Northern Light Inland Hospital donates $5,000 to help fight hunger. The donation is from Joanne Booth and her employer, Sodexo, to support Northern Light’s Food is Medicine program, according to a news release from the Waterville-based hospital.

The grant is part of Sodexo’s “Heroes of Everyday Life” program which honors staff for their outstanding community efforts in the fight against hunger. Booth is an Oakland resident and a senior manager with Sodexo’s Health Care division. Sodexo is an international food services and facilities company. Booth has been a hands-on community advocate for food security, helping others through many organizations like Inland Hospital, the Waterville Food Bank, Greater Waterville Kiwanis and Friends of the Maine Children’s Home.

Booth has a passion to help children in need and is proud to connect her donation to efforts at Inland. “It’s very rewarding to help my community, and Inland Hospital is an important part of our community. So many patients go through their doors in so many locations; they have the ability to connect faster with people who are food insecure. We’re so pleased that the grant can help address an immediate need,” said Booth, according to the release.

Inland’s Food is Medicine program helps patients at their physician practices and the hospital. Providers and staff routinely screen patients for food insecurity, and patients who have immediate needs are offered emergency food bags on the spot. Inland leaders say that a patient can’t recover from illness or live their healthiest possible life if they aren’t getting the proper nutrition. The program also provides transportation funds for Inland patients who cannot get to a food bank on their own.

“Sodexo’s support of our mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve is a great community partnership,” said Terri Vieira, president of Inland Hospital. “We are very grateful to Sodexo and Joanne Booth, who has been a champion for food stability efforts in the area. Together, we are making a difference.”

For more information about Inland’ Food is Medicine program, contact Bridgette Gemelli, Community Health Navigator, at 207-861-3000. To learn more about Sodexo’s Heroes of Everyday Life effort, visit us.stop-hunger.org/home/grants/2020-heroes.html.

Franklin Savings Bank promotes loan officer to assistant vice president

Franklin Savings Bank has promoted longtime River Valley loan officer Leanne Gagne to assistant vice president, according to a news release from the bank based in Farmington.

Leanne Gagne Photo courtesy of Franklin Savings Bank

Gagne is an experienced residential and installment lender, currently in her 32nd year of service at Franklin Savings Bank. She serves her customers as a trusted advisor and provides a wealth of industry knowledge for new lenders throughout the bank.

Along with excellent service to her customers, Gagne shows her commitment to the community by giving her time to various nonprofit organizations. She serves as the second vice president on the board of River Valley Chamber of Commerce, where she enjoys promoting all that the region has to offer.

“Leanne’s dedication to the bank, to our customers, and to the River Valley community is admirable,” said Vice President, Branch Manager Diane Perry, according to the release. “She’s very deserving of this promotion and is the true makeup of a community banker.”

Gagne and her husband are longtime residents of Dixfield, where they raised their two adult children.

Franklin Savings Bank is a community bank founded in 1868 which serves Maine’s western, central, and Down East regions of Maine from eight locations.

Compiled from submitted news releases. For more business briefs, visit CentralMaine.com.

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