Westbrook, Maine – January 25, 2024 – In response to the cost of home heating oil, the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation has donated $30,000 to support the Keep ME Warm Fund, providing direct and immediate home heating assistance to Mainers in need. “Making a contribution to the Keep ME Warm Fund will allow us to help our neighbors when they need it most. No one should have to choose between paying for heat and other essentials. Our hope is that we can make the lives of individuals and families in the communities we serve a little easier this year,” says Jeanne Hulit, President and CEO of Maine Community Bank.

As we are amid the coldest months, the cost of basic needs, like rent and food, continue to rise in our state. Thousands of Mainers are faced with choosing between heating their homes and basic needs like food and medicine. Unfortunately, MaineHousing reports that federal LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) benefits will be about half of what they were last year, due to the end of some special funding programs. In addition, there has been an increase in applicants needing assistance. Donations to Keep ME Warm help to make the winter warmer and safer for Maine families. The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation donation will help people across Maine, including the bank’s footprint in the Androscoggin, Cumberland, and York regions. Keep ME Warm Funds are distributed through 211 Maine, local United Ways, and community partners.

The Keep ME Warm Fund, in partnership with local community service organizations, relies heavily on donations and distributes assistance based on need. “Thousands of Mainers are struggling to pay for heat this winter,” says Liz Cotter Schlax, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Maine. “Maine Community Bank’s generous support of Project Heat directly benefits the Keep ME Warm fund, which helps households in emergency situations. We are so grateful for their donation, which will help to keep seniors, children, and other vulnerable Mainers warm.”

Together, Maine Community Bank and the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation contributed over $325,000 to several local non-profit organizations in 2023 and continues to support the local community through donations, volunteerism, and in-kind donations each year.

About Maine Community Bank

Biddeford Savings and Mechanics Savings have been financial partners with the people of Central and Southern Maine for the past 150 years. To help carry out their commitment to the communities they serve, the two banks merged on January 1, 2020, becoming divisions of Maine Community Bank. The merger expands the lending capacity, product offerings, and branch service areas, while keeping all decision-making at the local level. They have branches in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Scarborough, Waterboro, and Windham, with a new branch and operations center in Westbrook.

About the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation

The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation was created in July of 2020 and is structured to give back to the communities in a larger, more enduring way. The Foundation’s mission is to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities meet their basic needs and achieve financial empowerment.

Westbrook, Maine – December 20, 2023 – To support the important effort to strengthen the social and economic foundations of our community, The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation approved a donation of $50,000 to the Trinity Jubilee Center, a community leader in providing crucial services to the hungry, the homeless, and those in need.

The Foundation recently presented Trinity Jubilee a check for $50,000, which will be used to fund the new build of a 5,500-square-foot service center in downtown Lewiston, that will enable them to serve more people, fill gaps by providing those in need with bathrooms, showers, and laundry facilities, and feature design improvements that will allow their staff to focus on what’s important: caring and compassion.

“We are incredibly grateful for Maine Community Bank’s donation to our capital campaign. Since 1991 we have served downtown Lewiston and the surrounding communities. All of our programs, including our Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Diaper Bank, Day Shelter, Free Clinic, Resource Center, and Refugee Integration Program, will be able to serve more people, with more dignity, efficiency, and success, in our new space. Many of our clients face mental health struggles that contribute to their food insecurity and housing insecurity. Maine Community Bank’s generous donation creates a dedicated meeting room in our new facility where mental health caseworkers from partner agencies can meet privately with clients onsite. We are bringing mental health services into our space, where our hungry and homeless clients feel safe, in order to reduce the barriers to accepting help. This allows our clients to receive the food and shelter that they need to survive and receive the support they need to overcome challenges, improve their health, and increase their stability.”

Together, Maine Community Bank and the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation contributed over $300,000 to several local non-profit organizations in 2023 and continues to support the local community through donations, volunteerism and in-kind donations each year.

About Maine Community Bank

Maine Community Bank has been supporting Maine’s communities for over 150 years. They have branches in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Scarborough, Waterboro, Westbrook, and Windham.

About the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation

The mission of the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation is to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities meet their basic needs and achieve financial empowerment. In support of this long-term mission, the Foundation concentrates on the goals of providing support to families and individuals in our communities through health, housing, and hunger, as well as helping the next generation overcome issues of inequality and build unity across lines of differences in our communities. The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation was created in July of 2020 and is structured to give back to the communities in a larger, more enduring way.

Westbrook, Maine – September 25, 2023 – To support the work of changing culture and ending domestic violence and sex trafficking, The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation approved a donation of $25,000 to Safe Voices, a nonprofit organization that provides person-to-person, individualized advocacy for all survivors of domestic abuse and violence, sex trafficking, and sexual exploitation in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties.

The Foundation recently presented Grace Kendall, Executive Director of Development and Engagement, with a check for $25,000, which will be used to complete the build of a comprehensive survivor resource center.

Jeanne Hulit, President & CEO of Maine Community Bank, the parent company of the Foundation added, “We are honored to continue our longstanding support for Safe Voices, an outstanding organization that does the much-needed work of providing support to victims of abuse in our community and helping those that have been victimized rebuild their lives.”

Together, Maine Community Bank and the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation contributed over $300,000 to several local non-profit organizations in 2023 and continues to support the local community through donations, volunteerism, and in-kind donations each year.

About Maine Community Bank

Maine Community Bank has been supporting Maine’s communities for over 150 years. They have branches in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Scarborough, Waterboro, Westbrook, and Windham.

About the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation

The mission of the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation is to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities meet their basic needs and achieve financial empowerment. In support of this long-term mission, the Foundation concentrates on the goals of providing support to families and individuals in our communities through health, housing, and hunger, as well as helping the next generation overcome issues of inequality and build unity across lines of differences in our communities. The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation was created in July of 2020 and is structured to give back to the communities in a larger, more enduring way.

Westbrook, Maine – January 20, 2022 – In response to the rising cost of home heating oil, the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation has donated $25,000 to support the Keep ME Warm Fund, providing direct and immediate home heating assistance to financially vulnerable Mainers. “Making a contribution to the Keep ME Warm program will allow us to help our neighbors when Mainers need it most – during the winter months. No one should have to choose between paying for heat and other essentials like electricity and food. Our hope is that we can make the lives of individuals and families in the communities we serve a little easier this year,” says Jeanne Hulit, President and CEO of Maine Community Bank.

Although the coldest months are still ahead, the cost of home heating fuel in Maine has already increased significantly over last year and is expected to keep going up over the winter season. According to The Governor’s Energy Office, the average cost of heating fuel is currently at $3.14 per gallon, compared to $2.11 per gallon one year ago. Thousands of Mainers are faced with choosing between heating their homes and basic needs like food and medicine. Donations to Keep ME Warm help to make the winter warmer and safer for Maine families. The Biddeford and Mechanic Savings Charitable Foundation donation to Keep ME Warm Fund will help people across Maine, including the bank’s footprint in the Androscoggin, Cumberland, and York regions. Keep ME Warm Funds are distributed through 211 Maine, local United Ways, and community partners like The Opportunity Alliance (TOA) and others.

According to Liz Cotter Schlax, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Maine and Lead Administrator for Keep ME Warm Fund, a gift of $25,000 will help heat 80 Maine homes. “Keep ME Warm Fund is an emergency heating assistance resource to close the heating gap. When Mainers find themselves in an emergency heating crisis, they can access Keep ME Warm funds through our state’s 211 Maine hotline, their local United Way, or community action agency,” said Schlax. “These funds give our partners the flexibility and resources to help fill a tank or address repairs, often in the same day.”

The Keep ME Warm Fund, in partnership with local community service organizations, relies heavily on donations and distributes assistance based on need. “This winter will be challenging to our vulnerable neighbors who were already most at risk, and these funds will be crucial to keeping individuals and families warm, safe, and healthy in their homes during the coldest months,” says Joe Everett, President & CEO of The Opportunity Alliance. “Maine Community Bank is a wonderful partner and we are grateful for their longstanding support of communities across Central and Southern Maine.”

This donation wraps up a year of giving for Maine Community Bank and the Biddeford and Mechanic Savings Charitable Foundation totaling over $327,000 to 240 different organizations.

About Maine Community Bank

Biddeford Savings and Mechanics Savings have been financial partners with the people of Central and Southern Maine for the past 150 years. To help carry out their commitment to the communities they serve, the two banks merged on January 1, 2020, becoming divisions of Maine Community Bank. The merger expands the lending capacity, product offerings, and branch service areas, while keeping all decision-making at the local level. They have branches in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Scarborough, Waterboro, and Windham, with a new branch and operations center in Westbrook.

About the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation

The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation was created in July of 2020 and is structured to give back to the communities in a larger, more enduring way. The Foundation’s mission is to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities meet their basic needs and achieve financial empowerment.

Auburn, Maine – December 16, 2021 – In response to the growing number of food insecure Mainers (1 in 8 people and 1 in 6 children in Maine face hunger), the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Foundation has committed $49,000 to 12 different organizations within the bank’s local communities. According to the USDA, food insecurity refers to the lack of access to adequate, nutritious food for all household members.

In order to make the most impact, the Foundation has pledged $5,000 to the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, in addition to $4,000 donations to 11 different organizations across the bank’s footprint:

Biddeford Food Pantry
Community Outreach Services
High Street Food Pantry
Mid Coast Hunger Prevention
Saco Food Pantry
Scarborough Food Pantry
St. Mary’s Nutrition Center
Trinity Jubilee Center
Westbrook Food Pantry
Waterboro Food Pantry
Windham Food Pantry and Clothes Closet

These 12 donations will help feed approximately 49,000 families of three, or the equivalent of 147,000 meals for food insecure Mainers. The Good Shepherd Food Bank and the 11 other hunger relief agencies provide essential services in partnership with food pantries, meal sites, senior and health centers, and schools across all 16 counties in Maine.

“Many Mainers have been hit hard financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Wayne Sherman, Chair of the Foundation. “That’s why The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Foundation is focused on helping those who need it most – food insecure Mainers. We made the decision to spread our resources among 12 food pantries across the state so that we can help as many Mainers as possible to feed themselves and their families.”

About Maine Community Bank

Biddeford Savings and Mechanics Savings have been financial partners with the people of Central and Southern Maine for the past 150 years. To help carry out their commitment to the communities they serve, the two banks merged on January 1, 2020, becoming divisions of Maine Community Bank. The merger expands the lending capacity, product offerings, and branch service areas, while keeping all decision-making at the local level. They have branches in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Scarborough, Waterboro, and Windham, with a new branch and operations center in Westbrook.

About the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Foundation

The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation was created in July of 2020 and is structured to give back to the communities in a larger, more enduring way. The Foundation’s mission is to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities meet their basic needs and achieve financial empowerment.

Lewiston, Maine – September 16, 2021 – The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Foundation, in alignment with their mission to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities, has committed $25,000 to help Safe Voices reach their goal of $1 Million for The Blueprint Campaign. Safe Voices provides emergency services, shelter, and support to victims of domestic violence in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties. The largest philanthropic effort by any domestic violence resource center in Maine, The Blueprint campaign seeks to raise $1 million by the end of 2022 to create a 12,000 square foot resource center in the heart of downtown Lewiston.

“We are deeply grateful to the leadership at Maine Community Bank for this gift, and for their demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of all people in our community,” says Victoria Stanton, Director of Development and Engagement at Safe Voices. “Survivors of domestic violence and their children deserve dignity and services that support them throughout their entire journey to healing. Knowing that partners like Maine Community Bank share these values means so much to those of us called to do this work.”

The Foundation has received the honor of naming the Family Lounge, one of the rooms in the new, comprehensive resource center. “The new location will provide a welcoming space for families and individuals leaving a harmful situation, providing them with a sense of peace, knowing the support they need is here and the community stands behind them”, said Foundation Board Chair Wayne Sherman.

Jeanne Hulit, President & CEO of Maine Community Bank, the parent company of the Foundation added, “We are honored to continue our longstanding support for Safe Voices, an outstanding organization that does the much-needed work of providing support to victims of abuse in our community and helping those that have been victimized rebuild their lives.”

About Maine Community Bank
Biddeford Savings and Mechanics Savings have been financial partners to the people of Central and Southern Maine for the past 150 years. To help carry their commitment to the communities they serve, the two banks merged on January 1, 2020, becoming divisions of Maine Community Bank. The merger expands the lending capacity, product offerings, and branch service area, while keeping all decision making at the local level. They have branches in Auburn, Biddeford, Brunswick, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Scarborough, Waterboro, and Windham

About the Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Foundation
The Biddeford and Mechanics Savings Charitable Foundation was created in July 2020 and is structured to give back to the communities in a larger, more enduring way. The Foundation’s mission is to help individuals and families in the bank’s local communities meet their basic needs and achieve financial empowerment.

If you are getting a tax refund, please think carefully about what to do with the money.  I would be tempted to take a vacation or buy one of the newest, fanciest TVs but I would be much better served to reduce high cost debt (hello credit card account) or save the money.  If you have an ongoing balance on your credit card (or cards) a tax refund can play a useful role in reducing or eliminating that debt.  Since most credit cards carry high rates of interest using the refund to reduce those balances will greatly improve your financial picture.  If you don’t have credit card balances, saving the money for the proverbial rainy day is a good idea.  According to the experts, a household should have 3 months of income in reserve for unexpected expenses (like a new furnace or car repairs).  If you don’t have reserves at that level, here is a chance to add to (or start) a savings account.

If you own a small business you have a special set of concerns at tax time. Here are 5 steps to take to reduce your risk of problems with your business return.

1. File on time and pay the taxes due. Sounds simple but many business owners fail to do these simple things, resulting in penalties and interest charges.
2. Remember to make estimated tax payments during the year. A qualified tax preparer or tax software will tell you what you should be paying.
3. Take all the deductions you are entitled to but avoid the temptation to take unqualified deductions.
4. Take the time to maintain accurate records so that you or your tax preparer can complete accurate returns in a timely manner.
5. Use care if you are contemplating classifying workers as contractors, rather than as employees. This has become an area of focus for the IRS so use care.