Florence Bank Donates $50,000 to the Easthampton Community Center

FLORENCE — Florence Bank announced that it recently donated $50,000 to the Easthampton Community Center through its Florence Savings Easthampton Branch Charitable Foundation, Inc.

“We are honored to receive such a large donation,” said Robin Bialecki, executive director of the Easthampton Community Center, who was recently named the 2022 Person of the Year by United Way of the Hampshire & Franklin Region. “This is a testament to how much the people at Florence Bank and the Easthampton Branch Charitable Foundation value our work, and it will allow us to touch many lives in the community.” 

The Florence Savings Easthampton Branch Charitable Foundation was formed in 1999, following the merger of the former Easthampton Cooperative Bank into Florence Bank, the first and only acquisition for Florence Bank.
That investment brought Florence Bank into Easthampton for the first time. Before the merger, Easthampton Cooperative Bank operated the branch near the city rotary, which Florence Bank assumed and continues to run today.

“This foundation helps reinforce the longstanding giving philosophy of Florence Bank,” said President and CEO Kevin Day. “There is a synergy there. The foundation allows the bank to serve its overall mission as a supporter and sustainer in the communities we serve.”

The check for $50,000 was presented by three original members of the foundation: Nancy J. LaBombard, Virginia L. Smith and Anita Sedlak.