Monson Savings Bank Reflects on its Support of Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services in 2024

Dan Moriarty, Monson Savings Bank President & CEO (right); Kylie LaPlante, Monson Savings Bank Deposit Operations Manager & Fraud Analyst (center right); and Wil Morales, Monson Savings Bank Assistant Vice President Monson Branch Manager, Retail Banking & Security Officer and Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services Board of Directors (left), proudly present Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services President & CEO Shannon Rudder with a $5,000 donation.
 
Monson, MA – In 2024, Monson Savings Bank continued its strong support of their community partner Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services (MLKFS).
 
“Monson Savings Bank is proud to support our friends at MLKFS. The work that they do for the Springfield community and surrounding areas is absolutely amazing,” said Monson Savings Bank President & CEO Dan Moriarty. “We are grateful for the work that they do to keep Dr. King’s mission alive and well.”
 
In 2024, Monson Savings Bank was a supporter of the MLKFS local Be Love Project, a growing movement of courageous acts to achieve justice. To learn more about the MLKFS Be Love Project, please visit: https://www.mlkjrfamilyservices.org/community-be-love/
 
The Bank then sponsored the inclusion of MLKFS in Business West’s 2024 Community Giving Guide. The Giving Guide can be found here: https://businesswest.com/blog/giving-guide-2024/
 
And in the last quarter of the year, Monson Savings Bank was a Platinum Level sponsor of the Springfield organization’s first ever Reunion Weekend.
 
The MLKFS Reunion Weekend was a three-day celebration of the nearly half a century long legacy of MLKFS. The first day, MLKFS Champion Event, acknowledged the leadership and support over the years that helped to create the legacy and impact of MLKFS across the region. The second day, Family-Fun Day, was filled with reconnection, storytelling, plus food and fun! The third and final day of the Reunion, Fellowship & Worship, highlighted that there is no MLKFS without the vision of Project Mustard Seed. Attendees gathered in that spirit and tradition with a special worship service under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery, Pastor of the MLK Jr. Community Presbyterian Church. The crowd welcomed Project Mustard Seed Visionary Leader the Reverend Dr. Ronald E. Peters, former Pastor of the MLK Jr. Community Presbyterian Church, to bless everyone with his message and call to action. This celebration featured MLK Community Choir under the direction of Elder Terrence Haynes, accompanied by Terrence Schider. 

“Our fellowship is powerful.  Together, we gathered to honor our ancestorial legacy leaders, the many who make up the fabric of MLKFS, and the dreamers who are investing in the vision forward,” said MLKFS President & CEO Shannon Rudder. “This awesome three-day long celebration would not be possible without the support of our community sponsors, like Monson Savings Bank. We are honored to have their support as we keep Dr. King’s Dream alive in Western Mass.”
 
Since 1977, the mission of MLKFS has been to nurture and develop the skills, opportunities, and spirit of families in Greater Springfield and the surrounding communities. Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Services fully embraces the “beloved community” vision of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a multicultural and multiservice agency, it is dedicated to being the keepers of Dr. King’s Dream in Western Massachusetts by helping the region achieve peace, social, and economic justice, self-determination, self-actualization, and self-sufficiency.
 
A beacon for the community, MLKFS offers after school programs, educational and college readiness assistance, support for families, as well as cultural experiences through art, dance, and sports. To learn more about MLKFS, please visit: https://www.mlkjrfamilyservices.org/
 
To learn more about Monson Savings Bank’s community commitment, please visit: https://www.monsonsavings.bank/connect/our-community/our-community-commitment.html