PJ drive set
OXFORD, Mass. — Robert J. Morton, president and CEO of bankHometown, announced that the bank will once again hold its annual holiday Pajama Time drive to help keep local children warm this winter season.
Donations can be made through Dec. 19 at any of bankHometown’s 15 branch locations. Visit bankHometown.com for a list of branches.
Customers, employees, neighbors, businesses, and community members are invited to donate brand new, unworn pajama sets, nightgowns, and slippers. While all donations are appreciated, children’s sizes 4T and up as well as women’s sizes small and medium are needed most. All of the sleepwear collected will be distributed to local community schools and organizations expressing the greatest need.
“Winters can be especially hard on families, given the added expenses for clothing and other necessities,” said Morton. “bankHometown invites the community to come together during this season of giving to ensure children in need stay warm and comfortable.”
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PUTNAM — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has announced that Putnam Lions Club Foundation, Inc. in Putnam was awarded $500 from the Foundation’s Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. Mikayla Van Dam, an employee Health Plans, Inc., an affiliate of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, nominated the organization for the award. Funds will be used to support the class of 2020 graduation.
To commemorate those Harvard Pilgrim members who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, Harvard Pilgrim and the Foundation created the Community Spirit 9/11 Mini-Grant program. This program allows each Harvard Pilgrim employee to award a $500 grant, completely funded by the Foundation, to the local charity of his or her choice each calendar year. Since this community grants program began in 2002, Harvard Pilgrim employees have directed more than $6.5 million to thousands of organizations throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
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Donation
NOW Executive Director Sarah Wolfburg, left, received a $1,000 donation from Berkshire Bank Branch Officer Sarah Wallace. The donation will support youth wellness programs in the region. Wolfburg said: “This donation was a wonderful surprise and the perfect way to begin this season of giving. NOW is always grateful for the support we receive from businesses, individuals and organizations in our community; the $1,000 from Berkshire Bank will greatly assist us in our mission to promote youth wellness in Northeast CT.”
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Anniversary
Mike Bogdanski, owner of Quest Martial Arts in Putnam, is celebrating 50 years in martial arts. He’s been a school owner for more than 30 years and is also an anti-bully activist and speaker. Courtesy photo.
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