NORTH ANDOVER — Rocky’s Ace Hardware, one of the country’s largest family-owned Ace Hardware dealers with 50 locations in nine states, is kicking off its semi-annual “Round Up for Kids” fundraiser.
Throughout the campaign, which extends throughout the month of April, customers are asked to round up their purchase total to the next dollar. The difference is donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“The Round Up for Kids has become one of our signature fundraisers each year,” said Rocco Falcone, president of Rocky’s Ace Hardware.
“It’s a cause our customers, staff and community really get behind. CMN helps more than 12 million kids each year who receive care from a dedicated children’s hospital to get the best possible medical treatment.”
As in the past, 100% of the money raised benefits the local CMN Hospital nearest to each store.
Local participating Rocky’s locations include those in Bellingham, Canton, Concord, Fairhaven, Fall River, Fitchburg, Gloucester, Holden, Medway, Middleton, Millis, North Andover, Northborough, Pembroke, Randolph, Rockport, Walpole and Worcester in Massachusetts, and stores in Concord, Dover and New London in New Hampshire.
The proceeds from all these locations will be donated to Boston Children’s Hospital.
Credit Union sponsors Community Meal
HAVERHILL — Merrimack Valley Credit Union recently sponsored a community meal at the Citizens Center on Welcome Street.
Every Monday, the nonprofit Community Meals Inc. serves meals prepared by a local chef that are free to the public. Local organizations and businesses sponsor these weekly meals and provide volunteers.
In addition to a cash donation and desserts, MVCU’s volunteers helped prepare and serve a meatloaf dinner to dozens of Haverhill community members throughout the evening.
MVCU staff member volunteers included Toeun Pot, loan processor; Andrea Rose, universal banker; Karen Krisanda, universal banker; Julie Brady, regional sales and service manager; Carmen Brasil, consumer loan funder; Nancy Pierce, digital channels and deposit product analyst; Teresa Keiser, consumer underwriter; and Kevin Schiavoni, member support specialist.
“MVCU looks forward to sponsoring Haverhill Community Meals each year,” said Anthony Marino, MVCU’s senior vice president of Organizational Development. “Uplifting our community members is not just part of our mission as an organization, but part of our values as people and our team members truly enjoy these opportunities to connect with our community.”
To learn more about MVCU’s community efforts, visit mvcu.com/news.
Networking event with broad reach
BEVERLY — The Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce will join with other area Chambers for Multi-Chamber Networking Event from 5 to 7 p.m. June 12 at Endicott College’s Misselwood Events center, 407 Hale St.
Also participating are the Greater Beverly, Greater Cape Ann, Merrimack Valley and Salem, Mass., Chambers of Commerce.
Chamber staff and members are invited. The event will include complimentary appetizers and lively conversation with chamber affiliates, Endicott College and Misselwood staff.
Parking is at the Peter Frates Hall lot directly across the street from Misselwood. The event is free but registration is required at tinyurl.com/mubvz2ux.
MVCU donates $10K to Catie’s Closet
HAVERHILL — Merrimack Valley Credit Union donated $10,000 to Catie’s Closet, a nonprofit organization in Dracut, to support their SOS Urgent Response program.
Founded in 2009, Catie’s Closet provides clothes, toiletries and other essentials to students who cannot afford them by setting up secure stores (called closets) in schools.
These closets offer these items at no cost to the children, enabling them to attend class and participate in school activities with dignity and confidence. Catie’s Closet currently operates in 130 schools throughout southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts, serving more than 90,000 students daily.
The nonprofit’s SOS Urgent Response program offers immediate assistance to children facing critical circumstances. Catie’s Closet partners with social service agencies to provide clothing to children who are experiencing homelessness, transitioning to a new living situation, new to the United States, survivors of domestic abuse and more.
When a call is received from a social service agency, Catie’s Closet creates and sends a customized package of clothing and hygiene essentials to the child within 48 hours.
“We are so thankful to Merrimack Valley Credit Union for their generous sponsorship of our SOS Urgent Response Program,” said Mickey Cockrell, CEO & co-founder of Catie’s Closet. “This impactful donation provides 250 children with urgent response packages filled with clothing and basic necessities that meet their individual needs.”
To learn more about MVCU’s community efforts, visit mvcu.com/news.
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Catie’s Closet seeks support
DRACUT — Catie’s Closet, a nonprofit organization that provides children in need with free access to clothing and basic necessities, is launching an Earth Month initiative and is encouraging community members and caring companies to join its environmentally sustainable mission and help students thrive in school and in life.
Catie’s Closet distributes gently used clothing while inviting the community to get involved in processing clothing donations in preparation for distribution to children in need across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Earth Month initiatives for individuals, groups, and businesses focus on repurposing like-new clothing.
Initiatives include: Hosting a gently-used youth clothing drive with your community or company; volunteering at one of Catie’s Closet’s Massachusetts distribution centers in Boston, Dracut, or Springfield; having a Processing Party to sort and process donations from your drive; donating your gently used youth and teen clothing to benefit children in need, and becoming a sponsor.
The nonprofit is a proud recipient of Earth Breeze’s Buy One, Give Ten Program. For every package of Earth Breeze Eco Sheets sold, they donate 10 loads of laundry detergent to organizations that serve individuals in need.
With its Earth Breeze partnership, laundry detergent is available in all Catie’s Closets, offering students a simpler solution for washing clothing, regardless of their access to a washing machine. Every package helps save water and reduce unnecessary waste.
Catie’s Closet is also a recipient of the Liberty Mutual Foundation Climate Resiliency Grant, which enables Catie’s Closet to launch environmentally friendly campaigns, like the Earth Month promotion, that inspire individuals and companies to recycle their gently used clothing.
Additionally, Catie’s Closet is proud to be an approved nonprofit partner of 1% for the Planet, a global organization that ensures our planet and future generations thrive. Corporate members of 1% for the Planet commit to donating at least 1% of annual sales to environmental organizations such as Catie’s Closet.
To learn more about Catie’s Closet and its programs, visit catiescloset.org. View the Earth Month Involvement Packet at tinyurl.com/2p9eeemt.