Staff at the Partners Bank locations in Sanford, South Sanford, and Springvale present a $2,000 check to the Salvation Army Food Pantry (top photo) and $4,000 to the York County Shelter Programs Food Pantry (bottom photo).
Top photo: (left to right) Jim Downs, Captain of Sanford Salvation Army; and staff from the Springvale branch, Charlene Conant, Rose Erwin, Kaylee LeClair and Kayla Foster.
Bottom photo: (left to right) From York County Shelter Programs, Inc., Megan Gean-Gendron, Executive Director, and Robert Boyd, Food Pantry Coordinator; and Stacie Parker, Market Manager of Partners Bank Sanford and South Sanford locations.

Sanford, ME – The holidays are a time of cheer, joy, and togetherness. While a lot of us will get to experience the pleasures of the holidays, Partners Bank wants to remember those who are not as fortunate. To some, the holidays are a sad reminder that their dinner table will be short on turkey, ham, vegetables, bread, and other holiday favorites. That is where the Partners Bank  Hopeful Holidays Donation comes in.

Partners Bank is spreading hope to those experiencing food insecurity by donating a total of $30,000 to local food pantries in the communities they serve: Sanford, South Sanford, Springvale, Limerick, Waterboro, Buxton, Wells, York, Portsmouth, Rye, and Kingston.

Partners Bank President & CEO Blaine Boudreau shares, “With the Partners Bank Hopeful Holidays Donation, we want to give hope to those who could use a reminder that they are not alone and that someone cares about them.”

Market Managers at each of the 11 Partners Bank locations selected local food pantries to receive the $30,000 donation. In the Sanford/South Sanford/Springvale region, the list of food pantries and the amount donated are:

• The Sanford and South Sanford branches are teaming up to donate $4,000 to the York County Shelter Programs (YCSP) Food Pantry.
• The Springvale branch is donating $2,000 to the Salvation Army Food Pantry – Sanford.

The YCSP Food Pantry is open for all in need on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 5 Swetts Bridge Rd in Alfred, ME. In addition to the 6,000 people they feed every month, the YCSP Food Pantry likes to spread hope to others by distributing special Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. They accept donations from businesses, organizations, and individuals – the community truly works together to help the YCSP Food Pantry.

The Salvation Army Food Pantry in Sanford, ME, is located at 871 Main Street and is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. They are currently able to help with monthly food baskets and emergency food.

Throughout the month of November, Partners Bank will be distributing checks to these important organizations, so those who are experiencing food insecurity are not left behind during the holidays.

But that’s not all, the generosity does not end there. Before Thanksgiving, Partners Bank will gift a turkey to each employee, and some of those employees want to double the kindness by donating their turkey to the Shelter Programs (YCSP) Food Pantry.

Last year, employees donated 40 turkeys to the YCSP Food Pantry for Thanksgiving. Forty 10-lb. turkeys can feed approximately 320 people, and the employees are hoping to make an even bigger impact this year. Every year, the volunteers at YCSP Food Pantry work diligently to meet the growing demands of the community. Therefore, the turkey donation will not only benefit the recipients but also ease the jobs of the unsung heroes at the food pantry.

During the third week of November, a group of employees will drive the turkeys to the YCSP Food Pantry. The final turkey count will be confirmed closer to Thanksgiving.

“Partners Bank is The Bank That Listens for a reason. We hear the struggles that some people are having with the rising cost of everything, especially food,” says Boudreau. “The holidays should be a time of hope and joy. As the leading bank in Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire that pours back into the community, we created the Partners Bank Hopeful Holidays Donation to instill hope and joy to the community.”

About Partners Bank:

Partners Bank was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Sanford, Maine, with additional Maine branch locations in Springvale, South Sanford, Limerick, Buxton, Waterboro, Wells and York, as well as New Hampshire branch locations in Portsmouth, Rye, and Kingston. Partners Bank is a mutual savings bank that operates solely for the benefit of its deposit and loan customers and is focused on giving back to the communities where it serves. Deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  Partners Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Equal Housing Lender. For more information, please visit their eBranch at partners.bank, Facebok page at Facebook.com/PartnersBankOnline or call 1-888-226-5747.