Florence Bank Gives $5,000 to Chesterfield’s Community Food Cupboard
FLORENCE—Florence Bank has donated $5,000 to Chesterfield’s Community Food Cupboard. The Food Cupboard was recently established by Chesterfield’s Council on Aging and a newly formed group of volunteers, Community Cupboard Support Team, to help needy families access food during the COVID-19 crisis. The team includes members of the select board, trustees of the Chesterfield Library, along with Council on Aging board members and Town of Chesterfield’s finance committee.
When the Chesterfield Food Cupboard was initiated, they solely offered dry and canned foods and have recently integrated dairy, eggs, fruits and fresh vegetables. Denise Cormier, a Community Food Cupboard volunteer, said, “With many families finding their incomes reduced, the need to travel to larger stores several miles away has become a difficult option. Our small Food Cupboard has become a valuable resource for locals as they appreciate being able to get food in their own community rather than having to ask for help at a food bank in a neighboring town.”
Janice Gibeau, director of Chesterfield’s Council on Aging added, “The creation of the Cupboard has been both a family affair and a community affair. The Cupboard has been a “go to” place for nourishment and “food for the mind” as we provided books and games while libraries were closed. Many people reported that they use the Cupboard because of safety concerns with large grocery stores. We hope to continue into the fall while we seek an indoor site with heat and other utilities.”
“We are pleased to be able to contribute to the newly established Community Food Cupboard so they can support the people of Chesterfield and the Hilltowns with the essential, fresh foods they need,” said Florence Bank president and chief executive officer, Kevin R. Day.
Florence Bank is a community bank, which means it prioritizes its customers and the community. With no stockholders, Florence Bank can focus on the ideas and decisions that are good for customers, staff and those in the wider community.
Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, and Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.
Florence Bank is a mutually-owned savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 11 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, West Springfield and Springfield. Additionally, they offer 24 ATMs and a wide range of financial services including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.