Monson Savings Bank Donates $2,000 to Gardening the Community to Expand Access to Free Fresh Produce

Contribution supports free fresh produce distribution through Gardening the Community’s Walnut Street Farm and local neighborhoods in Springfield.

 

Dan Moriarty, President and CEO of Monson Savings Bank (bottom right), presented a $2,000 donation to Elizabeth O'Gilvie, Interim Director of Gardening the Community (bottom left), alongside Kami Trushaw, Farm Manager (top left); Toussaint Paskins, Assistant Director of Youth Leadership and Agriculture Programs (top right); and youth program participants.
 

Springfield, MA - As part of the Bank's Together for Food Security campaign during the month of October, Monson Savings Bank has donated $2,000 to Gardening the Community's Walnut Street Farm to help provide free bags of fresh, nourishing food to community members facing food insecurity.

Gardening the Community is a food justice organization focused on youth development, sustainable and regenerative urban agriculture, and community building as part of a healthy, equitable, community-focused food system. Produce is available through the Walnut Street Farm Store, farmers markets, and other community outlets, with purchasing options for shoppers who use SNAP and Healthy Incentives Program benefits.

The organization's work increases access to fresh food in Springfield while strengthening youth leadership and advancing a more equitable local food system. Support for the Walnut Street Farm addresses immediate fresh food needs while also investing in the people developing long-term, community-based solutions.

The $2,000 contribution will help Gardening the Community provide no-cost produce to families experiencing food insecurity.

“In neighborhoods where transportation barriers and limited nearby grocery options can make fresh, nutritious food harder to reach, dependable local access is vital,” said Dan Moriarty, President and CEO of Monson Savings Bank. “Gardening the Community strengthens food security by growing food, developing young leaders, and building community power at the same time. Walnut Street Farm is both an important neighborhood resource and a model for lasting, community-based impact.”

The donation is one of several contributions made through Together for Food Security, Monson Savings Bank’s October campaign supporting organizations that address food insecurity through neighborhood pantries, food rescue, urban agriculture, and regional distribution.

“This contribution will help us place free bags of fresh, nourishing food directly into the hands of community members who need them. Each bag represents more than a meal—it offers care, dignity, and reassurance that our neighbors are not facing food insecurity alone,” said Elizabeth O'Gilvie, Interim Director of Gardening the Community. “We are deeply grateful to Monson Savings Bank for investing in food access, youth leadership, and a healthier, more equitable Springfield.”

Gardening the Community operates as a fiscally sponsored charitable project of Third Sector New England, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

To learn more about Monson Savings Bank's Together for Food Security campaign, visit https://www.monsonsavings.bank/together-for-food-security.html 
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ABOUT MONSON SAVINGS BANK
Incorporated as a mutually chartered community bank in 1872, Monson Savings Bank has one of the longest tenures of service and stability in its market. Civic leaders chartered the bank with the intent to give working men and women the opportunity to save. Today, Monson Savings Bank retains its legacy of empowerment through savings while offering innovative financial services, including digital banking, online mortgage applications, business banking, and commercial lending. The bank serves customers through offices in Monson, Hampden, Wilbraham, Ware, and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, as well as a retail and business Loan operations center in Wilbraham. 

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