April 19, 2019
Oxford, Massachusetts – Matthew S. Sosik, President and CEO of bankHometown, announced that the Hometown Bank Community Foundation awarded a $15,000 grant to the Head Start Renovation Project at Worcester Community Action Council, Inc. (WCAC), to support their newly renovated Webster location located at 116 School Street.
The need for the project arose after a FEMA-designated natural disaster, the winter snow storm of 2015, in which an Oxford town-owned building occupied by WCAC experienced severe damage, resulting in the emergency evacuation and permanent displacement of 87 children and 15 staff.
“The opening of this center in the heart of Webster will afford low-income families the opportunity to pursue employment or training while knowing their child is being well-cared for in a center close to home,” said WCAC Chief Operating Officer Kerry Brennan. “We are most appreciative of bankHometown’s support for this important project.”
Since 1965, the Worcester Community Action Council has served as the federally designated anti-poverty agency for central and southern Worcester County, with a mission of helping people move to economic self-sufficiency through programs, partnerships and advocacy. The programs and services provided at WCAC include a Job and Education Center, family development programs, Nutrition programs, asset development, and energy development.
The WCAC serves 75,000 people annually in Worcester and 45 surrounding towns through a variety or economic self-sufficiency and emergency programs.
bankHometown is headquartered in Oxford, MA and has 13 branch offices serving central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut. Through its sponsorship and charitable giving program, bankHometown and the Hometown Bank Community Foundation support non-profit organizations and causes throughout the surrounding communities and have donated more than $124,000 to over 110 organizations in 2018. For more information or to apply for funding, please visit www.hometowncoop.com/resources/.
Hometown Financial Group, a $2.4 billion mutual holding company headquartered in Easthampton, Massachusetts, is the parent company of bankESB, bankHometown and Pilgrim Bank. These banking franchises offer a complete line of commercial, business, and consumer banking and lending products and services to customers through its 27 branches located throughout Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut. For more information on Hometown Financial Group, please visit www.bankhfg.com.
