Essex Savings Bank Announces 2019 Community Investment Program Balloting Results
April 15, 2019 – Essex, Connecticut – Essex Savings Bank was pleased to announce the results of the 24th Annual Community Investment Program. This year’s 8,421 votes was the highest number of votes cast in the past five years. Bank customers were eligible to vote for their favorite non-profit organizations, online or by paper ballot, from February 1st through the 28th. A total of 72 local organizations whose missions ranged from feeding the hungry to aiding animals and from supporting league sports to fire prevention participated.
The program entitles the Bank’s customers to select up to three charities from this year’s list of 72 qualified non-profit organizations with the top ten recipients recognized at the annual reception. Fund allocations are awarded based on the results of these votes. To fund this program, the Bank has annually committed up to 10% of its after tax net income to qualifying organizations. Of this, 30% is annually set aside to enable customers the opportunity to allocate monies to the nonprofits of their choice. For 2019, the Bank has committed $132,000 to the Community Investment Program.
Gregory R. Shook, President & CEO, stated, “I am proud of the service this Bank and its employees provide to our community. Through our Community Investment Program we have been able to provide nearly $4.5 million dollars to nonprofit organizations in our area. In addition to these donations, many of the Bank’s employees offer their expertise to nonprofit organizations as volunteers.”
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 2019
| Organization | Total | 2018 Amount |
| Forgotten Felines, Inc. | 456 | $2,144 |
| Estuary Council of Seniors, Inc. – Meals on Wheels | 450 | $2,116 |
| Valley Shore Animal Welfare League | 400 | $1,881 |
| Bikes for Kids, Inc. | 371 | $1,745 |
| High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc. | 339 | $1,594 |
| Dog Days Adoption Events, Inc. | 298 | $1,401 |
| Tait’s Every Animal Matters (TEAM) | 280 | $1,317 |
| Old Saybrook Fire Company Number One, Inc. | 230 | $1,082 |
| Lyme Ambulance Association, Inc. | 201 | $945 |
| The Essex Library Association, Inc. | 183 | $861 |
| Valley Shore YMCA | 179 | $842 |
| Lyme Fire Company | 178 | $837 |
| Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, Inc. (VNLV) | 175 | $823 |
| Camp Hazen YMCA | 170 | $799 |
| Essex Land Trust, Inc. | 167 | $785 |
| Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation, Inc. | 160 | $752 |
| Ivoryton Library Association | 151 | $710 |
| Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Association | 148 | $696 |
| Connecticut Cancer Foundation, Inc. | 147 | $691 |
| Lymes’ Youth Service Bureau | 137 | $644 |
| Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc. | 133 | $625 |
| Deep River Fire Department, Inc. | 130 | $611 |
| Old Lyme Land Trust, Inc. | 128 | $602 |
| Deep River Ambulance Association, Inc. | 119 | $560 |
| Old Lyme Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. | 117 | $550 |
| Old Saybrook Land Trust, Inc. | 115 | $541 |
| Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau, Inc. | 114 | $536 |
| The Chester Hose Company Incorporated | 108 | $508 |
| Friends of Hammonasset, Inc. | 106 | $498 |
| The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Inc. | 102 | $480 |
| Region 4 Education Foundation | 100 | $470 |
| Homeward Bound Adoptions CT, Inc. | 93 | $437 |
| Common Good Gardens, Inc. | 91 | $428 |
| Community Music School | 89 | $419 |
| Essex Community Fund, Inc. | 88 | $414 |
| Friends In Service Here (F.I.S.H.) | 87 | $409 |
| Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore, CT, Inc. | 85 | $400 |
| Westbrook Youth and Family Services, Inc. | 85 | $400 |
| Chester Historical Society | 81 | $381 |
| The Connecticut River Museum at Steamboat Dock | 79 | $371 |
| Angel Charities, Inc. | 78 | $367 |
| Friends of the Essex Library | 78 | $367 |
| Vista Life Innovations, Inc. | 76 | $357 |
| SARAH, Inc. | 69 | $324 |
| Old Lyme Historical Society, Inc. | 67 | $315 |
| Sister Cities Essex Haiti, Inc. | 67 | $315 |
| Chester Land Trust | 60 | $282 |
| Ivoryton Village Alliance | 58 | $273 |
| Pandemonium Rainforest Project, Inc. | 58 | $273 |
| Simply Sharing, Inc. | 58 | $273 |
| Lyme Public Hall & Local History Archives, Inc. | 57 | $268 |
| Pay Forward, Inc. | 55 | $259 |
| Madison Ambulance Association, Inc. | 52 | $245 |
| Westbrook Project Graduation, Inc. | 52 | $245 |
| Maritime Education Network, Inc. | 47 | $221 |
| Old Saybrook Historical Society | 46 | $216 |
| A Little Compassion Inc. / The Nest Coffee House | 45 | $212 |
| CDE (Chester, Deep River, Essex) Cooperative Nursery School | 45 | $212 |
| Deep River Elementary School PTO, Inc | 45 | $212 |
| Deep River Historical Society, Inc. | 45 | $212 |
| Cappella Cantorum, Inc. | 43 | $202 |
| Essex Winter Series | 43 | $202 |
| Friends of the Chester Public Library, Inc. | 41 | $193 |
| Deep River Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, Inc. | 40 | $188 |
| Act II Thrift Shop, Inc. | 39 | $183 |
| Brazilian and American Youth Cultural Exchange (BRAYCE) | 34 | $160 |
| The Country School, Inc. | 33 | $155 |
| E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, Madison | 30 | $141 |
| Valley Baseball-Softball Booster Club, Inc. | 29 | $136 |
| MusicNow Foundation, Inc | 25 | $118 |
| Infinite Strength, Inc. | 18 | $85 |
| Ruth Ann Heller Music Foundation, Inc. | 18 | $85 |