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Business Beat: BankRI’s “Holiday Giving Tree” tops 7,000 Gifts for Kids across Rhode Island
Photo, top: BankRI’s 2025 Holiday Giving Tree program experienced one of its biggest years yet, collecting 7,067 gifts to help brighten the season for kids throughout the Ocean State. In Pawtucket, more than 400 gifts were donated to benefit Adoption Rhode Island. Left to right: Apple Thangthong, Personal Banker; Norma Hie, Assistant Branch Manager; Keith Yeomans, Teller; Noah Morrison, Pawtucket Branch Manager; and Luz De La Cruz, Teller Supervisor.
Rhode Islanders have once again come together to help brighten the holidays for local children in need, donating 7,067 gifts through the Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) Holiday Giving Tree. The program, now in its 28th year, sparked a tremendous display of kindness in support of the bank’s nonprofit partners and the families they serve. For nearly six weeks, gifts poured into BankRI branches, leading to this year’s collection being among the biggest ever and topping last year’s results.
Donations are already making their way to families, ensuring children can experience part of what makes this time of year so special.
“The Holiday Giving Tree is a tradition with great impact that’s felt in homes across the state as children unwrap gifts made possible by people who care,” said Will Tsonos, Regional President. “What truly makes this program so special is the fact each and every donation makes a difference in helping a child feel the joy of the season. I cannot thank our community enough for its support.”
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- At BankRI’s North Kingstown branch, 444 gifts were donated to help brighten the season for kids at Kingstown Crossing. Statewide, the 28th annual Holiday Giving Tree collected more than 7,000 presents for Rhode Island children. Left to right: Kelly Kavanagh, North Kingstown Branch Manager; Nichole Gray, Teller; and Shelley Macdonald, Senior Teller.
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- The community donated 160 presents for local children through BankRI’s Oaklawn Avenue branch in Cranston as part of the bank’s annual Holiday Giving Tree program. Statewide, the effort led to more than 7,000 gifts for kids. Left to right: Linda Lussier, Teller Supervisor, Michaela Abbey, Teller; and Stacy Levin, Oaklawn Avenue Branch Manager.
BankRI began this year’s Holiday Giving Tree on November 1, displaying giving trees in the lobbies of all branch locations. Each tree was decorated with ornaments sharing the holiday wish of a child served by that branch’s nonprofit partner. Throughout the season, customers, staff, and community members stopped by their local branch to select ornaments and later returned to leave the donated gifts beneath the tree. A number of bank locations realized significant collections.
Leading the way was the Woonsocket branch, which collected 781 presents to benefit kids served by Connecting for Children & Families. The Jefferson Boulevard branch in Warwick collected 719 gifts in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick, followed by the Lincoln branch with 537 presents for the Town of Lincoln Holiday Basket Program. In Coventry, 528 presents were collected for Big Brothers Big Sisters of RI. Four additional branches collected more than 400 gifts each: Johnston, Highland Avenue in East Providence, North Kingstown, and Pawtucket.
The complete list of nonprofit partners for BankRI’s 2025 Holiday Giving Tree program, along with the branches that collected donations on their behalf, is as follows:
- Adoption Rhode Island (Pawtucket)
- AIDS Care Ocean State (Park Avenue, Cranston)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of RI (Coventry and Oaklawn Avenue, Cranston)
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County (Newport)
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Warwick (Jefferson Blvd., Warwick Ave., and West Shore Rd., 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)
- Jonnycake Center for Hope (Wakefield)
- Kingstown Crossings (East Greenwich and North Kingstown)
- Lucy’s Hearth (Middletown)
- Operation Stand Down Rhode Island (Turks Head, Downtown Providence)
- SSTARbirth (Atwood Avenue, Cranston)
- Town of Lincoln Holiday Basket Program (Lincoln)
- Tri-County Community Action Agency (Johnston and Smithfield)
- About Bank Rhode Island, a division of Beacon Bank & Trust
Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) is a division of Beacon Bank & Trust, commonly known as Beacon Bank, a subsidiary of Beacon Financial Corporation (NYSE: BBT). BankRI is a full-service institution that operates 22 branches and more than 30 ATMs throughout Providence, Kent, Newport, and Washington counties. For more, visit BankRI.com.