Morgan Allarie joins Franklin Savings Bank as director of branch administration and deposit services

Morgan Allarie has joined the Franklin Savings Bank team as vice president, director of branch administration and deposit services, according to a news release from the bank.

Allarie comes to Franklin from a position as an area retail leader for one of the largest banks in the nation. In that role, she oversaw 13 retail locations from Augusta through western Maine.

Allarie will manage the Franklin Savings branch network, working closely with the knowledgeable managers and employees to maximize the customer experience and expand our deposit relationships in our current markets and beyond.

“Morgan’s experience in ensuring a positive experience for all customers and her dedication to the community aligns closely with the values we take great pride in here at Franklin Savings Bank,” said President and CEO Tim Thompson, according to the release. “Morgan excels in coaching and staff development and has a caring and dedicated personality. She is a great addition to Franklin Savings Bank.”

Allarie is involved in the community and has served as the annual fundraising chairwoman for Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center of Kennebec County since 2013. She has served on the Le Club Calumet Board of Directors since 2012 and the Augusta Country Club Board of Directors since 2015.

Allarie earned a master’s degree in business administration from Regis University in Denver and a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College in Lewiston. She has completed the Disney Institute customer experience training, Anthony Cole sales management training and the Ritz-Carlton leadership training. Additionally, she has earned her Lean, Green and Black Belt certifications in Six Sigma.

Morgan lives in Winthrop with her family.

 

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust collects 1,400 items for local animal shelters

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s first Pet Supply Drive was held from May 6 through May 31. A total of more than 1,400 items were collected at branch locations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and included pet food, cat litter, cleaning supplies, as well as new toys and bedding, according to a news release from the bank.

The local, nonprofit animal shelters and humane societies benefitting from these donations from Maine include the SPCA of Hancock County in Trenton, Bangor Humane Society, SOS-Lubec Cat Shelter, Ark Animal Shelter in Cherryfield, Kennebec Valley Humane Society in Augusta and Midcoast Humane Society in Brunswick.

“The Pet Supply Drive addresses a need in our local communities — caring for pets in local animal shelters,” said Joseph Schmitt, SVP/Chief Marketing Officer at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, according to the release. “We appreciate all of the contributions. Together we can do more.”

For a list of locations in New Hampshire and Vermont, visit barharbor.bank.

 

Lawrence Backpack Program receives $4,000 grant from Summit Natural Gas

Summit Natural Gas of Maine, based in Yarmouth, has announced the recipients of the company’s 2019 Charitable Giving Program.

West Side Trail, in Yarmouth, and Lawrence Backpack Program, in Fairfield, will receive $4,000 each. Waterville’s Alfond Youth Center, Augusta School District, Falmouth Food Pantry and the Gardiner Public Library will also each receive $1,000 donations, according to a news release from Summit.

“At Summit, service is at the core of our mission,” said Matt Jacobson, director of Sales & Marketing at Summit Natural Gas, according to the release. “Whether it’s going above and beyond providing exceptional service to our customers or playing a role in strengthening the fabric of the communities we serve through charitable donations and volunteerism, we understand that being a good friend and neighbor is critical to being a strong and sustainable company.”

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 each received $4,000 grants, and the remaining four charities each received $1,000 grants.

In addition to providing charitable grants and yearly sponsorships to local organizations and causes, Summit also planned several volunteer days this spring with local communities and nonprofits. To celebrate Earth Day, employees used their paid volunteer time off to help prepare Pine Tree Camp in Rome for their summer camp sessions. Employees also recently volunteered at Snow Pond Center, a 2018 sponsorship recipient.

2019 Charitable Giving grantees and programs:

• Alfond Youth Center — The Alfond Youth Center is expanding its Supplemental Nutrition Weekend Backpack Program during the summer to include the months of July and August. Each backpack includes enough food to provide two to three meals per day for a family of four for the entire weekend. Meals include a protein source, whole grains, fresh and canned vegetables and healthy snacks. Backpacks also include home recipes on how to use and prepare fresh produce. Funding from Summit will allow the center to expand their program and provide food for more families.

• Augusta School District — The Augusta School Department maintains a “Clothing Closet” located at Cony High School that furnishes Augusta school students with necessary articles of clothing that they are otherwise unable to afford. Many schools in the Augusta area use the Clothing Closet as a resource for mittens, boots, snow pants and other articles of clothing. While the Clothing Closet receives donations from local churches, the public and “Diddos for Kiddos,” the closet doesn’t always have enough supplies for students’ needs. Funding will go toward purchasing supplies.

• Falmouth Food Pantry — The Falmouth Food Pantry provides support for more than 300 families unable to meet the nutritional needs of their households in Falmouth and surrounding communities. The pantry also assists families in crisis through advocacy, personal support and home deliveries when possible. Collaborating with Cultivating Community and its New American Farms Program in West Falmouth, the food pantry will also be able to purchase fresh produce that is grown locally without pesticides.

• Gardiner Public Library — The library shares its resources through a statewide library system and an inter-library loan system in addition to providing fast and free broadband connection for people using the library. Funding will go toward improving its old network system in order to allow the library to provide better service and statistics information.

• Lawrence Backpack Program — This program provides bags of food for students in high school and junior high school at School Administrative District 49. The bags are distributed at the end of the week for weekends and weeklong breaks. On average, the program hands out 30 bags a week. Students at the school help manage the program with the assistance of a JMG specialist. Funding will allow the students to expand the program.

• West Side Trail (Yarmouth, Phase 2) — The West Side Trail is envisioned as a trail connection from the southern tip of Cousins Island to the northern end of town along the CMP transmission line. Phase 1 of the project was built over the last eight years and has provided more than 8 miles of trail accessible from a variety of locations. Phase 2 will incorporate universal access standards, making it suitable for families with young children, people using mobility devices, those with disabilities and the elderly and will add 2.5 miles of trail to the network.

 

Bangor Savings Bank Foundation awards $137,000 in grants

The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation recently awarded $137,500 in grants to 21 nonprofit organizations in Maine and New Hampshire.

The foundation awards grants, ranging from $2,000 to $25,000, to nonprofits with worthy initiatives that make communities more prosperous, more livable and more vibrant. Grant applications are reviewed quarterly, according to a news release from the bank.

These Maine organizations received Bangor Savings Bank Foundation grants: Southern Maine Finance Agency, Saco; Dixfield Historical Society, Dixfield; Humane Society Waterville Area, Waterville; Mid Coast Health Net with funding for Knox County Health Clinic, Rockland; The Salvation Army of Bangor, Bangor; and The Sustainability Lab with funding for Fork Food Lab in Portland.

Also, Center Theatre for the Performing Arts, Dover-Foxcroft; Challenger Learning Center, Bangor; Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, Portland; OHI, Brewer; Our Katahdin, Millinocket; Portland Museum of Art, Portland; Preble Street, Portland; and Community Dental with funding for the Farmington Dental Center.

For more information about Bangor Savings Bank Foundation grants, and to view the New Hampshire organizations, visit bangor.com.

 

Maine Dental Association honors Dr. Jonathan Shenkin 

Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist who practices in Augusta, has been recognized by the Maine Dental Association with inclusion on its honor wall.

The Honor Wall recognizes “those who have given extraordinary service to the Maine Dental Association” and is displayed at the organization’s headquarters in Manchester. Shenkin, along with Dr. Dean Tourigny, were lauded as the honor wall’s newest members at the Maine Dental Association’s annual convention on June 1 at the Harborside Hotel, Spa, and Marina in Bar Harbor, according to a news release from the association.

Shenkin has been on the MDA Executive Board since 2004, serving as president in 2009-2010, and is the board’s long-term representative to the American Dental Association. He has served as vice president of the ADA, on ADA committees, and is an ADA spokesperson on the subject of pediatric dentistry.

“Dr. Shenkin has been a strong advocate for public health policies that improve the health and well-being of Maine residents, with a particular focus on children,” Dr. Kathryn Horutz, outgoing MDA Executive Board president, said, according to the release.

“Representing the interests of our patients, communities and the profession is one of the greatest opportunities I have had as a dentist,” Shenkin said, according to the release.

Shenkin was named a Fulbright Scholar in 2015 and is a fellow of the American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists and Pierre Fauchard Academy.

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