Bristol County Bank Foundation Donates To Support Saint Vincents Home’s Life Skill Program

Fall River – MA, Bristol County Bank recently awarded $10,000 to Saint Vincent’s Home to be used to implement the Life-skills program that serves youth, ages 14 to 21, throughout Southeastern MA, Cape Cod and The Islands. The young people in the program come from low-income households and may have no viable family to care for them or completely lack any family or community connections. Many are waiting to be placed in foster homes or waiting to be adopted. All are struggling with a variety of difficulties including abuse, neglect, poverty, addictions, mental illness, and serious emotional and behavioral disorders as well as challenges to learning.

The Life Skills Program promotes cultural sensitivity, self-determination and community participation and helps to ensure that youth live, work and further their education as independently as possible upon transition from Saint Vincent’s. Whether working toward completing their education, engaging in vocational training or meaningful work experiences, the youth, by partnering with the Life Skills program staff, achieve success by building on their strengths, learning new skills and developing competence.

Saint Vincent’s Home provides direct care, in-home and community-based services, outpatient behavioral health, residential and group living support, many forms of support and stabilization, respite for families, special education for middle and high school students throughout Southeastern Massachusetts as well as the Life-skills Program. The main campus, clinic and group homes are located in Fall River.

Representatives from the Bank: Dennis Kelly, Chairman of the Board, Bristol County Savings Bank (BCSB) and Chairman, Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation (BCSCF); Joseph Nauman, Board Member, BCSCF-Southcoast Advisory Board & BCSB and EVP - Corporate & Legal, Acushnet Company; Dr. Jean MacCormack, Chairperson, BCSCF - Southcoast Advisory Board, former UMass Dartmouth Chancellor and Board Member, BCSB; Nelson Braga, Senior Vice President - Residential Lending, BCSB and Board Member, St. Vincent's Home, Corp; Dennis Leahy, Executive Vice President, Treasurer & CFO, BCSB and Treasurer, BCSCF; and Patrick Murray, President & CEO, BCSB and President, BCSCF. All total, the Bank donated $199,500 to 27 organizations throughout the communities it serves, including $97,000 to 13 organizations in the Southcoast Region.