NoteWorthy – 7/16/17

NoteWorthy is your weekly news roundup of happenings, movers and shakers, and community events in the Merrimack Valley.

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AROUND THE VALLEY

Uncommon Threads Wins $1,500 From Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union has announced Uncommon Threads as the winner of its latest Give-A-Click campaign. Uncommon Threads uses clothes as a tool for boosting the self-esteem and self-worth of women in need. The nonprofit, located in Lawrence, received a $1,500 donation from the We Share A Common Thread Foundation.

The Give-A-Click campaign runs every quarter on the Credit Union’s We Share a Common Thread Foundation website. Community members visit the site, learn about three worthy nonprofit organizations, and cast their vote for the one they would like to support. The organization with the most votes at the end of the quarter is awarded a $1,500 donation from the foundation.

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Tufts Health Plan Foundation Awards $15,000 to Mill City Grows

Tufts Health Plan Foundation announced a grant of $15,000 to Mill City Grows (MCG) to pilot and expand its mobile market stops to make fresh, healthy food available to more older adults. The grant reflects the foundation’s commitment to building healthier communities by promoting collaboration and improving systems and best practices.

Mill City Grows’ programs respond to Lowell’s need for healthy food access. According to the USDA Food Atlas, more than 75% of Lowell’s census tracts are food deserts. MCG develops urban food production and distribution networks through programs including community and school gardens, urban farms and a mobile market. This grant supports the expansion of the mobile market and outreach efforts to increase awareness among older adults.

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Pentucket Bank Earns 5-Star Rating

Pentucket Bank is pleased to announce that it has once again earned a coveted 5-star rating from BauerFinancial, the nation’s premier bank rating firm. With over 25 continuous years of maintaining Bauer’s highest rating, Pentucket Bank has also been designated as a “Best of Bauer” bank. The bank’s consistent 5-star rating recognizes Pentucket Bank’s commitment to excelling in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality and much more.

“Pentucket Bank is an integral member of the community,” commented Karen L. Dorway, current president of BauerFinancial. “Its support provides the vitality the community needs to remain socially, educationally and commercially vibrant.  A strong community, in turn, produces a strong community bank. And the cycle continues. True community banks, like Pentucket Bank, understand that what is good for the community is equally good for them, making them an invaluable neighbor.”

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Mark Van Weelden has been appointed to the Northern Essex Community College Foundation Board. Van Weelden is business manager of the Greater Boston, New Hampshire and Maine district for Covanta, the corporation behind the Haverhill Resource Recovery facility located at 100 Recovery Way. A resident of Eliot, Maine, Van Weelden is a U.S. Navy veteran and a board member of the Environmental Business Counsel, New England. As the child of a retired school teacher who serves as an executive dean at Sauk Valley Community College and McHenry County Community College in Illinois, Van Weelden says, “The importance of a strong community college is vital to both the local and state education system. NECC has a proven track record in providing vital educational options to students before and after graduation.”