Below is a press release from Salem Five Bank, which has a branch location in Wilmington at 281 Main Street:
SALEM, MA — Salem Five Bank recently donated $20,000 to a soup kitchen’s dining room renovation project that was launched to meet the increasing demand for food services, the bank announced today.
My Brother’s Table, the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore, celebrated the grand reopening of its dining room in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 17, 2024. The $400,000 renovation project expanded its facility to seat 120 guests after it was closed during the pandemic and only offered takeout meals.
“Salem Five is proud to partner with My Brother’s Table to fill a pressing need for access to free meals in the Lynn community,” said Salem Five President and CEO Ping Yin Chai. “I’m proud of our local team, which worked quickly to better understand My Brother’s Table’s challenges and how we could help.”
Food and hospitality demand skyrocketed since the pandemic and the onset of inflation, which increased supply costs, said My Brother’s Table Executive Director Dianne Kuzia Hills.
“We are very grateful to receive this donation from Salem Five,” said Kuzia Hills. “In 2019, we served 200,000 meals. Last year, that number rose to 975,000. Salem Five’s generosity comes at a time when it is really needed for Greater Lynn’s individuals and families struggling with food insecurity or hunger.”
In addition to celebrating the milestone with a ribbon cutting, the community was invited to an Open House on Sunday, May 19, to tour the renovated space and learn about the organization’s ongoing work.
About Salem Five Bank
Salem Five Bancorp is the holding company of Salem Five (www.salemfive.com), a mutual bank founded in 1855. Whatever the need and whatever the goal, Salem Five’s banking, investment and insurance professionals have the expertise to move customers forward. Salem Five has more than $7 billion in assets and 34 retail branches in Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties. Divisions include Salem Five Mortgage Company, one of the largest mortgage lenders headquartered in New England; Salem Five Wealth Management & Trust, which offers fiduciary wealth management services to institutions and high-net-worth individuals, financial and retirement income planning, portfolio review and money management; and Salem Five Insurance Services, which provides personal and commercial insurance. Salem Five deposits are insured through the FDIC. Salem Five Mortgage Company’s NMLS # is 4662. Equal Housing Lender. Securities are offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Life insurance products are offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. Insurance and investment products are not FDIC insured, not bank guaranteed, may lose value, not a deposit, and not insured by any federal government agency.
About My Brother’s Table
Founded in 1982, My Brother’s Table is the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore. Open 13,000+ consecutive days, it has provided 7.8+ million free meals and outreach to men, women, and children in need. The Table welcomes all without a screening or deeming processes, believing that all people need and deserve a place where they can receive warm welcome, no matter their circumstances. For more information, please visit www.mybrotherstable.org.
Salem Five’s Lynn Branch Manager Maryanne Ricupero, right, presents a $20,000 gift from the bank to My Brother’s Table Executive Director Dianne Kuzia Hills. The funds will be put toward a $400,000 dining room renovation project, which will increase the soup kitchen’s capacity to meet rising demand among Greater Lynn’s low-income people and families.
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