Sanford, ME – The holidays are a time of cheer, joy, and togetherness. While a lot of us will get to experience the pleasures of the holidays, Partners Bank wants to remember those who are not as fortunate. To some, the holidays are a sad reminder that their dinner table will be short on turkey, ham, vegetables, bread, and other holiday favorites. That is where the Partners Bank ♥ Hopeful Holidays Donation comes in.

Partners Bank is spreading hope to those experiencing food insecurity by donating a total of $30,000 to local food pantries in the communities they serve: Sanford, South Sanford, Springvale, Limerick, Waterboro, Buxton, Wells, York, Portsmouth, Rye, and Kingston.

Partners Bank President & CEO Blaine Boudreau shares, “With the Partners Bank ♥ Hopeful Holidays Donation, we want to give hope to those who could use a reminder that they are not alone and that someone cares about them.”

Market Managers at each of the 11 Partners Bank locations selected local food pantries to receive the $30,000 donation. In the Wells and York region, the list of food pantries and the amount donated are:

• The Wells branch is donating $3,000 ($1,500 each) to North Berwick Food Pantry and Mary’s Food Pantry.
• The York branch is donating $3,000 ($1,000 each) to South Berwick Community Food Pantry, Footprints Food Pantry, and York Community Services Food Pantry.

The North Berwick Food Pantry is located at 77 High Street, North Berwick, ME. They serve individuals and families residing in North Berwick, Berwick, South Berwick, Lebanon, and surrounding communities. They are open between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and provide food on a weekly basis. A simple registration form and proof of residence is all that is needed to receive their assistance.

St. Mary’s Food Pantry in Wells is located at 236 Eldridge Road, and they are open between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursdays. Those in need of assistance should call 207-646-5605 for more information.

The South Berwick Community Food Pantry is located at 47 Ross Street, South Berwick, ME. They are open between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on the third Friday of each month. Those in need of assistance must register to receive services from the Food Pantry. The South Berwick Community Food Pantry is a part of SoBo Central, a nonprofit organization that promotes a healthy, vibrant town.

Footprint Food Pantry is located at 37 Old Post Road, Kittery, ME. They are open to those who need food assistance between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, and between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturdays. Footprints Food Pantry is made possible by their 75+ dedicated volunteers. Registration is required to receive food assistance.

The York Community Services Food Pantry is located at 855 US Route One, York, ME. They are open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesdays for people whose last names begin with letters A through L and between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursdays for people whose last names begin with letters M through Z. Grocery lists should be sent to their team prior to visiting the pantry.

Throughout the month of November, Partners Bank will be distributing checks to these important organizations, so those who are experiencing food insecurity are not left behind during the holidays.

But that’s not all, the generosity does not end there. Partners Bank gifted a turkey to each employee for Thanksgiving, and a group of those employees wanted to double the kindness by donating their turkeys to the YCSP Food Pantry. On November 15th, Partners Bank employees drove a total of 70 frozen turkeys to the YCSP Food Pantry located at 5 Swetts Bridge Road, Alfred, ME.

Last year, Partners Bank employees donated 40 turkeys to the YCSP Food Pantry for Thanksgiving. The volunteers at the Food Pantry work diligently to meet the growing demands of the community every year, so the Bank employees wanted to make a bigger impact this year. Seventy 10-lb turkeys will feed approximately 700-1,050 people in the community who receive services from the YCSP Food Pantry. This donation also relieves the stress the volunteers feel to gather enough food for the recipients.

“Partners Bank is The Bank That Listens for a reason. We hear the struggles that some people are having with the rising cost of everything, especially food,” says Boudreau. “The holidays should be a time of hope and joy. As the leading bank in Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire that pours back into the community, we created the Partners Bank ♥ Hopeful Holidays Donation to instill hope and joy to the community.”

About Partners Bank:

Partners Bank was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Sanford, Maine, with additional Maine branch locations in Springvale, South Sanford, Limerick, Buxton, Waterboro, Wells and York, as well as New Hampshire branch locations in Portsmouth, Rye, and Kingston. Partners Bank is a mutual savings bank that operates solely for the benefit of its deposit and loan customers and is focused on giving back to the communities where it serves. Deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.  Partners Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Equal Housing Lender. For more information, please visit their eBranch at partners.bank, Facebok page at Facebook.com/PartnersBankOnline or call 1-888-226-5747.