05/30/2012 BHBT Makes Community Commitment Donations
(left to right) Pamela Hansberry of Forgotten Felines of Maine and Jo Cooper of Friends in Action receive Community Commitment donations from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees at 135 High Street in Ellsworth represented by Melissa Hinckley, Michelle Rafferty, James Lacasse, Faye Geel and Melanie Bowden.
Ellsworth, Maine — Each week, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust directors and employees, in exchange for being able to dress casually on Fridays, voluntarily contribute to a charitable fund that disburses gifts monthly to local non-profit organizations. This employee-driven donation program is called Community Commitment. The Bank matches the employee donations, doubling the amount given to the chosen non-profit organization. Each month employees at a different bank location get to choose the recipient of these contributions.
For the month of April, employees at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust's 135 High Street location in Ellsworth chose two organizations to receive the Community Commitment funds: Friends in Action and Forgotten Felines.
Friends in Action started in 2003 offering free services to the elderly and disabled in Hancock County, to help them live independently, with dignity, and a strong quality of life. Through their team of more than 150 volunteers, some of the free services they provide include transportation, friendly visits/phone calls; help with chores or errands, and operating the Senior Center at the old Moore School on State Street in Ellsworth. Since the Senior Center opened in 2010 Friends in Action has seen a 70% increase in the number of people requesting assistance. Over 90% of the services they provide are transportation related. Volunteer drivers are currently needed in the Gouldsboro area, for local trips to medical appointments.
Plans are underway currently to renovate the Moore School, making the Senior Center a permanent part of the Ellsworth landscape. The Center provides a place for seniors to gather and receives over 200 visitors per month. "Things are going very well and services are expanding, including a new food program for low income seniors," said Jo Cooper, Director of Friends in Action. Contributions can be made payable to Friends in Action, P.O. Box 1446, Ellsworth, ME 04605. More information can be found online at www.faithinactionellsworth.org.
"I am absolutely overwhelmed, for a small organization like Forgotten Felines to be recognized for the work they do, with this donation. It is good to know people care about animals," said Pamela Hansberry of Forgotten Felines of Maine, a wall-less shelter for cats using foster homes from Augusta to Machias. Currently they have about 100 kittens and several cats in foster care.
Forgotten Felines, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit corporation dedicated to educating the public about feral cats by providing literature and advice on caring for feral, stray, homeless and abandoned cats; assisting in humanely reducing cat overpopulation with a "trap/neuter/return" (TNR) program; providing access to low-cost spay/neuter services; and helping to place adoptable cats in loving homes. Forgotten Felines provides permanent residence to feral cats that cannot return to life on the streets. Contributions can be made payable to Forgotten Felines, P.O. Box 264, Gouldsboro, ME 04607. More information is available online at www.forgottenfelinesme.org.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, celebrating 125 years of service, is a community bank with more than $1 billion in assets. Founded in 1887, they offer a full range of financial services and products for families, businesses, and non-profit organizations throughout Maine with more than a dozen locations along the coast. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is a subsidiary of Bar Harbor Bankshares (AMEX:BHB) and is named one of the 2011 Best Places to Work in Maine. For more information call 207-288-3314 or go to www.bhbt.com.
