SCARBOROUGH, Maine– The Town & Country Federal Credit Union's annual Better Neighbor Fund grant winners were announced at a ceremony held at the credit union’s Operations Center here.
The Better Neighbor Fund was introduced in 2010 by Town & Country Federal Credit Union to support the work local charitable organizations carry out in the community throughout Cumberland and York Counties. The credit union has awarded $200,000 to 64 charitable initiatives to date.
Eight charitable organizations from an original finalist list of 25 nominees were awarded a share of $25,000 from the 2017 Better Neighbor Fund - three received $5,000 grants and five received $2,000 grants. The grants were awarded in two categories - one for organizations with annual operating budgets less than $500,000 and the other for organizations with annual operating budgets over $500,000.
The 25 finalists were nominated in September through the credit union’s website, and during October, the public voted online for the project they thought was most deserving to receive one of the eight grants.
The winners of the 2017 Better Neighbor Fund grants for charitable organizations with operating budgets under $500,000 are:
$5,000 Grant—Center for Wildlife – expand educational series about adaptation of native owls
$5,000 Grant—Friendship House – support kitchen renovations for men’s recovery home
$2,000 Grant—Hemophilia Alliance of Maine – expand membership to Mainers affected by bleeding disorders
$2,000 Grant—The Family Restored – support new women’s sober living facility in Portland
The winners of the 2017 Better Neighbor Fund grants for charitable organizations with operating budgets over $500,000 are:
$5,000 Grant—The Summer Camp – provide scholarships to low income and foster girls in Maine
$2,000 Grant—Family Crisis Services – help renovate shelter kitchen for families fleeing domestic violence and abuse
$2,000 Grant—Wayside Food Program – support “pop up picnic” program to bring neighbors together to celebrate community abundance and overcome perception of difference as barriers
$2,000 Grant—Riding to the Top – expand program to improve health and wellness of children with disabilities through equine assisted activities and therapies
Announcing the winners, Town & Country Federal Credit Union President & CEO David Libby said the response to this year’s Better Neighbor Fund program had been overwhelming with 11,500 votes cast.
"The Better Neighbor Fund is an important part of Town & Country's community outreach efforts. It provides local non-profit organizations with a chance to secure much needed funding for important charitable initiatives and projects, and gives the public an opportunity to learn about the work these groups do in the community," said Libby.