Florence Bank Supports Revitalize CDC’s #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild

FLORENCE — Florence Bank supported Revitalize CDC’s 2025 #GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild event on April 26 with a $10,000 block sponsorship and a record number of bank volunteers lending a hand.

For several years, the bank and its employees have supported the organization and its mission to improve homes, neighborhoods, and lives through preservation, education, and community involvement. Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer Joe Kulig, a Revitalize CDC board member for more than 25 years, and Nikki Gleason, vice president and manager of the West Springfield branch, are house captains for the bank’s project, inspiring other bank employees to take part.

On April 26, hundreds of community volunteers made critical repairs and modifications to the homes of low-income families with children, elderly, military veterans, and people with special needs in the Calhoun Park area of Springfield’s North End. Fifteen Florence Bank employees took part. Work included yard cleanup, exterior painting, and fixing decks and stairs.

“This year will be one of the largest turnouts from the bank perspective,” Kulig said before the event. “It’s gotten a lot of attention internally in past years when volunteers come back to the bank and tell people about it. It drives interest, and that’s why our numbers are growing.”

Gleason, a house captain for the event since 2016, added that “we’re all happy to be part of something that improves the neighborhood. It’s an infectious, good feeling with a positive effect on the whole neighborhood, and it helps raise awareness about the organization.”

Revitalize CDC 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 more than 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. The goal of #GreenNFit is to make homes more energy-efficient, safe, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing.

“We are very grateful for the support of Florence Bank and appreciate the show of support from its leaders and employees,” said Colleen Shanley-Loveless, president and CEO of Revitalize CDC. “Florence Bank knows and values the community and the nonprofit organizations that support it. Consistently, they step up as a good neighbor.”

Florence Bank President and CEO Matt Garrity added that “we are pleased to be able to support Revitalize CDC in its efforts to keep people safe in their homes. I’m proud of our employees who get out there and help.”