Liberty Bank, 39 Rotary Clubs & Community Foundation of Middlesex County Kick Off the 19th Annual Thanksgiving Drive
Liberty Bank, in partnership with the Community Foundation of Middlesex County and 39 local Rotary Clubs, today announced they are once again teaming up to raise the funds needed to help ensure families in their communities who are in need can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal this November.
Donations made to the 19th Annual Liberty Bank-Rotary Club Thanksgiving Drive will also go toward stocking local pantry shelves in preparation for the winter months.
“Thanks to the leadership of hundreds of Rotarians and the generosity of our customers and local residents, we’ve been able to provide bountiful Thanksgiving meals for the past 18 years to deserving families in our communities,” said David W. Glidden, President & CEO of Liberty Bank and President of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “We’re excited to have the CMFC join Liberty and participating Rotary Clubs for our 19th Annual Thanksgiving Drive. Together, our ‘Be Community Kind’ and ‘Service Above Self’ spirit will go a long way in ensuring families in need can enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner this year.”
Donations are accepted online through the CFMC’s website (www.middlesexcountycf.org) or by mailing a check to the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, 49 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457 with the name of the benefitting Rotary Club in the memo line.
Donations are accepted until 3 p.m. on November 14. Liberty Bank Foundation will provide matching funds, 25 cents per dollar up to $250,000. Donations, including matching funds, will be mailed by the CFMC to nonprofits selected by the Rotaries, who are providing Thanksgiving meals in the communities represented by the Rotary Clubs.
Since it began in 2004, the Liberty Bank/Rotary Club Thanksgiving Dinner Drive has raised over $5 million to supply holiday meals to families of the towns served by the bank. The 2021 Liberty Bank-Rotary Club Thanksgiving Drive raised $1,145,101, which was matched with $286,275 by the Liberty Bank Foundation, for a total of $1,431,376.
The Liberty Bank/Rotary Club Thanksgiving Dinner Drive began with the Middletown Rotary Club, which for several years conducted its own fundraising drive to provide food for needy families on Thanksgiving. In 2004, the Club approached Liberty to see if the Bank would be interested in a partnership to enlarge the drive. Liberty responded that it would support the drive if it could be expanded throughout its entire service area. Members of the Middletown Rotary reached out to fellow Rotarians in other towns. In 2022, 39 clubs are now involved, covering every town where Liberty has an office.
The following Rotary Clubs are participating in the 2022 Liberty Bank/Rotary Club Thanksgiving Dinner Drive: Ansonia/Seymour/Oxford, Branford, Cheshire, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, Derby/Shelton, East Hampton, East Hartford, Essex, Groton, Hamden, Kensington/Berlin, Ledyard, Madison, Meriden, Middletown, Montville, Mystic, Naugatuck, New Britain/Berlin, New London, Newington, Niantic, North Branford, North Haven, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Plainville, Simsbury/Granby, Southington, Wallingford, Waterbury, Waterford, West Hartford, Wethersfield/Rocky Hill, Willimantic, and the East Haddam Community Lions Club. Each Liberty Bank office will promote the Drive and options for donating to support it. (Visit www.liberty-bank.com/locations for a list of Liberty Bank offices.)
Liberty Bank Foundation
Since its inception in 1997, the Liberty Bank Foundation has awarded over $15 million in grants to nonprofit organizations within Liberty Bank’s market area. The foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for people of low or moderate income by investing in three areas: education to promote economic success for children and families; affordable housing; and nonprofit capacity building.
Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC)
Community Foundation of Middlesex County’s mission is to improve the quality of life for the people of the County now and in the future by developing endowments, making grants that have impact, and assisting donors in meeting their philanthropic objectives.
Rotary: Service Above Self
Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. There are 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. As signified by the motto “Service Above Self,” Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.