December 6, 2010

Photo Finish from the Dec. 6, 2010 issue

The Verizon Foundation recently gave Girls Inc. of Worcester a $10,000 grant to provide services to survivors of domestic violence. The award was one of 15 such grants given to organizations across Massachusetts totaling $165,000. Pictured, in front, from left to right: Janis Broderick, Elizabeth Freeman House; Mary Gianakis, Voices Against Violence; Mary Lauby, Jane Doe Inc.; Diane Patrick, first lady of Massachusetts; Donna Cupelo, Verizon New England region president; David Kuppenheimer, Emerge; Ruth Zakarin, Katie Brown Educational Program; Meg Stone, Impact. In back, fromˆ left to right: Nathalie Favre-Gilly, Casa Myrna Vazquez; Suzanne DuBus, Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center;ˆ Sarah Dudzic, New England Learning Center for Women in Transition; LaWanza Lett-Brewington, Safe Passage; Candace Waldron, Healing Abuse Working for Change; Deb Hopkins, Girls Inc. of Worcester; Sue Chandler, DOVE Inc.; Linda Chin, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence.

Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation has awarded $5,000 to the Hastings House, a project of the Jewish Family Service of MetroWest that provides housing for low-income seniors. The Hastings House offers health supports including exercise, health monitoring and education, based on the recommendations of the Framingham Heart Study. Pictured in front, left to right: Hasting House residents Alice Canning, Josephine Souza, Fran Dillon, Muriel Litchfield, Hellen Gibbons and Bob Weir. Back, left to right: Maria Doering, program specialist with Jewish Family Service; Joni Lebov, exercise instructor; Michel Bilinsky, business development officer with the bank; Malka Young, director of community impacts with Jewish Family Service, Rachel Stewart, administrative director of the FCB Charitable Foundation and Dorothy Cannistraro, resident of Hastings House.

Chris and Jim Coghlin of Worcester's Coghlin Cos. joined former Patriots player Joe Andruzzi to speak with students at St. John's High School in Shrewsbury on behalf of the Worcester-based 15-40 Connection. The organization works toward the early detection of cancer in people aged 15 to 40. Andruzzi spoke about his experience as a survivor of non-Hodgkins Burkitt's lymphoma. Pictured, from left to right: Chris Coghlin, president and CEO of the Coghlin Cos.; Joe Andruzzi and Jim Coghlin, founder of the 15-40 Connection and chairman of the Coghlin Cos.

Millbury Savings Bank has donated $65,000 to the Quinsigamond and Vernon Hill elementary schools in Worcester. The money will help teachers supplement learning materials for their classrooms, providing $1,000 per classroom teacher. Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray and other officials joined representatives of the bank and schools for the announcement. Pictured, from left to right: State Rep. John P. Fresolo; Millbury Savings Bank President and CEO William J. Walsh; Vernon Hill School Principal Irene Logan; Millbury Savings Bank Board of Trustees Chairman James M. Beauregard; Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Melinda J. Boone; Lt. Gov. Murray; Millbury Savings Bank Executive Vice President Robert J. Morton; Quinsigamond School Principal Debbie Mitchell and State Senator Michael O. Moore.

Commerce Bank employees helped Elder Services of Worcester clean its three passenger vans and two trucks as part of the United Way of Central Massachusetts annual Day of Caring. Pictured, from left to right: Commerce Bank employees Sue Card, Maggie Santiago, Lisa Antoniotti, Nadine Bryan, Nicole Sabatini and Elaine Karsok.