Over 100 nonprofit leaders representing 40 organizations across the Pioneer Valley came together recently at Florence Bank’s annual Customers’ Choice Community Grants Program reception to network and accept a total of $150,000 in awards.
The annual event took place at the Garden House in Look Park in Florence. Recipients praised Florence Bank not only for its generosity but also for providing a space to celebrate area nonprofits and their dedication to the community.
“Being part of the Customers’ Choice awards reminds us that we’re important and relevant,” says Chelsea Kline, executive director of the Cancer Connection in Northampton, which received a $5,000 award, the highest possible. “It’s heartwarming and reassuring to know that the Cancer Connection is needed, and the community recognizes that, and having a bank that creates this beautiful event is really heartwarming to me. It speaks volumes about the values of Florence Bank.”
“Our Customers’ Choice Community Grants program is very unique, and we are proud to give voice to our customers and their preferences on where we allocate our funds,” says President and CEO Matt Garrity. “We also enjoy having the chance to connect with each of them and to hear about the important work they are doing in our midst. We know it is good work because our customers voted for them!”
The grants program was founded in 2002 and, through it, Florence Bank customers are invited to vote for their favorite local nonprofit in hopes it will receive a share of grant funding.
Voting takes place all year long, online at florencebank.com/vote and in bank branches, and each customer has only one vote. To qualify for a community grant, organizations must receive at least 50 votes. In 2024, over 7,500 votes were cast, making 40 nonprofits eligible for a grant.
One of the newest recipients was Stone Soup Café in Greenfield, which received $2,257. The nonprofit provides a pay-what-you-can, gluten-free, from-scratch meal and entertainment on Hope Street every Saturday between noon and 1:30 p.m. to roughly 200 people from all walks of life. The nonprofit also delivers meals to an additional 120 families.
“The opportunity Florence Bank offers for customers to vote on nonprofits that are important to them is awesome,” says Jansyn Thaw, director of fundraising and marketing at Stone Soup.
“We were able to invite our community to show their support for us, and the bank was willing to listen to that input. They’re receptive, which I really appreciate.”
Once again, Dakin Humane Society of Springfield received a $5,000 grant, as it has for the past 13 years. The nonprofit has received a Customers’ Choice grant each of the 23 years the program has been offered.
“When we go to the ceremonies, and customers have selected Dakin, we see this as ‘We’ve done all this together,’” says Stacey Price, director of development and marketing. “It’s remarkable to see the longevity of the relationship. Dakin is about people and pets, not just pets. Florence Bank’s customers chose us because they believe the same thing.”
Stone Soup’s mission is to create community space to share nourishment, connection and learning for body, mind and spirit. It was founded in 2011 and has been a 501 (C) nonprofit since 2021.
Each Saturday, the nonprofit offers restaurant-quality meals with a suggested cost of $15 per, and participants are invited to pay what they are able. The Florence Bank grant will help defray the cost of the food.
Jansyn says many people who are unable to pay choose to volunteer to help prepare meals to “pay it back.” There are 15 volunteer drivers each week and about 50 who prep food, cook and serve.“
A lot of connecting and socializing happens on the sidewalk as people wait and shop in our community store,” she says. “We put up art. We have music playing. It’s like a mini street festival. We provide access to healthy food and give people a sense of community.”
Stacey, at Dakin, says funds from the bank help support its many programs that have evolved over the years, from the main adoption center to the spay and neuter clinic and pet health center.
“We rotate where the funding goes each year, so, truly, Florence Bank and its customers have supported those programs by choosing us, and it’s remarkable to see the longevity of the relationship,” she says. “The community and customers are so committed to our programs. That means a lot.”
The Cancer Connection had 458 active participants who received 4,447 services in 2024, and its many support groups and integrative therapies, such as massage, are free and always have been.
“We fill many of the gaps in our communities and in our healthcare system because we look out for mind, body and spirit and community,” Chelsea, the executive director, says “We help people process feelings, learn, share resources, and be held and seen in a full and raw and real way.
“Florence Bank’s grant helps us keep the doors open, the lights on and the services free of charge,” she adds. “It’s so beautiful that our mission resonates with such a wide variety of people—because caring for people who are hurting resonates.”
Florence Bank has branches in Amherst, Belchertown, Chicopee, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Northampton, Williamsburg, West Springfield, Springfield, and it is headquartered in Florence.
