Application deadline is Oct. 15

LACONIA – The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction is accepting applications for funding until Oct. 15. Details and an online application are available at childrensauction.org.

Local nonprofit organizations that provide support to local children and their families in need are encouraged to apply for funding if they: 

• Hold tax-exempt status under Section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code and/or public agency status.
• Serve Greater Lakes Region children in need.
• Have a proven history of providing value to the children in the region.

Numerous fundraising events in the Lakes Region throughout the year support the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction, including a four-day signature event every December. In the past four decades, the organization has distributed more than $8.6 million to over 80 nonprofits that serve low-income families and children in the Lakes Region. 

For more information on how to apply and the kinds of organizations funded, visit childrensauction.org.

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. 

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FLORENCE—Florence Bank awarded $150,000 to 40 area nonprofits through its annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program, through which bank customers cast votes to determine how funds are dispersed.

“Last year, for our 150th anniversary celebration, we increased the total amount of our Customers’ Choice grant awards to $150,000 because it drew a nice parallel, and we wanted to continue that level of giving this year,” said President and CEO Matt Garrity during a celebration at the Garden House at Look Park on Tuesday, May 14. 

“We are proud of the history of our unique grant program, and we respect our customers and enjoy giving them a chance to help decide where we allocate funds in the region,” Garrity added. “It gives our customers a voice and offers much-needed assistance to many organizations serving people in need.”

Garrity handed out checks to 40 nonprofit leaders across the region.

For the second year in a row, 13 organizations received $5,000 grants: Dakin Humane Society in Springfield, Cancer Connection, Inc. in Northampton, It Takes A Village in Huntington, Friends of the Williamsburg Library, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Florence, Friends of Forbes Library in Northampton, Manna Soup Kitchen in Northampton, Goshen Firefighters Association, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts in Chicopee, Our Lady of the Hills Parish in Haydenville, Amherst Survival Center in North Amherst, Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, and Northampton Survival Center.

“I appreciate Florence Bank’s focus on community involvement and its expansion of this program in recent years,” said Lev BenEzra, executive director of Amherst Survival Center in North Amherst, which has received a grant annually for many years. “We love the approach of bank leaders looking to their customers who are community members in the region to identify meaningful organizations that are highly effective and doing good work. It’s an inclusive process and simplifies the process for organizations.”

Amherst Survival Center is a gathering place for area residents with a focus on food and food security; it provides prepared meals and full grocery shops from its food pantry in addition to a free, walk-in medical clinic, resources for people experiencing homelessness, a resource center and a robust array of community activities ranging from art workshops to healing and mental health to office hours with elected officials. 

Funds from Florence Bank will support the center’s food and nutrition programs, BenEzra said, noting that the need from clients is at record levels. “The food pantry is serving 40 to 50 percent more people each month than during the peak surges of the pandemic,” she said. “The timing of this award and community members votes is perfect. Need is greater than ever before in Amherst Survival Center’s history.”

Like BenEzra, all nonprofit leaders were upbeat and expressed gratitude for Florence Bank at the Customers’ Choice event, which is traditionally a festive gala.

Miriam Kudler-Flam, the communications and marketing manager at Abundance Farm on the campus of Congregation B’nai Israel in Northampton, said her organization received a Customers’ Choice grant for the first time.

The farm is located between Prospect Street and the bike path and has a mission to build a more generous, just and sustainable world by offering earth-based community building experiences that integrate Jewish tradition, regenerative agriculture and the just distribution of food.

Abundance Farm, founded 10 years ago, has a partnership with the nearby Northampton Survival Center, inviting the center’s clients to visit the farm, harvest food and participate in events, as well as welcoming all visitors from the area to enjoy their produce, land and community.

“We want to be a place where people from different walks of life meet,” Kudler-Flam said, adding, “We’re thrilled to receive this grant. It’s a huge show of support from our community. To know that the community we support and are so connected to sees us as an asset is meaningful.”

The $2,824 grant from Florence Bank will be used by Abundance Farm for staffing and materials for its Pick-Your-Own Community Harvest program, through which all are welcome, from May through October, to freely pick fruits, vegetables and flowers.

Jill Carra, the communications and marketing manager at the Foundation for TJO Animals, which supports the Thomas J. O’Conner Adoption Center in Springfield, said the bank has supported the foundation for many years—and thus, the adoption center—but this is the first year the organization received a grant award.

The $2,645 received will go into a general fund to pay for animals’ medical care and treatment.

She said the foundation is committed to the health and welfare of the animals at the shelter. It provides financial assistance to support the much-needed medical care and treatment for the animals, including diagnostics, medications, surgeries, medical equipment and enrichment supplies. 

Over 3,000 animals are served annually, including dogs, cats and other animals such as rabbits, birds, Guinea pigs—and more. Carra said there has been an uptake of animals coming to the shelter from pet owners who are no longer able to care for them for various reasons, with the economy being a big barrier in recent years.

“We were completely overwhelmed when we found out we’d received a grant,” Carra said. “It was a very pleasant surprise, and we are truly grateful. The bank, over many years, has been a number one supporter of the foundation, and this program shows that the community really cares about us as well.”

Florence Bank’s community grants program is an annual offering founded in 2002 and, through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding.

Voting takes place all year long, online at florencebank.com/vote and in bank branches, and each customer has only one vote. To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2023, roughly 7,168 votes were cast, making 40 nonprofits eligible for a grant.

In addition to the nonprofits that received a $5,000 grant, these organizations also received an award at Florence Bank’s annual Customers’ Choice gala: BARC, Inc in Belchertown, $4,752; Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball in Northampton, $4,258; Amherst Neighbors, $4,258; Easthampton Community Center, $4,124; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library in Shutesbury, $4,079; Northampton Youth Football in Florence, $3,900; Williamsburg Firefighters Association, $3,541; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley, $3,272; Friends of Lilly Library in Florence, $3,272; Smith Vocational High School PTO in Northampton, $3,227; Northampton Neighbors, $3,183; Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke, $3,093; Grow Food Northampton, Inc. in Florence, $3,003; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation in Hadley, $2,914; Historic Northampton, $2,869; Abundance Farm in Northampton, $2,824; Northampton Community Music Center, $2,779; Parlor Room in Northampton, $2,779; Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School in South Hadley, $2,779; Thomas J. O’Connor Adoption Center in Springfield, $2,645; Shriners Children’s New England in Springfield, $2,645; Bright Spot Therapy Dogs in West Brookfield, $2,600; Kestrel Land Trust in Amherst, $2,555; Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, $2,555; Belchertown K-9 Unit in Belchertown, $2,510; Safe Passage in Northampton, $2,331; and Northampton Senior Center / Council on Aging, $2,241.

Visit florencebank.com/cc-2024 to download the complete list of grant recipients.

Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.

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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

The post Florence Bank Awarded $150,000 to Local Nonprofits at its 22nd Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Event appeared first on Beetle Press.

FLORENCE—Florence Bank celebrated its 20th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program gala last week, awarding $100,000 to 45 nonprofits across the Valley. And at the close of the event, President and CEO Kevin Day drew cheers from the audience of nonprofit leaders, announcing that giving will increase to $125,000.

“Some of you longtime recipients may recall when we began this great program back in 2002, we started by giving away $50,000,” Day said. “Years later we increased to $75,000 and then to $100,000. We’ve decided to increase the total grant amount again—to $125,000—immediately, for grants to be awarded at next year’s gala.

“My hope is that our customers continue to use this program to provide you with a vote of confidence, as well as some much-needed funding to help you continue your mission to serve the community,” he added. “All of us at Florence Bank truly appreciate everything you do to make our communities better places to live and work.”

Day’s announcement was the second commemoration of the evening, the first coming as he called for bank and nonprofit staff and leaders to raise a glass to toast the event’s 20th year. “We can’t let that go without celebration,” he said. 

Florence Bank’s community grants program is an annual offering founded in 2002, and, through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding.

Voting takes place all year long, online at www.florencebank.com/vote and in bank branches, and each customer has only one vote. To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2021, roughly 7,000 votes were cast, making 45 nonprofits eligible for a grant.

Over the past 20 years, Florence Bank has tallied more than 141,000 customer votes and given grants to roughly 164 different organizations.

At its 20th annual event, held May 19 at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the bank offered awards to 45 nonprofits and celebrated a total of $1.4 million in community giving through this one channel.

Six nonprofits received funding for the first time—some in Hampden County, where Florence Bank now has three branches and has established a presence as a good neighbor. Three recipients have accepted an award every year since the program launched. 

Four organizations received the maximum amount of $5,000 this year: Cancer Connection, Inc., Dakin Humane Society, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and Friends of Williamsburg Libraries.

“The commitment of Florence Bank customers to all of you serving the needs within our community is awesome, and we couldn’t be prouder to be able to support the programs our customers believe in,” Day said. 

Organizations receiving awards range from police, fire, library, and school groups to nonprofits that provide food, shelter, or support to people living with a serious illness or disability. 

In addition to the four top vote-getters, these other organizations received an award: 

Friends of Lilly Library, $4,097; Northampton Survival Center, $3,782; Amherst Survival Center, $3,588; Our Lady of the Hills Parish, $3,564; Friends of Forbes Library, $3,539; Goshen Firefighters Association, $3,370; Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, $3,224; Easthampton Community Center, $2,909; It Takes a Village, $2,909; Williamsburg Firefighters Association, $2,642; Northampton Neighbors, $2,400; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, $2,303; Belchertown Animal Relief Committee, Inc. (BARC), $2,230; Manna Community Kitchen, $2,109; Shriners Hospitals for Children, $1,988; J.F.K. Middle School PTO, $1,867; Kestrel Land Trust, $1,867; Northampton High School PTO, $1,794; Riverside Industries, Inc., $1,770; R.K. Finn Ryan Road School PTO, $1,648; Cooley Dickinson Hospital, $1,624; Safe Passage, $1,624; Northampton Community Music Center, $1,527; Therapeutic Equestrian Center, $1,527; Amherst Neighbors, $1,503; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, $1,455; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, $1,430; Grow Food Northampton, $1,430; Smith Vocational High School PTO, $1,333; Whole Children, $1,309; Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, $1,164; Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity, $1,139; Hitchcock Center for the Environment, $1,115; Revitalize CDC, $1,091; The Parish Cupboard, $1,067; Belchertown Police K-9 Unit, $1,042; Cooley Dickinson Hospital VNA & Hospice, $1,042; Historic Northampton, $1,018; Granby Senior Center, $994; Leeds Elementary School PTO, $994; and Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, $970.

Visit florencebank.com/winners-list to download the complete list of grant recipients.

Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.

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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

The post Florence Bank Celebrates 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program and Announces Giving will Increase to $125,000 appeared first on Beetle Press.

Several Hampden County nonprofits to receive awards for the first time at event at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park on May 19

FLORENCE—For 20 years, Florence Bank has awarded grants of up to $5,000 each to dozens of nonprofits chosen by its customers, and at its annual gathering this year, it will once again offer up $100,000 to organizations that support young and old in the community.

At its 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants gala, to be held Thursday, May 19 at 5 p.m. at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the bank will offer awards to 45 nonprofits and celebrate a total of $1.4 million in community giving through this one channel.

Organizations like Shriners Hospitals for Children in Springfield and the Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Holyoke will receive awards for the first time this year thanks to customer voting.

“We are so grateful,” said Stacey Perlmutter, director of development at Shriners Hospitals for Children—Springfield. “All care and services at Shriners Hospitals for Children are provided regardless of a family’s ability to pay. This grant money will help us to continue to provide life-changing pediatric specialty care to families throughout western Massachusetts and beyond.”

Likewise, Gerry O’Connor Page, the executive director of Therapeutic Equestrian Center (TEC) in Holyoke feels grateful for an assist that will help provide therapeutic horseback riding to individuals with physical, emotional, or psychological disabilities.

“We will use the money to enable us to keep prices down,” she said. “It helps make the service accessible.”

In the past, the bank has granted funds to some Hampden County-based nonprofits, such as Dakin Humane Society, which typically is the top vote-getter each year. This year, as Florence Bank develops its engagement in the southern county, the awards to organizations based there are increasing.

“We have branches now in West Springfield, Springfield, and Chicopee, and we very much want to be good neighbors in those communities,” Florence Bank President and CEO Kevin Day said. He noted that this year, the bank held a Zoominar event to educate Hampden County nonprofit leaders about the Customers’ Choice program.

“We wanted to be sure they were aware of the program so they could take part and have the best chance at success,” he said.

Florence Bank’s community grants program is an annual offering founded in 2002, and, through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding.

Voting takes place all year long, online at www.florencebank.com/vote and in bank branches, and each customer has only one vote. To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2021, roughly 6,700 votes were cast, making 45 nonprofits eligible for a grant.

Over the past 20 years, Florence Bank has tallied more than 141,000 customer votes and given grants to roughly 164 different organizations.

“From its founding, Florence Bank has had a commitment to serving as a community partner, and we are proud and honored to stand true to that mission today,” Day said. “We value these organizations that take care of our most vulnerable neighbors, and we thank our customers for supporting them with their votes.”

Organizations to receive awards this year range from police, fire, library, and school groups to nonprofits that provide food, shelter, or support to people living with a serious illness or disability. Leaders of these nonprofits will learn the amount of their award at the May event.

Perlmutter said the Springfield Shriners Hospital serves children from birth to age 18 with orthopedic, neuromuscular, and urologic conditions as well as cleft lip and palate. Services include surgery, physical and occupational rehabilitation and speech therapy, motion analysis, radiology, and orthotic and prosthetic care. The hospital cares for roughly 10,000 children each year.

Perlmutter took part in the bank’s educational Zoominar in the fall. “It was very informative and showed us that Florence Bank would be a great community partner,” she said. “It’s wonderful to have them in Hampden County and looking to make a difference for so many of their nonprofit neighbors.”

A leader from the equestrian center also took part in the Zoominar and became inspired. Located on the grounds of Jericho, TEC sits on 40 acres and serves about 60 riders per week.

“There are numerous benefits,” O’Connor Page said. “For someone with physical challenges, it helps develop and strengthen muscles. For kids with ADHD, the movement of the horse is calming and helps create focus. It helps with communication as riders learn those skills as they communicate clearly with the horse.”

In addition to Shriners Hospitals for Children—Springfield, the Therapeutic Equestrian Center, and Dakin, the following organizations received enough votes to qualify for a grant and will receive an award at the celebration: Amherst Neighbors, Amherst Survival Center, Belchertown Animal Relief Committee, Inc. (BARC), Belchertown K-9, Cancer Connection, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital VNA & Hospice, Easthampton Community Center, Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO, Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Friends of Forbes Library, Friends of Lilly Library, Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, Friends of the Williamsburg Library, Goshen Firefighters Association, Grow Food Northampton, Granby Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity Pioneer Valley, Historic Northampton, Hitchcock Center for the Environment, It Takes a Village, J.F.K. Middle School, Kestrel Land Trust, Leeds Elementary School PTO, Ludlow Boys & Girls Club, Manna Community Kitchen, Northampton Community Music Center, Northampton High School PTO, Northampton Neighbors, Northampton Survival Center, Our Lady of the Hills Parish, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, Revitalize CDC, Riverside Industries, R.K. Finn Ryan Road School, Safe Passage, Smith Vocational High School PTO, The Parish Cupboard, Whole Children, and Williamsburg Firefighters Association.

Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.

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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

The post Florence Bank to Celebrate 20th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program, Donating $100,000 to 45 Nonprofits appeared first on Beetle Press.

Sixty-two area nonprofits receive funding

LACONIA—The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction (GLRCA) is proud to announce that it has distributed grants totaling $472,045 to 62 area nonprofit organizations. 

Grants will be used by local nonprofit organizations to fund wide-ranging programs that support children and their families. These programs address needs that are vital to the well-being of children in our communities, including food and housing insecurity and related emergency assistance; afterschool programs, recreation, education, and the arts; childcare and related family resources; and healthcare, including victim outreach and support and preventative health and wellness training.

Jaimie Sousa, GLRCA board chair, said she is proud of the 2021 Auction results. “The pandemic years have been difficult for so many people in the Lakes Region. The GLRCA Distribution Committee found that the request for assistance was greater than ever, particularly for basic needs that so many of us take for granted—food, shelter, clothing, safety,” Sousa said. 

She added, “Each year we ask our community to come together and help their friends and neighbors. We weren’t sure what to expect during the pandemic, but the generous people of the Lakes Region didn’t let us down. Thank you again to everyone who played their part to raise funds that make a direct impact in the lives of local children.”

Due to the continued COVID-19 health and safety measures, there was no check distribution ceremony in 2021. Instead, each nonprofit organization received personalized award letters informing them of their grant amount.

The next round of GLRCA grant applications will be due by October 15. 

For more information about the GLRCA application and funding process, visit www.childrensauction.com/applyforfunding.

“Many thanks to the hundreds of community members, sponsors, and local businesses who donated and bid on items, volunteered their time and effort, and participated in various fundraising activities, including those who took part in the 2021 Community Challenge,” Sousa said. “We couldn’t have done it without you. You are all #ChildrensAuctionChampions!”

In the past 40 years, the Auction has distributed $7.5 million to nonprofit organizations in the community. “We are thrilled about that,” Sousa said.

Learn more about the Auction at www.childrensauction.com, or follow the Children’s Auction on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction

The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction is a charitable event held every December in central New Hampshire. Countless volunteers and donors have turned the auction and its many fundraising events, including the 2021 Challenge, into a major annual campaign. In the 40 years that the community has come together for the auction, an impressive $7.5 million has been awarded to local nonprofit organizations, all through volunteer efforts, community donations, and corporate sponsorship. The Greater Lakes Region Charitable Fund for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps community organizations in the Central New Hampshire region. For more information about the auction, the nonprofits it supports, and how you can help, visit ChildrensAuction.com.

The post Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction Awards Total $497,045 appeared first on Beetle Press.

Goal is to help organizations earn votes—and funding—in the 20th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program in 2022

FLORENCE—Florence Bank will host a Zoominar on Monday, Oct. 18 from 3-4 p.m. for nonprofits in Hampden County to introduce them to the bank’s Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program in hopes of helping them gain votes—and funds. 

With branches located in West Springfield, Springfield, and Chicopee, bank leaders want organizations in Hampden County to be better acquainted with the innovative grant program so the bank can collaborate more fully in all the communities it serves. 

“We want to help organizations get the most out of our program,” said Bank President and CEO Kevin Day. “We are excited, too, about celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2022 and want to spread the word about how to help people in our midst.”

Leaders of nonprofits are invited to register for the event by Oct. 12 by emailing Erin Defoyd, marketing communications manager / officer, at Erin.Defoyd@Florencebank.com. Only those who have registered will receive the Zoom link to attend the webinar.

In 2020, almost 7,000 votes were cast through Customers’ Choice, and 32 nonprofits accepted a grant award in May; a total of $100,500 was handed out. 

In 20 years, the bank has awarded $1.3 million to area nonprofits.

To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes—from Florence Bank customers. The bank has a kit at www.florencebank.com/customer-choice-kit that nonprofits can use to strategize how to gain votes. The kit contains an information sheet on Customers’ Choice, a sample flyer to display and a press release leaders can adapt and send to the media. 

“We want to offer another layer of support to our neighbors in Hampden County, who may be unaware of the program, hence the idea to host the Zoominar,” said Monica Curhan, senior vice president / marketing director at the bank. “We have some great tips for getting enough votes to qualify for a share of the $100,000 grant money, and we want to share them with organization leaders.”

After an introduction by Curhan, Zoominar attendees will hear Day describe the Customers’ Choice program and its history, and Defoyd will give an overview of the materials in the bank’s Customers’ Choice PR kit and talk specifically about using social media to promote the program. Janice Beetle of Beetle Press, who partners with the bank’s marketing team, will talk about how to customize the press release template.

The branch managers of the three Hampden County branches will also be on the call to introduce themselves. They are Emily Tower, West Springfield branch; Nikki Gleason, Allen Street branch; and Kimberly Downing, Chicopee. 

Hampden County nonprofits who attend the Zoominar will be listed in a promotional piece to be handed to customers in the Hampden County branches from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, thereby increasing awareness of their organization and earning them more potential votes from Florence Bank customers.

For more information, contact Defoyd at Erin.Defoyd@Florencebank.com.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutually-owned 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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.  

The post Florence Bank to Host a Zoominar Event for Nonprofits in Hampden County appeared first on Beetle Press.

Event one of first to be held in region since the start of the pandemic

FLORENCE—Food insecurity skyrocketed in the past year in the Valley as the pandemic caused layoffs, slowdowns, and business closures, and the results of Florence Bank’s 19th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program reflect an awareness of the crisis. 

Last year, only 10 percent of Florence Bank customers cast votes for organizations that ease food insecurity. This year, twice as many votes were cast for the cause, perhaps because the bank itself committed to supporting organizations that focus on food insecurity at the start of the pandemic. Since March 2020, Florence Bank has donated $140,000 to help feed people who are hungry.

During its Customers’ Choice celebration on Tuesday, May 18 at Look Memorial Park, $21,528 of the $100,500 in grants that Florence Bank awarded to area nonprofits went to five organizations focused on feeding people. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Inc. and both the Amherst and Northampton Survival Centers each received $5,000; Manna Community Kitchen in Northampton, $3,933; and Easthampton Community Center, $2,595.

“Certainly, we’ve seen the need for food assistance grow rapidly—the fastest it’s ever grown in less than a year,” said Andrew Morehouse, executive director of The Food Bank. “We need to be able to provide more healthy food to people who need it. We need more community support to be able to respond to that growing demand for food assistance.”

Lee Anderson, a board member for Manna Community Kitchen, said his organization has tripled in terms of the number of area residents for whom it is providing restaurant-quality meals. Manna is now providing 5,000 take-out meals each month at the Elm Street, Northampton, location, and it launched deliveries, serving roughly 30 households at present.

“Our food costs have doubled, at least,” Anderson said. “The generosity from Florence Bank will go right to paying food bills.”

Morehouse and Anderson were among those in attendance last night at the annual reception that concludes each year’s Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program for Florence Bank. Held at 5 p.m. at Frank Newhall Look Memorial Park, the celebration was attended by roughly 50 nonprofit leaders and bank staff and leaders.

Refreshments by Seth Mias Catering were served to a crowd of people who were deeply grateful to be at a community event. 

“Can you believe it?” Florence Bank President and CEO Kevin Day asked those who gathered. “This event was one of the last events to take place in the Valley before the shutdown. And now it’s one of the first events to take place. Someone is definitely looking out for us.”

The community grants program is an annual offering founded in 2002; through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding. 

To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2020, almost 7,000 votes were cast, and 32 nonprofit leaders accepted their grants Tuesday, when a total of $100,500 was awarded. That total included two “Almost” awards of $500 each to the Williamsburg Firefighters Association and Whole Children of Hadley, which each came close to receiving 50 votes.

In addition to organizations supporting food insecurity, 25 other nonprofits with over 50 votes accepted a check, putting Florence Bank over the $1.3 million mark in grants it’s presented to community organizations over nearly two decades through the customers’ choice program alone.

Over the past 19 years, Florence Bank has tallied more than 134,000 customer votes through Customers’ Choice, and it’s given grants to 157 different organizations.

“The commitment of Florence Bank customers to all of you serving the needs within our community is awesome, and we couldn’t be prouder to be able to support the programs our customers believe in,” Day said. 

The following organizations received more than 50 customer votes and received an award at the event: Dakin Humane Society, Cancer Connection, Friends of Forbes Library, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County, each received $5,000; Our Lady of the Hills Parish, $4,837; Belchertown Animal Relief Committee, Inc., $4,326; Friends of the Williamsburg Library, $3,815; J.F.K. Middle School, $3,303; Riverside Industries, Inc. and Friends of Lilly Library, each $3,146; It Takes A Village and Goshen Firefighters Association, each $3,107; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation, $2,989; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School, $2,556; Northampton Neighbors, $2,399; Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Granby Senior Center, and Friends of Northampton Legion Baseball, each $2,281; Northampton Community Music Center and Community Action, each $2,202; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library, $2,084; Safe Passage, $2,005; R.K. Finn Ryan Road School, $1,966; and Historic Northampton and Belchertown K-9, each $1,966. 

Pre-COVID-19, Morehouse said The Food Bank provided sustenance to 90,000 people every month. As of December 2020, that number had risen to 115,000 every month—a twenty-six percent increase. “We’re talking about real people—children, elders, people with disabilities, including veterans—and increasingly, people who are trying to make ends meet, playing by the rules working full time and suddenly, they had the rug pulled out from beneath them and they have no wealth or assets to fall back on,” he said. “These are the folks we’re trying to support until the economy is restored.” 

Funds from the grant translate into about 20,000 meals for area residents; the money will be used to defray the cost of purchasing, storing, and distributing the food. “We’re very grateful to Florence Bank,” Morehouse said, noting that he is also appreciative of bank customers who supported the cause. “When we as a society are faced with such a traumatic experience as COVID-19, this support gets to the heart of what it means to be human,” he said. “People are thinking about supporting basic needs first.”

Anderson, of Manna, said, “The grant is instrumental. It will help smooth out the ups and downs of cash flow from individuals in the community. We really appreciate Florence Bank.”

Restaurant-quality meals, such as steak with gorgonzola butter or braised chicken in a chickpea stew—often prepared by Anderson—are served by Manna from 11:30 to 1:30 Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Manna also provides lunch and dinner to residents of two area cot shelters seven days a week. 

“We’ve doubled in volume,” Anderson said. “Almost tripled.” 

He said the meal delivery was launched to combat the stigma people may have felt about accepting food at the door. To request delivery, call 413-584-1757 or email via the website, mannanorthampton.org.

Aware of the greatly increased need for food, Florence Bank donated nearly $100,000 in 2020 to support a new food distribution collaborative and nine other longtime nonprofits with a mission to feed people who are battling food insecurity in the Valley.

The gifts were made to organizations in all corners of the region, including the Hilltowns, to help ease the economic strain brought on by COVID-19.

The Customers’ Choice Community Grants program is a year-long initiative. Customers of the bank can vote via paper ballots at each branch location or online at www.florencebank.com/vote. 

Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, and Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence. 

Florence Bank is a mutually-owned 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, they offer 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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.  

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FLORENCE—Florence Bank has named Susan Seaver of Ludlow as the Community Support Award winner for 2019.

Seaver, a mortgage loan originator, joined Florence Bank in May 2014 and has 30 years of banking experience.

The Community Support Award was established by the bank in 1997 as a means of formally recognizing employees who are active participants in community events and donate their personal and professional time to local not-for-profit organizations.

Each year, the award recipient has the opportunity to select a not-for-profit organization of his/her choice, and the bank makes a donation to that organization. At Seaver’s recommendation, Florence Bank will make a donation to the Michael J. Dias Foundation of Ludlow, which has a mission to help those who are battling the disease of addiction.

Seaver serves her community as an active member of the Community Service Committee at the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. She also serves as a designated financial counselor for the Wayfinders organization, working to confront homelessness in communities throughout Western Massachusetts. Seaver volunteers as a classroom reader in support of the Link to Libraries organization in East Longmeadow and is an avid supporter of the Michael J. Dias Foundation.

John F. Heaps, Jr., president and CEO of Florence Bank said, “Sue is the ideal choice for the Community Support Award.  Her positive energy, commitment to numerous local nonprofit organizations and dedication to helping those in need within our community is exemplary.”

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutually-owned savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 11 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, West Springfield and a new branch located on Allen Street in Springfield. Additionally, the bank offers 28 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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.  

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Event scheduled for March 5 at Look Memorial Park

FLORENCE—Fifty-five nonprofit organizations in the Pioneer Valley will receive a check from Florence Bank on Tuesday, March 5 at the 17th annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants awards ceremony at the Garden House at Look Park from 5 to 7 p.m.

Florence Bank president and CEO John Heaps Jr. will hand out the checks, marking $1.1 million in terms of grants the bank has made to community nonprofits over almost two decades.

“We are a committed community partner, and we love this annual event, which offers us the chance to invest in organizations that benefit our employees, customers, neighbors, families and friends,” Heaps said.

The Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program is an annual offering founded in 2002, through which Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding.

To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. Ten organizations that received between 40 and 49 votes were also invited to attend the event this year to be in a drawing for one additional $500 award.

This year, these organizations will receive funds for the first time: It Takes a Village in Cummington; Children First Enterprises, Inc. of Granby; Friends of Northampton Legion; Smith Vocational High School Parent Teacher Organization of Northampton; Belchertown Public Schools; Historic Northampton; Northampton Neighbors; and Cub Scout Pack 705 of Chesterfield.

Additionally, these other organizations will receive an award at the event: Dakin Humane Society; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County; Friends of Forbes Library; Friends of Lilly Library; Cancer Connection; Northampton Survival Center; Amherst Survival Center; Food Bank of Western Massachusetts; Friends of the Williamsburg Library; Our Lady of the Hills Parish; New Hingham Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization; Northampton High School Parent Teacher Organization; Edward Hopkins Educational Foundation; Easthampton Elementary Schools Parent Teacher Organization; BARC, Inc.; Belchertown K-9; Friends of Hilltown Cooperative Charter School; Granby Senior Center; Grow Food Northampton; Safe Passage; Belchertown Firefighters Association; Friends of Clapp Library; Jackson Street School Parent Teacher Organization; Northampton Senior Center; R.K. Finn Ryan Road School; Williamsburg Firefighter Association; Leeds Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School; Bright Spot Therapy Dogs; Northampton Community Music Center; Easthampton Dollars for Scholars; Friends of Northampton Legion; Tapestry Health Systems; Children First Enterprises, Inc.; Whole Children; Friends of M.N. Spear Memorial Library; Riverside Industries, Inc.; Kestrel Land Trust; Friends of Amherst Senior Center; Smith Vocational High School Parent Teacher Organization; Hitchcock Center for the Environment; Cooley Dickinson Hospital; Easthampton Community Center; Belchertown Public Schools; Historic Northampton; It Takes A Village; Northampton Neighbors; Pelham Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization; John F. Kennedy Middle School; Hospice of the Fisher Home; Cub Scout Pack 705; Emily Williston Library; Granby Free Public Library; Amherst Regional Public Schools; and Manna Soup Kitchen.

The Customers’ Choice Community Grants program is a year-long initiative. Customers’ of the bank can vote via paper ballots at each bank branch location or online at https://www.florencebank.com/vote.

Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, and Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.

Florence Bank is a mutually-owned savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 11 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, West Springfield and a new branch located on Allen Street in Springfield. Additionally, they offer 28 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 and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.  

The post Florence Bank to Exceed $1.1 Million in Giving at This Year’s 17th Annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program appeared first on Beetle Press.