Submitted by Elizabeth A. Kuhns.
March 31, 2020 – Essex, Connecticut – Essex Savings Bank is pleased to announce that, through its Community Investment Program (CIP), the Bank will be giving out $369,267 to support local non-profits and civic groups in 2020. The added monies available were in direct response to the successes of 2019, the Bank’s most profitable year on record. Gregory R. Shook, President & CEO stated, “It gives me great pleasure in light of the pandemic we are all now facing, to be able to provide needed funding to support these vital organizations in our community.”
The Bank’s CIP provides funding through numerous channels; customers allocate 30% of funds by voting for three of their favorite participating causes, charities or organizations on an annual ballot. The remaining 70% of funding is distributed by the Bank’s Directors, Senior Officers, Branch Managers and the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiary Essex Financial Services, Inc. Through its CIP, the Bank has donated nearly $5 million dollars to over 200 local nonprofit organizations. In addition to these donations, many of the Bank’s employees offer their time and expertise to nonprofit organizations in both official board and volunteer capacities.
Essex Savings Bank is delighted to also share the results of its annual customer ballot initiative to which 72 organizations participated this past February. The Shoreline Soup Kitchen & Food Pantries, which has received the greatest number of votes every year they have participated, was again awarded the largest number of votes translating into the largest monetary award, nearly $10,000. The remaining 71 organizations, whose missions range from servicing low income individuals, to youth and senior services and from emergency services to animal welfare and the arts received a combined total of $101,106.
Essex Savings Bank is a FDIC insured, state chartered, mutual savings bank established in 1851. The Bank serves the Connecticut River Valley and shoreline with six offices in Essex (2), Chester, Madison, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook providing a full complement of personal and business banking. Financial, estate, insurance and retirement planning are offered throughout the state by the Bank’s Trust Department and wholly-owned subsidiary, Essex Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC.
RESULTS OF ESSEX SAVINGS BANK CUSTOMER BALLOTING
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM 2020
| Organization | Total | 2020 Amount |
| The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, Inc. | 589 | $9,678 |
| Forgotten Felines, Inc. | 322 | $5,291 |
| Valley Shore Animal Welfare League | 298 | $4,897 |
| Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. – Meals on Wheels | 242 | $3,976 |
| High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc. | 221 | $3,631 |
| Bikes for Kids, Inc. | 209 | $3,434 |
| Pet Connections, Inc. | 181 | $2,974 |
| Tait’s Every Animal Matters (TEAM) | 178 | $2,925 |
| A Little Compassion Inc. / The Nest Coffee House | 162 | $2,662 |
| Camp Hazen YMCA | 162 | $2,662 |
| Essex Fire Engine Company No. 1 | 157 | $2,580 |
| Lyme Ambulance Association, Inc. | 133 | $2,185 |
| Deep River Fire Department, Inc. | 132 | $2,169 |
| Valley Shore YMCA | 129 | $2,120 |
| Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, Inc. (VNLV) | 129 | $2,120 |
| The Chester Hose Company Incorporated | 127 | $2,087 |
| Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation, Inc. | 117 | $1,922 |
| The Essex Library Association, Inc. | 114 | $1,873 |
| Old Lyme Fire Department, Inc. | 113 | $1,857 |
| Essex Ambulance Association, Inc. | 112 | $1,840 |
| Connecticut Cancer Foundation, Inc. | 109 | $1,791 |
| Ivoryton Library Association | 104 | $1,709 |
| Lyme Fire Company | 103 | $1,692 |
| Chester Historical Society | 101 | $1,660 |
| Madison Ambulance Association, Inc. | 99 | $1,627 |
| The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Inc. | 90 | $1,479 |
| Pandemonium Rainforest Project, Inc. | 85 | $1,397 |
| Old Saybrook Land Trust, Inc. | 84 | $1,380 |
| Friends In Service Here (F.I.S.H.) | 81 | $1,331 |
| Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc. | 80 | $1,315 |
| Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore, CT, Inc. | 70 | $1,150 |
| SARAH, Inc. | 70 | $1,150 |
| Brian House of Chester | 68 | $1,117 |
| Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Association | 68 | $1,117 |
| Old Lyme Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. | 67 | $1,101 |
| Friends of the Essex Library | 64 | $1,052 |
| Pettipaug Junior Sailing Academy, Inc. | 64 | $1,052 |
| Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau | 63 | $1,035 |
| Vista Life Innovations, Inc. | 62 | $1,019 |
| Old Lyme Land Trust, Inc. | 59 | $969 |
| Old Saybrook Historical Society | 59 | $969 |
| Westbrook Project Graduation, Inc. | 57 | $937 |
| Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau, Inc. | 56 | $920 |
| Common Good Gardens, Inc. | 55 | $904 |
| Lyme Public Hall & Local History Archives, Inc. | 55 | $904 |
| Region 4 Education Foundation | 55 | $904 |
| Chester Land Trust | 53 | $871 |
| Deep River Historical Society, Inc. | 53 | $871 |
| Westbrook Youth and Family Services, Inc. | 53 | $871 |
| Essex Historical Society, Inc. | 51 | $838 |
| Friends of the Chester Public Library, Inc. | 51 | $838 |
| Friends of the Deep River Public Library, Inc. | 51 | $838 |
| Community Music School | 50 | $822 |
| Lyme Art Association, Inc. | 46 | $756 |
| Deep River Elementary School PTO, Inc | 43 | $707 |
| Deep River Land Trust, Inc. | 42 | $690 |
| Essex Elementary School Foundation, Inc. | 41 | $674 |
| Cappella Cantorum, Inc. | 39 | $641 |
| Con Brio Choral Society, Inc. | 37 | $608 |
| Hope Partnership, Inc. | 37 | $608 |
| Sister Cities Essex Haiti, Inc. | 37 | $608 |
| Angel Charities, Inc. | 34 | $559 |
| Essex Community Fund, Inc. | 34 | $559 |
| The Woman’s Exchange of Old Lyme, Inc. | 34 | $559 |
| Act II Thrift Shop, Inc. | 33 | $542 |
| Essex Winter Series | 32 | $526 |
| Ivoryton Village Alliance | 31 | $509 |
| Lymes’ Elderly Housing, Inc. (Lymewood) | 27 | $444 |
| Ruth Ann Heller Music Foundation, Inc. | 24 | $394 |
| Brazilian and American Youth Cultural Exchange (BRAYCE) | 23 | $378 |
| MusicNow Foundation, Inc | 17 | $279 |
| Musical Masterworks, Inc. | 14 | $230 |
