Success Stories

At bankHometown, our annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraising drive is all about trying to make a difference by raising money for local food pantries that help our neighbors in need gain access to healthy food.

The Neighbors Helping Neighbors appeal is part of the bank’s charitable giving program, The Giving Tree, which reflects the bank’s commitment to making a difference in the neighborhoods it serves. Throughout November, the bank invited customers, employees, and members of the community to donate at bankHometown branches. All donations received were matched, dollar-for-dollar, by the bank and the total divided among local food pantries.

In 2024, the program raised $67,500, donating $4,500 to 15 local pantries, and bringing the total amount raised since the program’s reception to $482,900.

bankHometown is proud to support all that have served our country, and we are humbled by the sacrifices they have made on our behalf.

The bank made a $5,000 donation to the Putnam Veterans Advisory Committee, supporting the creation of an Afghanistan Memorial in Putnam. The Afghanistan Memorial is a significant initiative to create a place for reflection, remembrance, and respect for service members who served during the Afghanistan conflict. Located in the heart of Putnam, this monument serves as a constant reminder of the dedication, courage, and sacrifices of military personnel, as well as the support of their families and loved ones.

“We are deeply grateful for the service of all veterans and especially moved by the opportunity to support a monument that pays tribute to those who served in Afghanistan,” said Robert J. Morton, president and CEO of bankHometown. “Our hope is that this memorial will serve as a place of peace and reflection for veterans, families, and community members who want to honor and remember those who have served.”

Who says bankers can’t also be farmers?

This summer, members of our Retail Banking, Commercial Lending, Credit, and Commercial Loan Administration teams spent several mornings volunteering at the Community Harvest Project (CHP) in Grafton, helping to grow, tend, and harvest fruits and vegetables for our neighbors experiencing hunger.

Recognizing that those who experience hunger are also more likely to have limited access to healthy foods—which leads to poor health effects like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease—CHP is a nonprofit farm that engages and educates volunteers to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for hunger relief. With locations in Grafton and Harvard, CHP welcomes more than 7,500 volunteers annually to work on the farm and move hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh produce from the fields to distribution agencies like food banks and pantries and ultimately onto the plates of people all across Worcester, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties.

All told, bankHometown employees spent nearly 125 volunteer hours on the farm. On one morning alone, they harvested more than 3,400 lbs. of several varieties of squash, which CHP Manager of Volunteer Programs Wayne McAuliffe said would equal about 12,000 servings!

“There’s something about being present on the farm, harvesting food with your own hands, and seeing the results of your labor, knowing it will make a real difference for so many of our friends and neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity,” said bankHometown President and CEO Robert J. Morton. “We all agreed that it was a highly rewarding and meaningful experience and one that we’re eager to take part in again.”

At bankHometown, we support economic growth and development in the communities we serve. That’s why it was an easy decision for us to commit $150,000 to a new fund established by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce for strategic economic development and workforce initiatives in Central Massachusetts.

The Worcester Regional Strategic Opportunity Fund—formally named the Linda Salem Pervier Permanent Restricted Fund in honor of a longtime chamber employee— will allow the chamber to pursue economic development including business recruitment and workforce needs while remaining within the chamber’s annual operating budget, according to Chamber President and CEO Timothy P. Murray. The organization already has raised nearly $2.5 million of the $3 million goal it set for the end of 2025, when the chamber celebrates its 150th anniversary.

“bankHometown was one of the first businesses to respond to this important initiative,” said Murray. “We are grateful to both President and CEO Rob Morton and the bankHometown board for their support. The Linda Salem Pervier Permanent Restricted Fund will be a catalyst for economic activity and workforce initiatives which strengthen the 40 communities within our Chamber service area.”

“We’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact that the chamber’s programs and initiatives have on area small businesses and the resulting positive effect on our local economy,” said Morton. “We’re happy to continue supporting them in their mission.”