Country Bank Grants $30,000 to Revitalize Community Development Corp.

WARE — Country Bank, a full-service financial institution serving Central and Western Massachusetts, announced a $30,000 grant to support Revitalize Community Development Corp. (CDC) in Springfield.

Revitalize CDC performs critical repairs, modifications, and rehabilitation on the homes and nonprofit facilities of low-income families with children, elderly military veterans, and people with special needs. In 2022, the organization served 826 households with 2,309 individuals across Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee, and completed 75 home repairs, nine owned by military veteran families.

“It’s hard to find an investment with as strong of a multiplier effect as a donation to Revitalize CDC,” said Ben Leonard, senior vice president, Commercial Banking team leader at Country Bank and vice chair of the Revitalize CDC board. “When they support our fellow residents with critical repairs, it provides stability to families and neighborhoods, allows people to stay in their homes, reduces vacant and condemned properties, and helps to maintain the tax base. As a result of their healthy-homes program and asthma-prevention measures, medical costs are reduced, and there are fewer visits to the ER. By revitalizing blocks of homes at a time, the sense of community is strengthened, and our neighborhoods are made safer. At Country Bank, we are honored to support such a worthy organization.”

Added Colleen Shanley-Loveless, president and CEO of Revitalize CDC, “thank you to Country Bank for your dedication and support of our community by providing employee volunteers and funding for our #GreenNFit neighborhood rebuilds. You truly make a difference.”