Success Stories

Did you know that more than 10% of households experience food insecurity?

At Abington Bank, our annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors fundraising drive is all about trying to make a difference by raising money for local food pantries that help our neighbors in need gain access to healthy food.

Each fall, we invite bank customers, employees, and members of the community to donate money throughout the month of November. All donations (up to $2,500 per donor) are matched dollar for dollar by Abington Bank and the total divided among participating food pantries across the South Shore and South Coast in communities we serve.

In just the first three years of our drive, we’ve raised more than $125,000, Next year, we hope to add to that total and make an even bigger impact!

Abington Bank President and CEO Andrew J. Raczka says he’s proud of this annual giving tradition. “Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a great example of how we can enhance everyone’s quality of life if we work to solve our biggest problems—together.”

Before lifelong Abington resident Shawn P. Cotter became an attorney, he was an advocate for youth education and sports, having served as a teacher at Abington Jr. High School, a coach for girls’ basketball, tennis, soccer, and youth baseball, and a founder of the Abington Education Foundation.

So as Abington Bank President and CEO Andrew J. Raczka sees it, the bank’s sponsorship of the annual basketball tournament in Shawn’s memory is a fitting tribute to the man who was also the former chairman of the board and board member of the North Abington Cooperative Bank, later Abington Bank.

Each February, the tournament is hosted in Abington and features basketball teams from schools across the South Shore and South Coast.

As exclusive sponsor, Abington Bank funds all the team and MVP awards as well as player and fan t-shirts. The bank also funds two scholarships each year in Shawn’s name for Abington High graduating seniors. Since 2010, the bank has provided nearly $80,000 in support through the tournament and scholarships.

“Abington Bank is proud to sponsor this annual event in Shawn’s memory, because it’s a testament to his commitment to the Abington community and to youth education and sports specifically,” says Andy. “It means a lot to have this tournament be part of his legacy.”

“Education is the key to bettering yourself on the road to independence and empowerment,” says Andrew J. Raczka, Abington Bank’s president and CEO.

So, each year, Abington Bank helps make that road a little easier for new graduates by providing thousands of dollars in scholarships to graduating seniors of local area high schools.

According to Andy, the scholarships are just one part of the bank’s longstanding commitment to supporting education through funding a variety of programs that benefit local elementary and secondary schools and their students, including donations used for supplies and equipment; educational enrichment programs and events; school music, arts, and sports programs; and more.

“Abington Bank is happy to support students by enriching their educational experience and unlocking their full potential,” says Andy.

The scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate both academic achievement and financial need and who are enrolling in a four-year program at an accredited college or university that fall. Recipients are graduates of Abington High School, Avon Middle High School, Cohasset High School, Holbrook Middle-High School, Old Rochester Regional High School in Marion, and Stoughton High School.

Abington Bank President and CEO Andrew J. Raczka says he believes that supporting students and enriching their educational experience is the key to unlocking their full potential.

That’s why the bank has held a longstanding commitment to supporting education through funding a variety of programs that benefit local elementary and secondary schools and their students. And, why the bank awards thousands of dollars in scholarships every year to local graduating seniors.

That commitment also includes the bank’s signature program, Funding Their Futures, where the bank donates $10 for every new Get Real Checking℠ account customers open at Abington Bank! Donations go to approximately a dozen participating schools, school systems, and educational foundations located in the towns where the bank has offices, and customers direct which participating organization receives the donation for their account—so they can feel good about unlocking potential for kids right in their own backyard!

To date, this program has provided over $67,000 toward enrichment programs, art and music programs, supplies and equipment, field trips, and more—with no strings attached.

“It’s an investment in our kids and to making sure learning is always a top priority,” Andy says.

The schools and school systems receiving donations include the Abington Education Foundation, Avon Public Schools, Braintree Public Schools, Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton, Cohasset Education Foundation, Holbrook Public Schools, Randolph Public Schools, Sacred Heart in Kingston, St. Bridget’s School in Abington, Stoughton Public Schools, and Tri-Town Education Foundation.

“The Envision Bank Home for Veterans stands as a wonderful example of how public-private partnership can have a lasting, positive impact in our community,” says William Parent, former Envision Bank president and CEO and current chief strategy officer for Hometown Financial Group, parent company of Abington Bank, with which Envision merged in 2022. “It’s a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together to make a meaningful difference.”

According to Bill, the home was the brainchild of his predecessor, former Envision Bank President and CEO James P. “Jim” McDonough, and the bank’s former board Chairman Lou Trubiano. In 2017, both men were looking to put the proceeds of the newly formed Envision Bank Charitable Foundation (now the Abington Bank Charitable Foundation) to good use in support of two of its funding priorities: veterans and affordable housing.

In wanting to do something grand, they and former Envision Bank Senior Vice President, Retail Banking & Corporate Marketing Richard Olson turned to Father Bill’s & MainSpring, a local charitable organization recognized as a leading innovator in the fight to end homelessness. The idea? Collaborate on a new housing project that would offer priority placement to vulnerable veterans—funded and financed in large part by the bank and foundation, but with ongoing operations and upkeep managed by Father Bill’s.

The foundation provided a grant of $500,000 toward construction, and the bank donated a portion of its Randolph branch parking lot—valued at $225,000—as the project’s location, offering to finance the rest with a low interest construction loan. Father Bill’s ultimately received another $1.5 million in grants from the Department of Housing and Community Development and MassHousing and raised funds for the remainder of the $2.5 million project—some of it through personal donations by McDonough, Trubiano, and other bank executives.

The home, which opened in 2020, has 10 studio apartments, each 300 square feet with a private bathroom and a kitchenette. The building includes a small common area, communal laundry, an office with two desktop computers, and on-site case management assistance to support residents seeking mental health treatment, job searches, or any other services they may need.

More important than the amenities, though, is what it means to the veterans and their families who call it home and the safety, independence, and support it offers.

“As staunch supporters of veterans’ organizations and causes, Jim and Lou’s foresight in finding a partner like Father Bill’s to align interests is the reason this project came to fruition,” Bill said. “And now, it will leave a lasting legacy.”

Today, as Abington Bank, the Randolph office staff are proud to remain connected to the home’s residents, providing financial resources and guidance as well as giving generously of their time and talents to fundraise and offer support, like serving an annual Thanksgiving dinner.

“Those who serve our country are owed a huge debt of gratitude for their contributions,” says Abington Bank President & CEO Andrew J. Raczka. “So, we are happy to continue the legacy started by Envision Bank in supporting our veterans and thanking them for their service.”

Supporting a community takes all of us, doing our part. It’s true in community banking, and it’s especially true when it comes to health care.

“Every community needs an independent hospital that promotes the welfare of the entire population in ensuring access to safe and quality health care,” says Abington Bank President and CEO Andrew J. Raczka. “For us, that’s South Shore Health.”

That’s why Abington Bank is a Presidents’ Circle member of South Shore Health Foundation, joining 130 local corporate leaders in support of the independent, not-for profit, charitable health system and its mission to provide area residents with access to comprehensive health care and well-being resources.

Presidents’ Circle members like Abington Bank band together to provide the necessary funding for South Shore Health to advance technology, improve facilities, and expand programs that enhance patient care and meet the diverse needs of the community.

In the run-up to its 100^th anniversary, the health system raised more than $75 million through its capital campaign, Mission Critical: The Campaign for Our 2^nd Century, including more than $10.5 million from Presidents’ Circle members like Abington Bank, which alone has provided more than $175,000 in total support as a Gold-level member. The campaign’s funds were used for a new state-of-the-art critical care unit, an MRI upgrade and expansion project, renovations to the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center in clinical affiliation with South Shore Health, and to establish the Grayken Center for Treatment, the cornerstone of the health system’s behavioral health and substance use disorder initiatives.

“Unlocking potential means more to us than fulfilling the need for community banking,” Andy says. “It’s about fulfilling our mission of supporting our customers, our employees, and our communities to tackle the biggest problems we face—together.”