Ridgewood Savings Bank and its employees are certainly in the holiday spirit this year.
Through the bank’s “Spirit of Ridgewood” program, this year, 340 Ridgewood Savings Bank employees gave nearly 2,400 hours of their time and helped raise over $67,000 for their favorite charitable organizations such as The Inn, St. John’s Bread & Life, Room to Grow, The East 233rd Street Senior Center, Yorkville Common Pantry, World Vision and Forestdale.
Leonard Stekol, president and COO of Ridgewood Savings Bank, was proud to announce that 147 employees volunteered 10 or more hours, while 29 volunteered over 20 hours to help these nonprofit organizations.
“Through the ‘Spirit of Ridgewood’ program we participated in 68 events and raised over $67,500, all through the efforts of our employees,” Stekol said. “I am so proud of the way our employees give their time so generously all year long to these worthy organizations. This incredible effort is rarely recognized outside the charities we help, but so appreciated by the directors and the deserving people each charity helps.”
The “Spirit of Ridgewood” program was introduced by the bank in 2004 and focused on employee volunteerism through local 501(c)(3) organizations, and the tradition lives on today.
One of the organizations Ridgewood Savings Bank partners with through the “Spirit of Ridgewood” program is The Inn (Interfaith Nutrition Network), which works to help the hungry and homeless of Long Island by providing food, shelter, long-term housing, and supportive services.
“Ridgewood Savings Bank has been a huge supporter of The Inn for over 20 years,” said Jean Kelly, executive director of The Inn. “Employees are front and center at our fundraising events and familiar faces as volunteers in our soup kitchen. They have donated countless items that guests desperately need for daily basic survival, including food, clothing and personal care items. We are deeply humbled to have this level of support from the staff and management of Ridgewood Savings Bank and consider them an important part of The Inn’s family.”
