Bank foundation gives $3,500 to food pantries.

PUTNAM - Nine area food pantries have received $3,500 from the Putnam Bank Foundation. The contributions were made to: Daily Bread, Putnam, $500; TEEG, North Grosvenordale, $500; ACCESS Agency Inc., Danielson, $500; Project Northeast, Putnam, $500; Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center, New London, $500; Friends of Assisi Food Pantry, Danielson, $250; Project PIN, Plainfield, $250; St. Mary's Food Pantry, Jewett City, $250; and the Dr. Martin Luther King Center Food Bank, Norwich, $250.

"Rather than sending Christmas cards to our commercial customers this year, we decided to take the money we normally spend, plus a generous addition from the Putnam Bank Foundation, and contribute it instead to the food pantries located in the communities we serve," said Thomas Borner, chairman and CEO of Putnam Bank, and president of the Putnam Bank Foundation.

In addition, Putnam Bank has been collecting unwrapped toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program at several of its branches, while other offices have been selling $1 bookmarks for the Eastern Connecticut Chamber Foundation, the proceeds of which benefit children in need in the Eastern Connecticut region.

The original Putnam Savings Bank Charitable Foundation was established in 1999 with a $300,000 contribution from the bank. The Putnam Savings Bank Foundation was created in 2004 with a one-time allocation of $1.2 million from monies raised during its initial stock offering. In 2006, the two foundations were merged to form the Putnam Savings Foundation Inc., now the Putnam Bank Foundation.