Liberty Bank Funds Programs for Underserved Women

SPRINGFIELD — The Liberty Bank Foundation, an extension of Liberty Bank’s commitment to the communities it serves, granted Dress for Success Western Massachusetts (DFSWM) $10,000 in support of its mission to provide professional attire and a network of support to help women thrive in work and life.

The funding will help make possible DFSWM’s continuum of support, which helps underserved women and gender non-binary people in the community find not just any job, but sustainable career paths with upward mobility that will change their lives, the lives of their families for generations, and the community on whole.

“As a community bank for nearly 200 years, Liberty Bank is dedicated to setting up people for success through financial-literacy programs and opportunities such as Foot in the Door, led by Dress for Success Western Massachusetts,” said David Glidden, Liberty Bank president and CEO and Liberty Bank Foundation president.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion is one of our core values,” he added, “and with our growth into Massachusetts, we are dedicated to investing in local programs that uplift women as they navigate through both their personal and professional journeys, put them on the path to financial security, and build up equity within our community. It takes a village to create generational wealth, and supporting women through advocacy and development is one of the best investments we can make.”

The continuum of support includes suiting for professional attire, the Foot in the Door workforce-readiness training, the Margaret Fitzgerald Mentorship Program, the Professional Women’s Group, and digital-literacy training in partnership with another local nonprofit Tech Foundry. In addition to its grant, Liberty Bank also provides financial-literacy programming covering basic budgeting, paths to homeownership, building and rebuilding credit, paying for higher education, and more.

“Liberty Bank has shown that it is not only a funder, but a partner that truly cares about the women we serve,” DFSWM Executive Director Jess Roncarati-Howe said. “From their generous financial support to successful clothing drives to taking time to educate and engage with our participants, Liberty Bank is doing the work hand-in-hand with us and, as David says, establishing the village that will create generational wealth. We are grateful to have their support.”