Community Bank N.A. celebrates National Good Neighbor Day, donates to CRIS

By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

Last week, Community Bank N.A. celebrated National Good Neighbor Day (Sept. 28) for the third consecutive year by donating to local nonprofits throughout its four-state service area.

Branches throughout Upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont and Western Massachusetts donated a total of $60,000 to help meet the specific needs of each community.

The Cazenovia branch donated $250 to Community Resources for Independent Seniors (CRIS), an organization dedicated to developing and coordinating supportive services that help individuals 55 and older to preserve their independence, to remain active and engaged in the community, and to live safely and comfortably in their homes for as long as possible.

“It means a great deal to CRIS to be recognized as a good neighbor because of all our hard work,” said CRIS Executive Director Karisha Solomon. “CRIS will utilize the money to help us continue our mission of identifying and coordinating supportive services for [seniors] in the Cazenovia, Nelson and Fenner areas. We continue to have calls and emails on a regular basis and we provide each and every person with personalized information and referrals to local businesses and organizations that serve seniors. Even though we are not having our seniors join us in our office space we continue to meet their needs virtually.”

Community Bank District Manager Barbara Houghton nominated CRIS as the recipient of the Cazenovia branch’s donation.

“Being a very trying year, the Cazenovia office looked at where we can help that might be overlooked,” Houghton said. “Our elderly people play such an important role in all our lives that we as a team felt this could be put to good use by donating to CRIS.”

Last year, the branch supported CazCares food pantry and clothing closet with both a donation and volunteers.

According to Houghton, each branch employee volunteered two hours of time at the CazCares facility throughout the month of October.

The employees also celebrated National Good Neighbor Day 2019 by getting out in the community to wash windows in the Village of Cazenovia business area.

“Due to COVID-19, we are not as hands-on as we were in years past, but [we] realize how important it is to give back to our neighbors,” Houghton said. “This is who we are. We work and live in our communities and giving back is what makes us special. I am very proud of the community support Community Bank allows us to be a part of.”

National Good Neighbor Day was created in 1971 by Becky Mattson, of Lakeside, Montana, and proclaimed a national day by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. It is celebrated annually as a day of gratitude and community building.

In addition to its Good Neighbor Day donations, Community Bank donated $45,000 to local nonprofits in April to help support COVID-19 response efforts. In May, the bank purchased $22,000 in gift cards from local restaurants and donated them to health care facilities throughout the bank’s service area.

For more information on the bank, visit cbnanews.com.

To learn more about CRIS or to make a donation, visit cris-caz.com or call 315-655-5743.

For COVID-19 related information and assistance, visit cris-caz.com/covid.