Summit Natural Gas of Maine in Yarmouth has announced the recipients of the company’s 2017 Charitable Giving grants.

Pine Tree Camp and the Waterville Boys and Girls Clubs will receive $4,000 each. Family Violence Project, the Falmouth Memorial Library, Kennebec Valley Community Action Program and the Southern Maine Agency on Aging also will each receive $1,000 donations, according to a Summit Natural Gas news release.

“At Summit, we understand that your company is only as strong as the communities you serve, which is why we will continue to commit resources for worthy causes that maintain and improve Maine’s sense of community and strengthen local economies,” said Summit Utilities President and CEO Kurt Adams, according to the release. “Whether it is providing funding for community events, volunteering in the community, or funding scholarships to local summer camps, we strive to be a good community partner and neighbor.”

Each year the company donates thousands of dollars to local nonprofits and community events. This year, in addition to sponsoring a number of charitable events throughout the year, the company solicited applications from local nonprofits for charitable grants that would directly benefit and strengthen the communities Summit serves. After narrowing the applications down to six finalists, the company asked Maine residents to vote on their favorite causes. The top two vote earners received $4,000 grants and the remaining four charities received $1,000 grants.

In addition to providing charitable grants and yearly sponsorships to local organizations and causes, Summit developed a new employee benefit this year that gives all employees 20 hours of paid time off each year to volunteer within their communities. Recently, a group of Summit employees used their time off to volunteer at Pine Tree Camp in Rome, a recipient of one of Summit’s $4,000 grants this year. The money donated to the organization will be used to fund camp scholarships for residents who live in Summit’s service territories.

2017 Charitable Giving Grantees and Programs:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Waterville — Funds received from Summit will be used to fund the organization’s Sustainable Gardens Growing Dome Greenhouse. This program provides education, recreation and support to at-risk youth grades 1 through 7. The program uses an interdisciplinary and applied approach to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic disciplines to connect the sustainability of our ecosystem to youth’s school modules.

• Falmouth Memorial Library Association — Funds received from Summit will be allocated to the library’s expansion project and matched by the Town of Falmouth dollar-for-dollar, effectively doubling its impact.

• Family Violence Project — Funds received from Summit will be put toward a sponsorship of the organization’s annual Benefit and Recognition night. All proceeds from the event will go directly to victims of domestic violence in Kennebec and Somerset counties.

• Kennebec Valley Community Action Agency — Funds received from Summit will support raising private dollars for the Kennebec/Somerset Explorer public bus system, which provides public transportation to low-income people, increasing their access to a wider variety of job opportunities and additional resources throughout Central Maine. Because the donation from Summit will be private funds, the contribution will be matched dollar for dollar by federal funding, thereby doubling Summit’s investment.

• Pine Tree Camp — Funds received from Summit will be allocated to Pine Tree Camp’s Campership Fund, designated to cover camp tuition for children living in Summit’s service territories of the Kennebec Valley, Cumberland, Falmouth and Yarmouth.

• Southern Maine Agency on Aging — Funds from Summit will help support the Vet to Vet program, which is a peer support program in which older and/or disabled veterans in southern Maine build companionships with volunteer veterans, develop bonds strengthened by shared military experience, and provide increased access to military benefits and other helpful resources in the area.