News

St. Anne’s Credit Union Donates Over $20,000 to Local United Ways

St. Anne’s Credit Union continues their commitment to the SouthCoast with a $22,000 total pledge in support of the United Way of Greater Fall River and United Way of Greater New Bedford to assist both non-profit organizations in their efforts to improve local communities and help people in need. With St. Anne’s support, both United Ways will be able to continue in providing funding for programming to support the health, education, financial stability and basic needs to thousands of individuals.

A long-standing supporter, St. Anne’s has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to both United Ways over the years – including sponsorships, employee gifts and matching corporate contributions. Additionally, individuals on their leadership team serve as part of their Board of Directors and their staff offers their support by volunteering at key events such as Hunger Heroes, Day of Caring and United We Move events – where they package Thanksgiving meals and perform other community service projects at various non-profits.

“Both the United Way of Greater Fall River and United Way of Greater New Bedford have been vital resources to the areas we service — especially during these last few years. At St. Anne’s, we are not only proud corporate supporters, but personal supporters through employee volunteerism and weekly payroll deductions — proof that across the board, we understand the importance of the United Way and their much-needed services,” said Eileen M. Danahey, St. Anne’s President & CEO. “St. Anne’s is honored to play a role in assisting these local non-profit organizations as we seek to help our communities prosper and fund initiatives that align with our own philanthropic objective of elevating the wellbeing of our shared communities. We are thankful to be able to extend these donations to them so they can continue offering hundreds of essential programs that offer a hand to those in need.”

St. Anne’s Credit Union is very active in the communities in which it serves and is proud to partner with local organizations to create a positive impact. Founded on the credit union philosophy of “People Helping People”, St. Anne’s has maintained its original commitment, keeping the compassion for the community at the very heart of its organization. A local financial institution focused on giving back, they reinforce their motto “We’re Making a Difference” every single day. To learn more, visit: stannes.com/Community-Investment.

St. Anne’s Credit Union Awards $2,500 Grant to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth (HFHGP) is pleased to announce that St. Anne’s Credit Union has awarded the organization with a $2,500 grant to support pre-development costs at multiple prospective sites in the organization’s service area. The funds will be allocated to early-stage costs including engineering, surveying and architectural needs in order to build affordable homes for low- to moderate-income families in need of adequate shelter in the towns of Plymouth, Carver, Kingston, Middleboro, Lakeville and Plympton.

HFHGP is regularly engaged with evaluating potential sites for building affordable homes in the area and these funds will assist with moving projects forward through the pipeline. “We are very grateful to St. Anne’s Credit Union for their generous support,” said Jim Middleton, Executive Director of HFHGP. “With the real estate market as high as it’s been in recent years, the void of affordable housing in our area is stark. These funds will be put to use as we work toward building much-needed affordable homes in our communities.”

“St. Anne’s is always looking for ways to help our local communities prosper, and we are so proud to announce that our organization is granting $2,500 to the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth to assist them in funding active affordable home projects for our new neighbors in Plymouth and its surrounding towns. With the significant lack of affordable housing available in this region, their efforts will provide low- to moderate-income families with stable housing without the burden of unaffordable costs, and we are honored to support their worthwhile cause,” said Eileen M. Danahey, St. Anne’s President and CEO. “Since our inception in 1936, we have prided ourselves on being a pillar of the areas we serve and in recognition of St. Anne’s newest location, The Lending Center opening in Plymouth, we thought it was a timely opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the HFHGP who is doing an admirable job of improving and supporting our shared community.”

HFHGP most recently completed two homes in Plymouth in early 2021, and the two Veteran families are now celebrating their first holiday season in their own homes. In the tradition of Habitat, construction labor is provided by volunteers and selected partner homeowners help to build their own homes as well. Habitat homeowners also pay an affordable mortgage; the homes are not gifted. “Through the Habitat model, we build strength, stability and self-reliance for those who face the burden of unaffordable or unsafe housing. Our work changes lives for generations, and we are so glad to have St. Anne’s Credit Union as a new partner in that effort,” said Middleton.

More information on Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth’s application process, volunteer programs, and ways to donate to the organization can be found at www.hfhplymouth.org.

For information on St. Anne’s newest location in Plymouth, including limited-time specials, visit The Lending Center at 55 Long Pond Road in Plymouth, stannes.com/Plymouth or call 508.730.LOAN.

ST. ANNE’S AWARDS $40,000 TO STEPPINGSTONE, INCORPORATED WITH MULTI-YEAR DONATION AND FHLBANK BOSTON GRANT

St. Anne’s Credit Union is proud to announce its facilitation in the distribution of $25,000 in grant funding to support local nonprofit organization, Steppingstone Inc. as part of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s (FHLBank Boston) 2020 Jobs for New England (JNE) Recovery Grant program. This JNE Recovery Grant program is a relief program designed to help FHLBank members provide financial support to Small Business Administration-defined small businesses and nonprofit organizations that have experienced hardships during COVID-19. In addition to this forgivable grant, St. Anne’s is also donating $15,000 to Steppingstone to aid in the expansion of their new office building at 111 Durfee St. in Fall River, MA. These funds will assist them in providing an array of treatment services to combat mental health disorders and homelessness amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when more community members are in need of their essential services.

“St. Anne’s is always looking for ways to help our local communities prosper,” said Eileen Danahey, St. Anne’s President and CEO. “We are grateful to FHLBank Boston for offering this timely opportunity and helping us alleviate the pressure felt by local businesses while elevating the wellbeing of our community affected by this pandemic. Steppingstone has been providing exceptional services to those in need for nearly 50 years and we are happy to continue our longstanding support of their efforts – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when the community needs their assistance more than ever. At St. Anne’s, we pride ourselves on being a pillar of the SouthCoast community and we are thankful to be able to extend this assistance to them so they can continue their important work on the front lines of this crisis.”

“The Jobs for New England Recovery Grant Program was introduced this year to help our members provide assistance to local small businesses and nonprofit organizations like Steppingstone that have been negatively affected by COVID-19. We are pleased that St. Anne’s Credit Union was able to access funding for Steppingstone, which offers critical services for homeless men and women,” said Kenneth Willis, senior vice president, director of housing and community investment at FHLBank Boston.

Along with these grants, St. Anne’s has been a supporter of Steppingstone for many years as individuals on their leadership team serve as part of their Board of Directors. Additionally in 2017, St. Anne’s in partnership with other local financial institutions and the FHLBank Boston’s Affordable Housing Program raised $4 million for Steppingstone’s First Step Inn homeless shelter, which allowed them to move to a new building to accommodate additional beds and serve more of the homeless population.

“We have a moral obligation to assist those in need of our help, especially in times like these,” said Peter Panaggio, St. Anne’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “These grants will help preserve and create job opportunities, support local economic development, and further important community services. Steppingstone not only provides a bed to sleep on – they offer the whole package, a solid foundation with access to wraparound services to end the pattern of homelessness: counseling, health checks, sobriety counseling, GED classes and financial literacy classes. People also have access to nutritious meals, showers and laundry facilities. During the pandemic, we feel an even greater urge to step up and we are proud to be able to provide support to our local communities that need a hand up during this time.”

To learn more about how St. Anne’s can help your business thrive, visit the Credit Union’s dedicated lending office at 585 State Road in Dartmouth or call 508.730.LOAN.