Vice President/Retail Banking Officer Paul Saia, Marketing and Customer Engagement Coordinator Allison Diebus, and Salvation Army Captain Kevin Polito, display a van filled with hundreds of toys, books, bikes, clothes, etc. donated this year by the bank to the Milford, MA Salvation Army Angel Tree Program.

We once again shared in the spirit of Christmas this year through their partnership with the Milford, MA Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program. Through the generosity of the bank’s employees, community, and customers, the 35 children’s wish list Angel tags were claimed, and all wish list requests were fulfilled. Children received their donated Christmas gifts including bikes, toys, clothes, books, shoes, and more. Marketing and Customer Engagement Coordinator Allison Diebus organized the yearly tradition for CRB by getting the children’s lists from Captain Kelley Polito at the Salvation Army and coordinating with the community to make sure each tag was claimed and requests fulfilled.

“Our incredible community members and amazing team show over and over again what it means to come together for the greater good. The amount of response and toys/clothes purchased for the Angel Tree children was astounding. We are happy to partner with the Salvation Army for this wonderful program, and seeing the generosity from participants reminds me how lucky we are to be involved with such a caring community,” said Charles River Bank Senior Vice President Ann Sherry.

The Salvation Army Angel Tree Program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children around the country each year. Once a child has been registered and accepted as an angel, their Christmas wish list is shared with the community who then purchase the items and clothes on the wish list.

“Thanks to all of the beautiful people associated with Charles River Bank. You will enrich many children’s Christmas holiday!” said Captain Kevin Polito of the Milford, MA Salvation Army.

Left to right – Julie Harrington, Derek Plourde, Richard Parrella, and Joanne Russo

Charles River Bank’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Plourde (center left) presents a donation check of $1,000 to the Medway Christmas Parade Committee, represented by (L-R) Julie Harrington, Director of Medway Parks and Recreation; Richard Parrella, Vice President of EPCO Inc.; and Joanne Russo, Town of Medway Treasurer/Collector. The 28^th Annual Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, November 27^th, and will begin at 5:30 pm at the Medway High School and proceed left onto Summer Street, left on Milford Street to Franklin Street, left onto Village Street into Medway Village continuing onto Holliston Street, left onto to Main Street, and ending at Choate Park and the Thayer House. The parade will culminate with ceremonies at the Thayer House that includes the presentation of service awards with music, food concessions, and a visit from Santa Claus! A spectacular fireworks show and festive tree lighting conclude the evening’s events.

Two of the four scholarship winners, Carolyn Hernandez (left) and Brenna Lorenzen (right) with Joan Gavini-Campbell

President and CEO, Jack Hamilton, is pleased to award their annual scholarships from the Bank to Carolyn Hernandez, Brenna Lorenzen, Drew Plunkett, and Christopher Nicklas. All four students are 2020 graduates of Medway High School. Scholarship recipients must demonstrate that they have successfully completed their first semester of college and are enrolled for second-semester classes. In order to be eligible for CRB’s scholarship, students must either participate as a student-teller in the School Banking Program at Medway High School (MHS) where Charles River Bank operates a full-service educational branch supervised by Joan Gavini-Campbell, or be employed at any of Charles River Bank’s three offices. The students who work at the MHS office earn school credit as tellers at the school branch. They learn about banking operations, regulations, financial services, and marketing and compete annually at the Federal Reserve in the Massachusetts School Banking Association Competition.

Carolyn is a Political Science major at Framingham State University where she is able to still actively participate in her hobby of six years, acting. Brenna, a defenseman for Ithaca College Women’s Soccer Team, is pursuing a major in business administration with a double concentration in marketing and sports management. Both Carolyn and Brenna also work at tellers in Charles River Bank branches during summers and school vacations. Drew is enrolled at Worcester Polytechnic Institution (WPI) where he is majoring in Management Engineering with a minor in Mechanical Engineering. Drew plays for WPI’s Football Team and is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Christopher attends Providence College. “I’m so grateful to have had the pleasure of working with Charles River Bank, Joan, and, in conjunction, receiving their generous scholarship,” stated Carolyn Hernandez.

“These four individuals are very deserving of these scholarships. Unfortunately, their school banking experience was cut short during their senior year due to the school shutdown from Covid-19. However, they still managed to stand out as excellent candidates and it’s exciting to hear about their college successes. I wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors,” said Jack Hamilton.

Recently, Medway Community Farm (MCF) has completed significant improvements to their Farm Store location at 50 Winthrop Street.  A long-time supporter of MCF, Charles River Bank donated $1,500 to sponsor the new road-side sign installed to attract the attention of those driving by the MCF Store.

Carol Collord, President of the MCF Board of Directors thanked Charles River Bank by stating, “We value the ongoing support they provide to us, for specific projects like the MCF Store sign, and other important programs.  They have been accessible and responsive, which is especially appreciated during a year filled with so many unexpected operational challenges resulting from the pandemic.”

Incorporated in 2009 and operating on 7 acres, MCF aims to provide locally-grown food, educational programming, volunteer opportunities and public events to the local community. Farm Manager Seth and Greenhouse Manager Christine Terramane, along with the farm crew, farm store staff, dedicated volunteers and the Farm’s Board of Directors, work together to bring organic produce and flowers to the Medway community. The MCF Store operates seasonally, offering their produce, flowers and honey produced on site.  In addition, you can find baked and canned goods, eggs and meat from other local organic farms, as well as handcrafted gift items.  For enhanced social distancing, MCF offers online ordering and curbside pickup.

For those looking for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for produce and flowers, MCF offers full and half shares for spring, summer and fall, or full year options.

Additionally, MCF delivers many educational programs to children in our community, working closely with Medway Public Schools and Medway Community Education offering special programs during the summer and into the fall this year.

“The interest in organic, locally grown foods using sustainable, low-impact methods has never been greater.  There is no better, healthier way to get your produce and flowers than right from your own community.  Charles River Bank was founded in Medway in 1915 by local residents when farms and mills dominated the scenery of our town. Today we are proud to support Medway Community Farm and the critical role it plays in meeting this growing demand to get back to locally sourced agriculture,” said Charles River Bank Senior Vice President Ann Sherry.

Information about MCF Store hours, purchasing CSA shares, volunteer opportunities and community programming can be found on their website www.medwaycommunityfarm.org.

Charles River Bank (CRB) is providing FREE shredding services during their Community Shred Day on Saturday, November 2nd from 10:00am to 1:00pm. The event will be held simultaneously at CRB’s branch locations at 70 Main Street, Medway, MA 02053; 2 South Maple Street, Bellingham, MA 02019; and 1 Hastings Street, Mendon, MA 01756.

Bring your sensitive documents to any of the CRB locations listed, and the Bank’s document destruction company will professionally shred them onsite. It’s a great way to clear the clutter from your home while protecting your personal information.

“Security of personal financial information is always the highest priority at Charles River Bank. Offering a Community Shred Day provides secure document destruction service to our customers and neighbors who may not have access to a high volume shredder at home,” stated Charles River Bank President & CEO Jack Hamilton.

Everyone who stops by to shred documents will receive a free Charles River Bank pompom hat (while supplies last). Anyone visiting a CRB office on the November 2nd Shred Day can enter to win a $500 Wachusett COW Card. The contest winner can then shred the trails of Wachusett Mountain this winter with family or friends. Questions about Community Shred Day can be directed to 508-533-8661 or info@charlesriverbank.com.

Charles River Bank—with assets of $250 million—was founded in 1915, and continues to offer a wide range of individual and business banking services. The Bank’s Main Office is located at 70 Main Street in Medway, with state-of-the-art branches located on the Bellingham/Franklin town line on Route 140 and in Mendon at 1 Hastings Street, at the intersection of Rte. 16 and North Avenue. Charles River Bank also operates a branch in Medway High School that serves as an educational facility and full-service branch. In 2018, Charles River Bank contributed more than $37,000 to community non-profit organizations.

For more information call 508-533-8661 or visit www.charlesriverbank.com.

Charles River Bank is a proud sponsor of this year’s Medway Summer Concert Series in conjunction with the Medway Parks and Recreation Department. Concerts will be held Mondays in July at Choate Park in Medway from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The program is also supported by a grant from the Medway Cultural Council, which supports various programs that promote access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences.

This year’s schedule of performers includes:

-July 8: The Chris Ross Band
-July 15: The Dan Rice Project
-July 22: Lake Shore Drive Band
-July 29: The Reminisants

“We love the idea of a summer concert series at Medway’s redesigned and newly upgraded Choate Park. It’s the perfect place for our community to get together and discover some very talented local artists. We are so happy to sponsor these concerts so everyone can get outside and enjoy an evening with friends, family and music in beautiful Choate Park,” said Charles River Bank’s Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Relationship Development Ann Sherry.

Charles River Bank donated $1,000 to the Medway Foundation for Education (MFE) as Premier Sponsor of their Dodging 4 Schools Annual Dodgeball Tournament. This year’s tournament will be held on March 23^rd at 11:00am at the Medway Middle School.

The Medway Foundation for Education was formed in 2002 to help raise funds to support local, educational-based special initiatives that enhance programs offered through the Medway Public Schools. Charles River Bank has always been deeply committed to the MFE, supporting its fundraising efforts and events held throughout the year. Bank officers have served on the MFE board since its founding. Currently, Charles River Bank AVP/Medway Operations Manager Nancy MacLeod is a member of the MFE Board of Directors.

To date, the MFE has provided over $270,000 in grants to Medway Public Schools through fundraising events like the Dodgeball Tournament and Trivia Bee. This year, the MFE Board of Directors has awarded grants to establish a new Collaborative Classroom with updated technologies for Medway High School students, a Lightboard Studio that creates video lectures for Medway Middle School students and an interactive Lego table for Medway Elementary School students.

(Medway, MA)- Charles River Bank President & CEO Jack Hamilton is pleased to award annual scholarships from Charles River Bank to Catherine Dunne, Lillian Sears and Jessica Daly. All three students are 2018 graduates of Medway High School. Scholarship recipients must demonstrate that they have successfully completed their first semester of college and are enrolled for second semester classes. Dunne is studying accounting at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is also pursuing a minor in economics. Sears is in her freshmen year at Westfield State where she is majoring in criminal justice. Daly attends Arizona State University and is majoring in biomedical sciences with the intent to pursue a graduate degree in physical therapy.

To be eligible for a scholarship, students must either participate as a student-teller in the School Bank Program at Medway High School where Charles River Bank operates a full-service educational branch, or be employed at any of Charles River Bank’s three branches.  Student-tellers at the Medway High School office earn school credit as tellers at the school branch.  They learn about banking operations, regulations, financial services and marketing.

“Catherine, Lilly and Jess are articulate, intelligent and very deserving of these scholarships. They stood out in our High School Bank Program and it’s exciting to see them succeed in their college careers. I look forward to seeing what their futures hold,” said Hamilton.

Caption: Charles River Bank Marketing and Retail Banking Support Representative Catrina Lopes, Salvation Army Major Dave Irwin and Charles River Bank President and CEO Jack Hamilton display a selection of the hundreds of toys donated this year by the bank to the Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family Program.

Charles River Bank shared in the Christmas spirit this year through their partnership with the Milford Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family Program. The bank adopted 45 children, and through the generosity of the bank’s employees and customers, all 45 received many items on their wish lists including bikes, roller blades, dolls and coats. Marketing and Retail Banking Support Representative Catrina Lopes organized the yearly tradition for the bank by getting the children’s lists from the Salvation Army and making sure each child was adopted and received what they asked for.

Charles River Bank President and CEO Jack Hamilton stated, “Our local community members show time and time again what it means to come together for the greater good. The amount of toys and clothing purchased for these children is astounding. We are happy to partner with the Salvation Army for this wonderful program, and seeing the generosity of our employees and community members reminds me of why we do this every year.”

The Adopt-A-Family program aims to help local families who have fallen on hard times make Christmas a special time for their children. Parents submit a wish-list for their children detailing their first name, age, gender, clothing sizes and some games and toys they would like to receive. Local businesses and community groups adopt a certain number of children then donors select a wish-list and purchase the items requested.

“The holiday season is a time when we depend on community support the most in order to bring Christmas to those in need. The joy in the eyes of a child when they receive a toy, the relief on the face of a parent when there is food for the family, the smile of the homeless person as they receive food and clothes and the gratitude someone expresses for help with a utility bill or rent . . . these are priceless gifts that the local community helps make possible,” said Major Jessie Irwin of the Milford Salvation Army.

Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Relationship Development Ann Sherry presents a scholarship check to UMass Boston freshman Luc Lafayette for participating in the student teller program at Charles River Bank during high school and for successfully completing his first semester of college.

Charles River Bank Senior Vice President of Customer Care and Relationship Development Ann Sherry is pleased to award annual scholarships from Charles River Bank to Luc Lafayette, Brian Culcasi and Ashley Paturzo. All three students are 2016 graduates of Medway High School. Scholarship recipients must demonstrate that they have successfully completed their first semester of college and are enrolled for second semester classes. Lafayette is studying Political Science at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Culcasi is in his freshmen year at Florida Gulf Coast University where he is majoring in professional golf management. Paturzo attends the University of South Carolina and is majoring in retail management.

To be eligible for a scholarship, students must either participate as a student-teller in the School Bank Program at Medway High School where Charles River Bank operates a full-service educational branch, or be employed at any of Charles River Bank’s three branches. Student- tellers at the Medway High School office earn school credit as tellers at the school branch. They learn about banking operations, regulations, financial services and marketing.

“Luc, Brian and Ashley are extremely deserving of these scholarships. They were wonderful assets to the Student Banking Program and Luc also worked in our Main Office at Charles River Bank. It’s exciting to see them succeed in college. I hope these scholarships will help each of them with their college expenses,” said Sherry.