Bar Harbor, Maine (May 31, 2022) - Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees recently presented $12,000 in donations from the Bank’s employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for A Cause, to five nonprofit organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The recipients of the contributions collected in Q1 2022 are: Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and The Ark Animal Shelter in Maine; Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter in New Hampshire; and Otter Valley Activities Association and White River Valley Education Association in Vermont.
Bank employees participating in Casual for a Cause dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a bi-weekly payroll deduction made to a pool of funds collected during each quarter. The employees then vote on the nonprofits to receive their contributions. Employees have donated more than $160,000 to more than 70 organizations since the program launched in 2018.
“Our employees truly care about the communities where we live and work, and the Casual for a Cause program is an easy way for them to get involved in philanthropy,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “Whether someone donates $1 or $25 every pay period, the collective donation is significant and really makes a difference to the nonprofit organizations that are selected.”
Recipients of Q1 2022 Donations
Maine
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center is part of a nonprofit organization and provides medical services to communities throughout central, eastern, and northern Maine. The donation from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees will be directed to the Center’s Champion the Cure Challenge, an annual event that funds local cancer research and enhances patients’ care and their experience fighting cancer. Learn more about the Champion the Cure Challenge at www.ctcchallenge.org.
“We are very grateful to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust for including us in their Casual for a Cause campaign,” said Terry Leahy, Director for Oncology Operations at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. “Not only will the funds support cancer patients right here in Maine, but the quarter-long initiative also provided Champion the Cure Challenge with enhanced visibility among Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees and clients. We are appreciative of all their efforts and look forward to cheering their team on at the Champion the Cure Challenge this August.”
The Ark Animal Shelter is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the care of homeless, unwanted, or displaced animals. Since 1984, the ARK has been committed to providing compassionate care and placement of homeless animals, alleviating overpopulation of companion animals by promoting low cost spay/neuter programs, and promoting and improving the welfare of all animals through community outreach and education. Learn more at www.thearkpets.org.
“The ARK is simply honored and humbled to be the recipient of such a generous gift,” said Shaina Mugford, Administrator at The ARK. “The work that we are able to do every day is because of people and businesses like you. With this gift, The ARK will continue to provide compassionate care and placement to homeless, abused and unwanted pets while continuously striving toward alleviating the unwanted pet population through spay and neuter, and promoting and improving the welfare of animals in Washington and Hancock County.”
New Hampshire
Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter (MATS) offers safe, comfortable housing for families, couples, and individuals as they move from homelessness to home. Established in 1991, MATS assists its guests with employment, housing, transportation, childcare, benefits, education, and other issues and connects them with agencies and community resources where they may find help. Learn more at www.matsnh.org.
“The Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter (MATS) is very grateful for the generous gift from the employees of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust,” said Peter Harrison, President of the Board of MATS. “For more than thirty years, MATS has worked to provide transitional housing, support, and referral services to people who are experiencing homelessness – and to advocate for solutions to the housing crisis in our state. Your generous support will help us continue this work and expand its scope as we renovate a second apartment building for individuals and families on waiting lists for affordable housing.”
Vermont
Otter Valley Activities Association in Brandon, Vermont, supports students, coaches, and school staff at Otter Valley Union Middle and High School. The donation from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees will be used to support athletic camps, scholarships, and supplemental activities including theater and music programs.
White River Valley Middle School/ Education Association serves approximately 140 students in grades 6-8. The donation from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees will be used to fund student education and recreation activities.
“I was floored, honored and impressed with the generosity of the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees,” said Owen Bradley, Principal of White River Valley Middle School. “Please express our gratitude to the employees for thinking of our school and acting so generously with this gift.”
Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB) is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Operating over 50 locations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine and has more than $3.6 billion in assets. As a leading Northern New England community bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust offers a full range of personal and business banking services, as well as wealth management services through its subsidiary Bar Harbor Wealth Management. For more information about Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, visit www.barharbor.bank or call 888-853-7100. Member FDIC.
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Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (BHBT) presents a donation from the Bank’s Casual for a Cause program to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. Pictured from left to right: Terry Leahy, Director for Oncology Operations at EMMC; Jeni Lloyd, Major Gifts Officer at Northern Light Health Foundation; Ruth Dunbar, VP Senior Wealth Manager at Bar Harbor Wealth Management; Adam Robertson, SVP Middle Market Relationship Manager at BHBT; Tom Dorrity, AVP Regional Relationship Manager at BHBT; Zach Riitano, VP Portfolio Manager at BHBT; and Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at BHBT.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (BHBT) presents a donation from the Bank’s Casual for a Cause program to The ARK Animal Shelter. Pictured from left to right: Danielle Bauer, Manager of Shelter Operations at ARK; Heather Geel, Senior Animal Care Technician at ARK; Shaina Mugford, Administrator at ARK; Candy Pendleton, Personal Banker at BHBT; and Andrew Somes, AVP Branch Relationship Manager at BHBT.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (BHBT) presents a donation from the Bank’s Casual for a Cause program to Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter. Pictured from left to right: Bruce Simpson, VP of MATS Board of Directors; Ernie Belletete, MATS Board Member; Shelley Griswold, AVP Branch Relationship Manager at BHBT; Peter Harrison, President of MATS Board of Directors; and Mike Justason, AVP Branch Relationship Manager at BHBT.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (BHBT) presents a donation from the Bank’s Casual for a Cause program to Otter Valley Activities Association. Pictured from left to right: Steven Keith, Activities Director at Otter Valley Union High School; and Melissa Case, VP Branch Relationship Manager at BHBT.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust (BHBT) presents a donation from the Bank’s Casual for a Cause program to White River Valley Middle School/ Education Association. Pictured from left to right: Owen Bradley, Principal and Teacher at White River Valley Middle School; and Melissa Case, VP Branch Relationship Manager at BHBT.