By Dot Bergin
Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation Awards Unrestricted Cash Gifts to Three Bedford Organizations
The Friends of the Free Public Library and Friends of the Bedford Council on Aging each received $15,000 while the Bedford Community Table and Food Pantry received $20,000 from the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation, at a ceremony on January 24 in the bank headquarters in Westborough, MA.
All told, the Charitable Foundation awarded $1.4 million to 84 community service organizations -31 food pantries, 27 libraries, and 26 senior centers in the towns within the Bank’s service area, which covers a wide range of towns in the MetroWest area.
Bedford recipients received advance notice of the awards in mid-December and the initial reaction was-predictably-Wow! Later, the groups received a formal invitation to attend what the Bank calls its “Community Gift Event.”
In speaking with The Citizen, Bonnie Kelly, co-chair of the Friends of the Library, said the Board would be meeting on February 16 and would begin to develop ideas for using the unexpected donation. Kelly and Friends board member Robin Grace attended the ceremony.
Kelly noted that this is not the first time the Bank has made a gift to a Bedford non-profit. In March 2018 the Charitable Foundation awarded $50,000 to the Bedford Education Foundation to fund creative and innovative programs and materials for the Bedford Public Schools. (https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2018/03/bedford-education-foundation-receives-50000-gift-middlesex-savings-banks-right-education-program/)
Bobbi Ennis, president of the Friends of the Bedford Council on Aging, will brainstorm ideas with her board at their April meeting. She already plans to donate $2,000 to the Memory Café but the remainder of the award will be held in a separate account and used, in her words, “to make an impact.” Ennis also feels it is important to let the Bank know how her organization is using the funds.
Peter Grey, President of the Bedford Community Table/Food Pantry, expressed his gratitude to the Foundation for the gift which will help him increase the foods on the shelf at the Food Pantry. And, he added, the money may enable him to “offer a few little extra things” to the Pantry.
Mike McAuliffe, CEO of Middlesex Savings Bank and also a Bedford native, said, “We are humbled to give this gift, which is a celebration of the amazing non-profit organizations, their staffs, and volunteers that work tirelessly to provide services and programs to our community…. We are fortunate to be in a strong financial position to give this gift to the community, which will support the many people who we are honored to call customers, neighbors, family, and friends.” Food pantries, libraries, and senior centers were selected, the Bank said, because of the diverse cross-section of individuals that these organizations reach and support.
Since its creation in June 2000, the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation has provided more than $6 million in grants to over 600 nonprofit organizations providing critical community services throughout its community.
Note: the Middlesex Savings Bank is a corporate sponsor of The Bedford Citizen.
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