraries and launch storytelling projects in their communities. 

A fourth initiative in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute is called Museum on Main Street. This traveling exhibition is brought to six small towns each year, each time offering a different focus on rural life. 

Florence Bank is the financial partner for Mass Humanities, and Boyles said the organization appreciates the staff and customer service as much as the community support it receives. “We see how Florence Bank shows up. Any time we’ve needed them to think creatively, they’ve been effective. They’ve been amazing when it comes to our investments and helped us during COVID,” he said. 

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity said it’s an honor for the bank to support Mass Humanities. “We are not only helping to shine a light on history and culture in Western Massachusetts but all across the state. We like knowing that we are helping people connect to history, to their roots.”

Mass Humanities celebrated its 50th anniversary at an awards fundraising gala Sept. 26 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston. To learn more or donate, visit masshumanities.org/.

To learn more about Florence Bank, visit florencebank.com.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through Florence Financial Group to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

The post Florence Bank Supports Mass Humanities with a $10,000 Gift appeared first on Beetle Press.

LACONIA—The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction has announced its boot drive collections, sponsored by local fire departments. All proceeds support the Children’s Auction and thus, local children and families in need. 

Collections will take place as follows:

Saturday, Nov. 23, in Meredith, at Circle K, Hannaford, Ocean State Job Lots from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 29, in Bristol, at the intersection of Lake and Pleasant streets, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and in Laconia, at the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday, Nov 30, in Gilford at Hannaford, Walmart, Lowes and Shaw’s, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This year’s auction will be held from Dec. 10-13, and early access bidding starts Nov. 29. The event will be live streamed daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on LRPA TV Channel 25, laconiadailysun.com, and childrensauction.org. 

For more information, to donate or volunteer, visit childrensauction.org or call 603-527-0999. 

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8.6 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org.

The post Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction Announces Boot Drives appeared first on Beetle Press.

LACONIA — The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction recently announced that early bidding and Max Bidding will begin this year on Friday, Nov. 29 on items valued at $300 or more.

The 43rd annual Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, presented by Hannaford Supermarkets, will be held this year from Tuesday, Dec. 10 to Friday, Dec. 13 at the Belknap Marketplace in Belmont.

Anyone can place a Max Bid on all items during the auction. You set a max limit, and your bid will automatically go up in increments to keep you in the lead.

The auction is seeking donations of new items from gift cards to gift baskets. There are several dozen drop-off locations for donated items around the Lakes Region. For a list, visit childrensauction.org/post/collection-box-locations.

Learn more about the Auction at ChildrensAuction.org.

About Hannaford Supermarkets

Hannaford Supermarkets operates 186 stores in the Northeast, most with full-service pharmacies. Stores are located in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. All are committed to offering great fresh food, convenient experiences and everyday low prices. Hannaford also is an active and committed community partner—focusing on fighting hunger, supporting youth development, and helping people live healthier lives. Hannaford is an industry leader in sustainability with a strong commitment to reducing waste and protecting the environment. Hannaford diverts or donates all food at risk of going to waste—sending no food to landfills. In 2022, Hannaford donated 25 million pounds of food to hunger relief organizations and prevented 65 million pounds of food waste from reaching landfills. Hannaford employs nearly 30,000 associates and is based in Scarborough, Maine. Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction:

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including our four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades we have distributed more than $8.6 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region, all through volunteer efforts, community donations and corporate sponsorship. The Auction falls under the umbrella of the Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps local community organizations that serve children and families in need. For more information about the Auction, the nonprofits it supports and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.org.

The post Early and Max Bidding Begins Friday, Nov. 29 for the 2024 Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction appeared first on Beetle Press.

Funds will support the organization’s new Innovation Fund for growth

FLORENCE— Florence Bank has donated $5,000 to Tech Foundry of Springfield in its 10th anniversary year, supporting its newly established Innovation Fund to help enhance the organization’s digital literacy curriculum and grow its reach.

Serving Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin counties, Tech Foundry provides tech training and mentoring, increases access to careers and jobs in the tech field, builds talent and opportunity pipelines, drives digital literacy and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the region.

Training and mentorship are available at its classrooms in Springfield and off-site at organizations such as Councils on Aging and libraries across the region. A new learning lab, called the Tech Hub, in Holyoke, also allows a focus on digital literacy, training, device distribution and tech support. 

“Tech Foundry helps connect people to living-wage jobs in the tech sector and increase equity and access for all in our community while driving economic development,” Tricia Canavan, CEO of Tech Foundry, said. “We want to raise awareness of the ways in which we offer opportunity to residents and also partner with employers.”

Founded in 2014, the organization surged after the pandemic, doubling the number of classes offered annually and serving roughly 400 people a month, up from roughly 90 per year before the Tech Hub opened in October 2023. Students and mentees are trained for jobs that include IT help desk, digital imaging and deployment, network administration and field technician. 

“We’ve long been aware of Florence Bank’s deep and broad community support,” said Canavan, expressing gratitude for the recent grant. “They understand the unique needs of the community and can leverage their generous financial donations to really make an impact.”

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity said, “It’s a win when organizations like Tech Foundry are successful, so we are happy to provide support that will strengthen the organization and the community.”

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Tech Foundry hosted a workforce development luncheon in the spring and held a casual fundraiser, called Gaming for Tech, at the Quarters in Hadley on Sept. 19. On Oct. 24, a gala fundraising event was held at MGM Springfield.

Canavan said the goal is to raise $325,000 for the Innovation Fund to drive growth. Roughly $294,000 has been raised so far, and there is roughly $60,000 left of $100,000 in matching funds. 

To donate, visit thetechfoundry.org/donate.

To learn more about Florence Bank, visit florencebank.com.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate.

The post Florence Bank Donates $5,000 to Tech Foundry in its 10th Anniversary Year appeared first on Beetle Press.

Gift of $7,000 will allow the organization that offers a haven for those living with a cancer diagnosis to reach its $40,000 goal

FLORENCE—Florence Bank recently sponsored Cancer Connection’s 2024 Harvest Dinner and Silent Auction with a $7,000 gift to support the organization that serves as a haven for people with a cancer diagnosis and their caregivers.

“We’re on track to reach our $40,000 goal, thanks in large part to Florence Bank and its generous sponsorship,” said Chelsea Kline, executive director at the Cancer Connection. 

The nonprofit offers a broad range of free services. Founded in 2000, it will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2025. 

“The people we serve tend to be isolated, and they have a lot of emotions and don’t necessarily have a safe outlet for them,” Kline said. “They can come to us when they’re feeling overwhelmed, scared and having all these emotions that go along with a cancer diagnosis and be in community here. This is a place to find strength.”

Cancer Connection programs include therapies such as massage, acupuncture and reiki; support groups for those living with a cancer diagnosis and their caregivers; one-on-one emotional support with trained befrienders on staff who hold confidential conversations with caregivers and people with a diagnosis on Zoom or in person.

“We have space for laughter and jokes and processing grief. That’s what’s so special about this community here,” Kline said, noting there are groups for young adults, those living with a breast cancer diagnosis, men only and those for caregivers and families.  

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity said, “We are honored to support an organization that provides comfort to those enduring a cancer diagnosis in our midst. That we can help them gives our bank community a sense of comfort as well.”

The Cancer Connection serves about 350 people per month through weekly programs, special workshops and its integrative services, and roughly 170 individual sessions via email, calls or visits.

The annual Harvest Dinner and Silent Auction was held Oct. 17 in Amherst. The event is one of Cancer Connection’s largest fundraisers. 

Shelley Daughdrill, Florence Bank’s retail banking director / senior vice president of retail administration, and Emily Tower, vice president and main office branch manager, serve on the Harvest Dinner and Silent Auction committees. 

“All money raised from the event funds our services and programs and keeps them free of charge and accessible to all,” Kline said.  

Florence Bank has sponsored the Harvest Dinner for over 10 years, and the Cancer Connection has been a yearly Customers’ Choice grant recipient since 2011.

“The bank has been incredible to us,” said Kline. I love that their Customers’ Choice event celebrates the work of nonprofits and bring individuals together. The bank is very supportive of our work.

“The bank feels like a place that recognizes the community,” she added. “It’s so comforting to bank locally.”

For information on programs, support services and special events, visit cancer-connection.org.

To learn more about Florence Bank, visit FlorenceBank.com.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate.

We sponsored Cancer Connection’s Harvest Dinner for $7,000. We’ve sponsored this event for over 10 years, and the organization has also been a yearly CCCG winner since 2011. 

The post Florence Bank Sponsors Cancer Connection’s Harvest Dinner and Silent Auction appeared first on Beetle Press.

Initiative seeks to inject $50,000 into the local economy

FLORENCE—To reaffirm its commitment to community, Keiter recently announced a $25,000 donation to the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce for its annual Keiter Card promotion. This initiative, now in its fourth consecutive year, seeks to inject over $50,000 into the local economy. 

Through this promotion, Keiter’s contribution enables consumers to receive $50 in spending power with the purchase of a $25 Northampton Gift Card. 

As the longtime Florence contracting and construction management company expands to West Springfield, Keiter remains committed to the Northampton area. 

“Our ties to the Pioneer Valley run deep, and we are honored to play a role in its ongoing success,” said Scott Keiter, CEO of Keiter and a former Northampton Chamber board member. “Giving back is ingrained in our company culture, and initiatives like this allow us to express our gratitude to a community that has given so much to us, our families and our employees.” 

The 2024 Keiter Card promotion will begin Monday, Aug. 5, and Keiter Cards will be available while supplies last. Cards can be purchased only at the Chamber offices at 99 Pleasant St., Northampton, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Those interested must request a Keiter Card upon purchase. 

The promotion is applicable only to $25 Northampton Gift Card purchases with a limit of one card per customer, per transaction. The Northampton Gift Card is accepted at over 115 local businesses, spanning restaurants, shops, services and spas. 

For further information, please visit Keiter.com or contact the Chamber at 413-584-1900. 

The post Keiter Announces $25,000 Donation to the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce for Fourth Keiter Card Promotion appeared first on Beetle Press.

The gift supports a $750,000 capital campaign to fund updates and renovations to the well-loved venue

FLORENCE—Florence Bank recently announced it has donated $100,000 to the Iron Horse Music Hall, supporting a $750,000 capital campaign for renovations and updates to the well-loved music venue in downtown Northampton. 

Chris Freeman, executive director of the Parlor Room Collective in Northampton, which purchased the Iron Horse last fall and has been updating it since, said the bank’s gift will help fund ongoing work to the venue at 20 Center St.

He explained that the collective has already expanded the Iron Horse into a storefront next door that formerly housed a Christian meeting space, and is in the process of moving the bar into that new space along with 10 bathrooms. The bathrooms in the basement of the venue will be updated and reserved for visiting artists only; the remainder of that downstairs space will be remodeled to be “more artist friendly,” and artists alone will be able to access the area, Freeman said. 

Other work being undertaken at the music hall includes the installation of a new sound system, lighting, flooring and an HVAC unit for cleaner, fresher air. 

“Florence Bank is a big community supporter. They were our first corporate ask,” Freeman said, noting the Parlor Room Collective is running the capital campaign for the Iron Horse through the bank. “Florence Bank understands our mission, our vision for what the Iron Horse can become. We’re so grateful they stepped up in such a huge way.”

He added that, when the Parlor Room became a nonprofit, it leaned into Florence Bank for funds to start an open mic series, a program that has since become self-sustainable. “Without that early gift from Florence Bank, we wouldn’t have been able to get it started,” Freeman said.

The Parlor Room is a small listening room in Northampton, founded 11 years ago as a facet of the Signature Sounds record label. Freeman was a musician in a band that recorded on the Signature Sounds label in those days, becoming more involved with the Parlor Room after the pandemic. In 2022, the Parlor Room became a nonprofit and is now known as the Parlor Room Collective. 

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity said the Iron Horse has been at the core of the local music scene since its founding in 1979, and the bank is proud to support the Parlor Room Collective’s revival of the venue. “We value the collective’s mission-based approach to the return of the Iron Horse,” said Garrity. “The Iron Horse has long been a space in which local patrons and musicians from far and wide can celebrate art, music and community, and we look forward to the return of that energy.”

The Iron Horse is scheduled to reopen May 15 with a performance by Rachael & Vilray, a configuration of friends with sounds that range from an intimate duo to a nine-piece formation, such as on their newest album, “I Love A Love Song.” Taylor Ashton, a Canadian singer songwriter from Brooklyn, will also take the stage in the show from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“The calendar is filling up for the summer and into the fall,” Freeman said. “We’re so thrilled with the response from artists and the excitement about getting the place open.”

The Iron Horse is collaborating with Dave Schrier of Daily Operation of Easthampton for the hall’s food menu and intends to bring back an updated version of the Wicked Wally, a brownie sundae many people might remember from years past. 

The Iron Horse is still seeking donations and sponsorships. To donate, visit IronHorse.org.

“It’s such a fun cause to fundraise for,” Freeman said. “So many people have memories about being at the Iron Horse. “It’s an amazing spot. We’re incredibly grateful to the bank and the whole community.”

Learn more at ironhorse.org/revive-the-iron-horse.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate.

The post Florence Bank Donates $100,000 to the Iron Horse Music Hall appeared first on Beetle Press.

The bank also supported the agency’s 2024 #GreenNFit event as $10,000 Block Sponsor

FLORENCE—Florence Bank recently pledged a $25,000 gift to Revitalize CDC’s $3 million capital campaign, launched in 2023. Funds will be used to develop a 3,200-square-foot warehouse that will allow the Springfield-based nonprofit to better serve its audience of low-income families, seniors, veterans and those with special needs.

Colleen Shanley-Loveless, president and CEO of Revitalize CDC, said the organization purchased its first office in January 2023, in Springfield, yet additional space was needed. In addition to improvements to the building, campaign funds will allow the development of a much-needed warehouse and distribution center for volunteers and nutritional supplies, creating the means to better serve clients and also expand through the hiring of additional staff.

“Florence Bank is a good neighbor,” Shanley-Loveless said. “It’s a local bank, and it knows the community. The bank knows everybody needs a little help now and then, and the bank is there to help. We appreciate that.”

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity said, “It’s important to the bank to stay active in the regions we serve. We want to help organizations in the community serve those neighbors who need a helping hand.”

Revitalize CDC has a mission to improve homes, neighborhoods and lives through preservation, education and community involvement. It oversees the repair and modification of area homes for its clients and also offers a health and nutrition program.

The organization was founded in 1992 as an all-volunteer agency that raised roughly $40,000 each year and assisted about five families annually. Today, it serves over 800 families a year with a $5 million annual budget. Revitalize CDC serves Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, with its primary reach in Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield. 

“We’re really a basic needs organization, providing food and shelter,” Shanley-Loveless added.

Joe Kulig, vice president / commercial lender for Florence Bank, has been involved with Revitalize CDC since November 1996 and is the longest-serving board member. He has seen it through various name changes and watched it expand over the years.

Kulig got Florence Bank involved with the agency when he joined the bank’s staff in September 2018. A West Springfield resident, he enjoys having an outlet to help his neighbors, and he finds it rewarding that the bank has supported Revitalize CDC over the years with annual gifts for its #GreenNFit event and volunteer helpers. 

The bank assisted with the effort again this year, offering volunteers and a $10,000 sponsorship, and Kulig and Nikki Gleason, vice president / branch manager in West Springfield, once again took part, leading teams of staff helpers.

Each year through the #GreenNFit event, the organization selects a neighborhood in Springfield and upgrades roughly a dozen homes. This year, efforts are focused on Chapin Terrace and Massassoit, Jardine and Lancashire streets.

The goal of #GreenNFit is to make homes more energy efficient, safe, healthy and aesthetically pleasing. The CDC’s Fundraising Committee, which Gleason has served on since 2016, seeks sponsorships, and volunteers do everything from tidying yards, power washing siding and staining fences and gates to removing carpeting that might be causing asthmatic flare-ups or installing deck railings.

“Everybody in each neighborhood gets involved,” Gleason said. “It’s the best comradery I’ve ever witnessed. It brings out the best in everybody, and the work we do revitalizes whole streets.”

This year’s #GreenNFit event took place on April 27.

Roughly $2 million has been received toward the $3 million capital campaign goal. Funds have also paid for updated heating and cooling systems in the main 7,000-square-foot CDC building, roof replacement, new carpeting, new furniture and video equipment. 

Tax credits are available on donations over $1,000. For more information, or to volunteer for #GreenNFit or donate to the campaign, visit revitalizecdc.com. Those interested in sponsorship can email cloveless@revitalizecdc.com or call or 860-668-9701.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate.

The post Florence Bank Supports Revitalize CDC’s Capital Campaign with $25,000 Gift appeared first on Beetle Press.