Banking on the community
THE Caulfield Park Community Bank held its seventh annual general meeting earlier this month and initiated its first Christmas/Chanukah gift-giving ceremony.
THE Caulfield Park Community Bank held its seventh annual general meeting earlier this month and initiated its first Christmas/Chanukah gift-giving ceremony.
The Bendigo Bank project donated $80,000 overall to more than 60 local community organisations, schools and welfare groups.
It was a competitive process for volunteers and committees, with almost 100 groups applying for grants.
Among the dozens of recipients were the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA), Jewish Aid, the Community Security Group and Bnei Akiva.
“The grant means that we can continue to support the needs of local residents,” said Annette Sweet. executive director of NCJWA (Vic). “We are grateful to the Caulfield Park branch of the Bendigo Bank for supporting us in this endeavour”.
This year, the bank decided to spread its funding of local groups to a broader range of organisations, and in doing so returned 80 per cent of its annual profits to a more diverse selection.
The ceremonial function was attended by many in the community, including keynote speakers David Southwick, the Member for Caulfield, and Glen Eira Mayor Stephen Tang. Also on the night, outgoing board member Greg Blashki was presented with an award for his contribution to the bank.
The Caulfield Park branch has contributed almost $300,000 to the community, as well as sponsoring local functions. The bank aims to increase its overall funding to $500,000 by next year’s round of grants, applications for which opened in September.
AJN STAFF
Caption: Branch chairman Sam Parasol (left) presents outgoing board member Greg Blashki with an award.
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