The employees of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently donated $2,780 to the Mission through the bank’s “Casual for a Cause” charitable giving initiative. Employees who participate in “Casual for a Cause” dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a payroll deduction to collectively fund a charity. The bank matches 50% of the total donation made by its staff. Each quarter, the employees vote on which nonprofits will receive their contributions. In the fall of 2023, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees selected the Mission as a recipient.
The Mission will apply the donation to its Journey program, which serves 7th to 12th graders in Washington County. Downeast youth participating in Journey explore the outdoors and their communities to develop the tools needed to successfully transition to high school and through higher education and career pathways. The program provides individual support, outdoor excursions, immersive experiences, access to professionals, college exploration opportunities, preparation workshops, and help applying for scholarships. Participating students benefit from the Mission’s close partnerships with local middle and high schools, colleges, and community organizations.
Your gift to the Maine Seacoast Mission makes you part of all we do.
“We are so grateful for our relationship with Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and their employees’ support of our Journey program,” says Mission President John Zavodny. “Whether it is support for an existing program or talking through new ways to help in our communities, we know we can count on our partners at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust.”
Since the “Casual for a Cause” giving program began in 2018, the bank and its employees have donated more than $250,000 to more than 115 nonprofit organizations serving Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont residents. In addition, each year, the bank donates to more than 450 community organizations across Northern New England. The bank works to partner with nonprofits to enhance local projects and programs that provide crucial services for those in need. The bank’s partner organizations support affordable housing, economic development, financial literacy, arts and culture, youth and family, and health and human services. Since the Mission’s founding in 1905, Bank Harbor & Bank & Trust has been a committed support of the Mission.
“Casual for a Cause is a great opportunity for our employees to be philanthropists together,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “By combining their individual contributions, our employees are able to make significant donations to nonprofit organizations that are, in turn, making a difference in our communities. This is truly a testament to our belief that good things happen when we work together.”