Country Bank Donates More Than $900,000 to Nonprofits in 2019

WARE — Country Bank reported its donations to area nonprofits totaled $905,049 last year. Throughout 2019, more than 500 organizations in the communities the bank serves received donations, including the Children’s Trust, Ludlow Community Center Boys and Girls Club, Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity, Project Bread, and the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, among many others.

Recognizing the importance and overwhelming need to help organizations that address hunger, Country Bank provided monetary donations exceeding $100,000 to food programs throughout the region. The recipients of these funds included Friends of the Homeless, Springfield Rescue Mission, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, as well as many local food pantries.

“Our desire to support and enrich our communities is not only a part of our mission, it’s truly who we are,” said Paul Scully, president, and CEO of Country Bank. “Team members embody our standards of professional excellence every day by applying the bank’s iSTEP core values of integrity, service, teamwork, excellence, and prosperity. These values continue to guide our mission, especially through our community-involvement efforts.”

In addition, Country Bank’s employee charitable giving program raised more than $30,000 in 2019 through events such as jeans days, bake sales, and raffles.

“Our team volunteered more than 1,000 hours of personal time at various events within our communities,” said Jodie Gerulaitis, vice president of Community Relations. “These volunteer hours speak directly to our culture and our belief in helping others. Serving meals, filling backpacks for the homeless, and building beds for children in need are just a few of the ways we gave back to our communities.”