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BankRI’s Holiday Giving Tree collects 7,576 gifts for local children, biggest year ever
BankRI’s signature program helps to brighten the season for children across Rhode Island
Photo, top: Staff of BankRI’s Lincoln branch are joined by workers from the Town of Lincoln prior to loading 1,527 donated gifts to benefit kids served by the Town’s Holiday Basket program.
Thanks to the generosity of Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) customers, staff and the community, the holiday season has been made brighter for underprivileged children across the Ocean State. The Bank’s Holiday Giving Tree program, which recently concluded, led to an incredible 7,576 donated gifts. It is the most gifts ever collected in the program’s 26-year history.
By December 20, all of the presents had been sent to BankRI’s 17 nonprofit partners to ensure the organizations could get them into the hands of the children they serve in time for the holiday.
Kim Wetherald, Director of Volunteer Services, EBCAP; Ally Gorman, Teller Supervisor; Diane Palmer, Program Coordinator, EBCAP; Eric Tapley, Program Coordinator, EBCAP; and Chrissy Boi, Highland Avenue Branch Manager.
“We have amazing people in our state who never miss an opportunity to help others, especially when it comes to children in need,” said Will Tsonos, President and CEO of BankRI. “Our Holiday Giving Tree program continues to reach new heights after all these years, demonstrating the true holiday spirit. Thank you to all who donated!”
In East Providence, its Highland Avenue branch collected 200 presents for kids served by East Bay Community Action Program.
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BankRI began its 26th annual Holiday Giving Tree program on November 1 at all of its branches statewide. For six week, branches displayed a giving tree decorated with ornaments featuring the name, age, and holiday wish of a child served by that branch’s nonprofit partner. Throughout the effort, people visited their local branch to select ornaments, later returning to place their donated gifts beneath the tree.
BankRI’s Cranston branches combined to collect 724 gifts during this year’s Holiday Giving Tree program, benefiting children helped by local nonprofits, AIDS Care Ocean State, Comprehensive Community Action Program, and SSTARbirth.
A number of branches saw tremendous support, including BankRI’s Lincoln location, which led the way by collecting 1,527 presents to benefit children served by the Town of Lincoln Holiday Basket Program. The Pawtucket branch came in at 815 presents in support of Adoption Rhode Island, and in Woonsocket, 601 gifts were donated to Connecting for Children & Families. A complete list of partnering nonprofits and the BankRI branches to collect on their behalf is:
- Adoption Rhode Island: Pawtucket
- AIDS Care Ocean State: Oaklawn Avenue and Park Avenue, Cranston
- Angel in Action: Coventry
- Boys & Girls Club of Newport County: Middletown
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick: Jefferson Blvd., Warwick Avenue, and West Shore Road, Warwick
- Comprehensive Community Action Program: Plainfield Pike, Cranston
- Connecting for Children & Families: Woonsocket
- Domestic Violence Program of Crossroads RI: East Side, Providence
- East Bay Community Action Program: Highland Avenue and Taunton Avenue, East Providence
- House of Hope: East Greenwich
- Jonnycake Center for Hope: Wakefield
- Kingstown Crossings: North Kingstown
- Lucy’s Hearth: Middletown
- Providence Housing Authority: Turks Head, Downtown Providence
- SSTARbirth: Atwood Avenue, Cranston
- Town of Lincoln Holiday Basket Program: Lincoln
- Tri-County Community Action Agency: Johnston and Smithfield