Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees recently presented more than $22,000 in donations collected through the Bank’s employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for a Cause, to ten organizations serving communities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The recipients of the donations collected during the fourth quarter of 2024.

Bank employees participating in Casual for a Cause dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a bi-weekly payroll deduction made to a pool of funds collected each quarter. The employees then vote on which community organizations will receive the funds collected the previous quarter. More than $372,000 has been donated since the program began in 2018. 

“Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees love participating in Casual for a Cause because it gives them an easy way to donate money to the causes they care about,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “By pooling their individual donations together, they are also able to be a part of more substantial donations that have a very real impact on community organizations and the people they serve.”

Recipients of Q4 2024 Donations

Maine

Farm Tomorrow: Farm Tomorrow is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to preserve, exchange, promote, and teach rural and traditional farming practices. The organization provides hands-on learning programs to teach skills including horse-based farming, timber framing, cheese making, and canning and preserving the harvest. Learn more about Farm Tomorrow at farmtomorrow.org. 

“These funds will support programs that provide experiences to reconnect people with our agricultural lands through rural and traditional farming practices,” said Genio Bertin, Program Director of Farm Tomorrow. “Thank you for believing in the work we do and supporting the community we all call home.”

Hancock County Habitat for Humanity: Hancock County Habitat for Humanity builds decent, affordable houses in partnership with economically disadvantaged families who then purchase these houses through no-profit mortgage loans. The organization also offers the Aging in Place Housing Plus Program, which makes home modifications that ensure seniors can live independently and safely in their own homes. Learn more about Hancock County Habitat for Humanity at hancockcountyhabitat.org. 

“We are so grateful to receive these funds from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust's employees through their Casual for a Cause giving program,” said Sherry Billings, Executive Director of Hancock County Habitat for Humanity. “These funds will go toward the purchase of flooring for the home we currently have under construction. This home will move a family into safe, affordable permanent housing."

Maine Maritime Museum: Maine Maritime Museum connects people to the past, present, and future of Maine’s waterways and their global reach. Founded in 1962, the museum offers exhibits, hands-on activities, and an up close look at the country’s only surviving shipyard, which features a full-size sculpture of the schooner Wyoming, the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built in North America. Learn more about Maine Maritime Museum at mainemaritimemuseum.org. 

“Maine Maritime Museum is so grateful for Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and their generous gift,” said Chris Timm, Executive Director of Maine Maritime Museum. “Thanks to them, our exhibits, lectures, summer camps, Discovery Boatbuilding program, cruises, and all other programs will continue to be both a resource to our community and an important economic tourism driver in our region.”

Pine Tree Society: Pine Tree Society works to provide Maine children and adults with disabilities the opportunities and the means to create better lives for themselves and their families. A highlight of the organization’s programs is Pine Tree Camp, a fully accessible 285-acre campus that offers a wide range of programming for children and adults with disabilities. Learn more about Pine Tree Society at pinetreesociety.org. 

“Thank you to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust for helping us uphold an 80-year promise at Pine Tree Camp: never turning away a camper due to an inability to pay,” said Dawn Willard-Robinson, Director of Pine Tree Camp. “Their generosity gives Maine children and adults with disabilities the chance to experience a fully accessible, barrier-free summer camp. This contribution is more than a week of tuition—it’s an investment in lifelong friendships, confidence, and independence.”

Shaw Institute: Shaw Institute is a nonprofit scientific research organization that focuses on researching and better understanding the connection between environmental and human health. Their scientific research revolves around assessing levels of environmental contaminants, performing coastal water quality monitoring, and understanding the effects of climate change. Learn more about Shaw Institute at shawinstitute.org. 

“We are sincerely thankful for the support of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and their employees that selected us for this program and donated to empower our work,” said Charles Rolsky, Ph.D., Executive Director and Senior Research Scientist at Shaw Institute. “It's only through this kind of generosity that we are able to make a difference through research, education and community engagement. Together, we can better protect and understand what impacts the health of humans, wildlife and the fragile ecosystems that we all share.”

New Hampshire

New London Hospital: New London Hospital is a 25-bed rural community hospital serving 15 communities within the Lake Sunapee region and provides primary care, emergency, and specialized clinical services. In addition to the hospital, they operate the Newport Health Center and the Tiger Treatment Center, which is New Hampshire’s only school-based health center. Learn more about New London Hospital at newlondonhospital.org. 

“We are deeply grateful to the employees of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust for choosing New London Hospital as the beneficiary of their 'Casual for a Cause' program,” said Lauren Geddes Wirth, MD, CEO and President of New London Hospital. “Their generosity directly supports our mission to improve the well-being of individuals in our region by providing high-quality healthcare to our communities. It is inspiring to see local businesses and their employees come together to make a meaningful impact on the health of our community.”

Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity: Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity has a mission to build affordable, durable, safe, healthy, economical, and energy-efficient homes; strengthen and enrich communities; and increase long-term hope, prosperity, health, and the lives of families and individuals in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire through the stability of affordable homeownership. Learn more about Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity at uvhabitat.org. 

“Affordable housing for working families is a critical need in the Upper Valley and Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has shown that they are committed to helping to fill that need with this generous donation and their long history of support for Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity,” said Jack Kauders, Executive Director of Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Vermont

Brandon Free Public Library: Brandon Free Public Library provides a friendly and safe atmosphere in which patrons of all ages may enrich their lives through the benefit and pleasure of learning and discovery. In addition to the thousands of books available, the library offers community spaces and adult and children’s programming. Learn more about Brandon Free Library at brandonpubliclibrary.org. 

“Bar Harbor Bank and their generous employees are valued community partners, playing a vital role in strengthening Brandon Free Public Library’s ability to expand its resources, enriching the community with greater access to knowledge, learning, and inspiration,” said Molly Kennedy, Director of Brandon Free Public Library.

Norman Williams Public Library: Norman Williams Public Library enriches the intellectual, cultural, and civic life of greater Woodstock by promoting a lifelong love of reading and learning; fostering the free exchange of ideas; providing a welcoming space for people of all ages and backgrounds; and offering resources for building a more just and humane community. Learn more about Normal Williams Public Library at normanwilliams.org. 

“This generous support from Bar Harbor Bank enables us to expand our resources and programs,” said Clare McFarland, Director of Norman Williams Public Library. “The bank's commitment to our mission helps us build a stronger, more informed, and connected community."

Royalton Memorial Library: Royalton Memorial Library has a collection that includes fiction, nonfiction, graphic books, large-print, and audio books for adults, young adults, and children. The library also provides patrons access to laptops, Wi-Fi, printing, scanning, and photocopy machines. Learn more about Royalton Memorial Library at royaltonlibrary.org. 

“This generous gift goes beyond books and resources; it is an investment in our community,” said Pam Levasseur, Assistant Director of Royalton Memorial Library. “This gift will be used to support our mission of fostering a love of learning, creativity, and exploration.” 

Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American: BHB) is the parent company of its wholly owned subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. Operating over 50 locations across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine and has more than $4 billion in assets. As a leading Northern New England community bank, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust offers a full range of personal and business banking services, as well as wealth management services through its subsidiary Bar Harbor Wealth Management. For more information about Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, visit www.barharbor.bank or call 888-853-7100. Member FDIC.