Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently presented donations totaling more than $9,600 to five Northern New England nonprofit organizations from its employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for A Cause. The recipients of the contributions collected in Q2 2021 are: Boots2Roots, Chandler Center for the Arts, NextStep Domestic Violence Project, Paramount Theatre, and West Central Behavior Health.
“While the nonprofit organizations Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees selected in Q2 2021 are diverse in the services they provide, they are unified in a common goal and that’s to improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “We are honored to support them and the invaluable services they provide.”
Casual for a Cause gives Bank employees the opportunity to 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 $100,000 to more than 50 organizations across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont since the program launched in 2018.
Recipients of Q2 2021 Donations
Maine
Boots2Roots is the only organization in Maine specifically focused on preparing active duty military members up to a year before they begin their transition for immediate success in Maine, while providing a pipeline of new workforce talent to Maine employers. Services include personalized self-assessment, resume assistance, interview coaching, and more. Learn more about Boots2Roots at www.boots2roots.org.
"Boots2Roots sends a special thank you to the team at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust for their generous donation,” said Bill Benson, Executive Director of Boots2Roots. “Together we will continue to make a difference in the lives of military members and their families as they transition to work and put down roots in Maine."
NextStep Domestic Violence Project supports and empowers people affected by domestic violence, while striving to prevent and end the cycle of domestic violence through education and social change. Services provided by the organization includes a 24/7 helpline, emergency housing, legal assistance, and support groups. Learn more about NextStep at www.nextstepdvproject.org.
“NextStep appreciates your generous support,” said Dorathy Martel, Executive Director of NextStep Domestic Violence Project. “Unrestricted donations such as yours allow us to be responsive to the needs of survivors of domestic violence throughout Downeast Maine. Your gift will contribute to our efforts to make our shelter a haven for people with dog and cat companions. Many survivors value their pets’ safety as highly as they do their own, and knowing that there are safe places where they can be together expands their options.”
New Hampshire
West Central Behavioral Health is the nonprofit community mental health care provider for people of all ages living in the Upper Valley and Sullivan County, New Hampshire, regardless of their ability to pay. The organization offers a wide range of specialized services including outpatient, emergency, case management, residential and continuing care services. Learn more about West Central Behavioral Health at www.wcbh.org.
“Knowing we were chosen by the Bank's employees is especially heartening for it suggests mental illness and substance use disorders are an important part of their charitable priorities,” said Dave Celone, Director of Development & Community Relations at West Central Behavioral Health. “As we continue to seek to end the discrimination and bias surrounding mental illness, Bar Harbor Bank's employee support means the world to us.”
Vermont
Chandler Center for the Arts is a 575-seat theater in Randolph, Vermont, whose mission is to strengthen and energize the community, deepen the cultural and artistic growth of youth, offer opportunities for people to come together in celebration of the arts, inspire and cultivate artistic expression and education in the performing and visual arts for people of all ages and incomes. Learn more about Chandler Center for the Arts at www.chandler-arts.org.
“Chandler Center for the Arts is delighted and honored to be chosen by the employees of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in the Casual for a Cause employee-led program,” said Karen Dillon, Executive Director of Chandler Center for the Arts. “This support comes at a crucial time as we move into our reopening phase for indoor events in our 570-seat performance space and our art gallery. We are grateful and look forward to welcoming the public back safely to attend in-person events and to continue to provide arts opportunities to everyone in our area.”
Paramount Theatre is a historic theater that opened in Rutland, Vermont, in 1914. The theater hosts many events and performances and has assumed its role as an arts, cultural, and educational leader, and as a significant and valuable community resource. Learn more about the Paramount Theatre at www.paramountvt.org.
“The Paramount Theatre is an asset for the community because of the community,” said Eric Mallette, Executive Director of Paramount Theatre. “This generous donation by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust exemplifies what a caring, forward thinking community we are fortunate to call home. After 500-plus days of a dark stage, our ability to generate income ‘the old fashioned way’ via ticket sales has been compromised – we survived the rough waters of the pandemic because of selfless acts like the one illustrated by the tremendous team at Bar Harbor.”
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 subsidiaries Bar Harbor Trust Services and Charter Trust Company. For more information about Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, visit www.barharbor.bank or call 888-853-7100. Member FDIC.
