Company Notebook

Monson Savings Bank Seeks Community Input on Charitable Giving

MONSON — For the sixth year in a row, Monson Savings Bank is asking the community to help plan the bank’s community-giving activities by inviting people to vote for the organizations they would like the bank to support during 2016. “Every year we donate over $100,000 to organizations doing important work in the communities we serve,” said Steve Lowell, president of Monson Savings. “For several years now, we’ve been asking the community for input on which groups they’d like us to support, and we’ve been so pleased by how many people participate. We have learned of new organizations through this process, and we also just like the idea of asking our community for input. As a community bank, we think that’s important.” To cast their vote, people can visit monsonsavings.com/in-the-community.html. On that page, they will find a list of organizations that the bank has already supported in 2015 and may provide up to three names of groups they’d like the bank to support in 2016. The only requirement is that the organizations be nonprofit and provide services in Hampden, Monson, Wilbraham, or Ware. The voting ends at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15. The bank pledges to support the top 10 vote getters and will announce who they are by the end of January.

Bay Path Employees Donate to Baystate Children’s Hospital

LONGMEADOW — In keeping with Bay Path University tradition, an area nonprofit organization has been selected to receive donations from the Bay Path community in celebration of the holiday season. This year, Baystate Children’s Hospital will be the recipient charity of contributions from the university. Baystate Children’s Hospital, located at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, remains the only accredited children’s hospital in the region and delivers a high level of care to infants, children, and adolescents. The hospital is equipped with 110 beds, including 57 bassinettes, and provides more than 50 inpatient and outpatient services. Donations from Bay Path faculty and staff will include much-needed items such as toys, games, strollers, and books, among other essentials, and will be collected for the hospital today during the university’s annual employee holiday party. Bay Path employees will be honored for their years of service to the university during the party as well.

Clinical & Support Options Recognizes Employees

AMHERST — Clinical & Support Options Inc. (CSO) honored eight employees for their outstanding commitment to the community at its annual staff appreciation and holiday event on Dec. 4. These awards are presented annually to recognize the exemplary contributions made by employees in the course of their work. More than 325 guests attended this lively event, which was held at the UMass Student Union Ballroom. The Exemplary Administrative Support Award, which honors an administrative support employee whose work has been notable for its excellence, went to Marceina Purdy, back-end billing specialist in Northampton. The Outstanding Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership, vision, and initiative in support of the agency’s mission and objectives, went to Sara Stodulski, Springfield outpatient supervisor. The Exemplary Direct Service Award, honoring an employee whose direct-care work has been notable for its excellence, went to Ben Tozloski, Greenfield outpatient clinician. Chris Jones, Athol crisis clinician, was recognized with the Morale/Spirit Award, which honors the employee who, in the course of their work, has done the most in contributing to the agency’s employee morale. Nicole Lemire, Greenfield family-support worker, was recognized for Outstanding Commitment to Recovery. This award recognizes a person who promotes and integrates the principles of recovery and a trauma-informed approach by actively modeling such principles in his or her work. The award for Community Service Leadership went to Ariane Krumholz, director of Quality Improvement. This award honors a staff member who has provided exceptional personal dedication and a commitment to excellence in bringing communities together at the grass-roots level to assure that the agency meets the needs of those it serves. The Exemplary Team Award, which recognizes a program, department, or committee that has functioned as an exemplary team, whether formally or informally designated, went to the team at the Bridge Family Resource Center in Amherst. Finally, CSO honored Rich Nadolski, director of Clubhouse services, for his 30 years of service at CSO. “Our employees work tirelessly every day supporting our clients and making our communities healthier,” said President and CEO Karin Jeffers said. “I am honored to be a part of this team and recognize these employees for their dedication and excellence.”

Country Bank, Wolf & Co. Construct Housing in Haiti

WARE — In October, a team of officers and a trustee from Country Bank traveled to Haiti as part of a mission of the Be Like Brit Foundation. During the seven-day excursion, the group built a home in the community of Grand Goave, while connecting with children at the foundation’s nearby orphanage. Country Bank was joined on the trip by Mark O’Connell, CEO of Wolf & Co., an accounting firm with offices in Boston and Springfield, along with five members of his team. Dubbed ‘Team Double Trouble,’ each group built a new house, benefiting two of the area’s disadvantaged families. Housing is still greatly needed more than five years after the earthquake that devastated the Caribbean nation. The team from Country Bank cleared the lot, hand-poured the foundation, and framed and finished the structure. All the lumber, concrete, and water to the two remote building sites were carried by hand by the teams. “As community bankers, we are deeply involved with the families in need in our own region,” said Paul Scully, president and CEO of Country Bank, who traveled with the group. “Our journey with the Be Like Brit Foundation provided us with greater appreciation of the support that people need around the world. It was a life-changing experience for our group on both a personal and professional level, as the trip served as a corporate team-building and bonding opportunity. I am deeply proud to be surrounded by a team of such dedicated and caring individuals.” In addition to their time building, the teams toured the Mission of Hope International facilities, including a school, computer lab, and library. They also attended church with the children on Sunday and came back to serve lunch the following day. The orphanage was built in memory of 19-year-old Britney Gengel, the Rutland, Mass. native who perished in the 2010 Haiti earthquake while on a service trip with her college, Lynn University.

Baystate Rug & Flooring Helps Tornado Victims

SPRINGFIELD — When tornadoes carved a 39-mile path through the landscape of Western Mass. on June 1, 2011, thousands of lives were impacted. Even today, many of the tornado victims are still dealing with the aftermath, including Isidoro and Alejandrina Mulero of Springfield. Their home in the Six Corners section of the city sustained significant damage to the roof, siding, windows, and foundation. After four years, the Muleros’ home is almost habitable thanks to volunteers from the community as well as Habitat for Humanity and Revitalize Community Development Corp. (formerly Rebuilding Together), who refurbished the damaged structure. Now, all the family needs is to have the flooring installed, for which Baystate Rug & Flooring, a local, family-owned provider of flooring with locations in East Longmeadow and Chicopee, has donated labor. According to Margarita Mulero, the daughter of Isidoro and Alejandrina, the family reached out to Baystate Rug & Flooring at the recommendation of a pastor at a local church. “We were looking for someone whose heart would go out to them, someone who could volunteer their services to help finish the repairs to the house,” she said. “Baystate Rug & Flooring was the company that was suggested, and when we contacted them, they expressed interest in helping us.” Jorge Morgado, vice president of Baystate Rug & Flooring, noted, “at Baystate Rug and Flooring, we live by the motto ‘how can I make today a better day?’ When we learned about the Mulero family of Springfield, who were struggling to get back into their tornado-damaged home, we wanted to help in some small way. Donating installation services is one way we can demonstrate our commitment to making each day better for our community.”