SCARBOROUGH, Maine–Although Town & Country FCU’s 2020 Better Neighbor Fund reception was a “virtual” affair for the first time ever, the CU said the community spirit among non-profits sharing in $25,000 awarded by the credit union was very real.
At a special online event, the credit union announced the 2020 grant recipients as determined through a month-long vote during October which resulted in more than 10,000 votes cast through the Town & Country FCU Facebook page and its website.
“Our 2020 Better Neighbor Fund comes at a critical time for organizations that mean so much to our communities,” said David Libby, president and CEO of Town & Country FCU. “For so many non-profit organizations, the impact of COVID on fundraising and the ability to provide essential services and programs has been significant. Non-profits are such an important part of our community and many are teetering on the brink of survival. From the beginning of the pandemic, we recognized the need to help our communities. We are proud that our ‘Local Helping Local’ initiative has provided strong support to local restaurants, other local businesses, educators and, of course, non-profits. We understand that our communities are only as strong as the organizations that contribute to make our communities and neighborhoods vibrant are. While the $25,000 we are awarding today will help our recipients, I would encourage everyone in our community to not forget that our non-profits need our support and need it now more than ever.”
In 2010, Town & Country introduced the Better Neighbor Fund to celebrate the ideal of neighbors helping neighbors, a concept that has a long and rich tradition in Maine. The credit union has awarded $275,000 to 88 charitable initiatives to date.
Eight charitable organizations from an original finalist list of 25 nominees were awarded a share of $25,000 from the 2020 Better Neighbor Fund - three received $5,000 grants and five received $2,000 grants.
The 25 finalists were nominated in September, and during October, the public voted online for the project they felt was most deserving to receive one of the eight grants.
The winners of the 2020 Better Neighbor Fund grants include (all serve Cumberland and/or York Counties):
- $5,000 Grant—Strive Maine (South Portland)
- $5,000 Grant—The Summer Camp (Bridgton)
- $5,000 Grant—First Lutheran Church Pre K Program (Portland)
- $2,000 Grant—Frannie Peabody Center (Portland)
- $2,000 Grant—Girls on the Run Maine (Westbrook)
- $2,000 Grant—Habitat for Humanity of York County (Kennebunk)
- $2,000 Grant—Riding to the Top Therapeutic Center (Windham)
- $2,000 Grant—Sanctuary Baking (Harpswell)