Gregory R. Shook, President & Chief Executive Officer of Essex Savings Bank has announced that $110,000 will be made available for the Bank’s Community Investment Program during 2016. Over the course of the past 20 years the Bank has annually committed up to 10 percent of its after tax net income to qualifying organizations within the immediate market area consisting of Lyme and Old Lyme along with Chester, Deep River, Essex, Madison, Old Saybrook and Westbrook.

The program has provided financial support to well over 200 non-profit organizations who offer outstanding services to the ever-increasing needs of our communities. At the close of 2016 a total of over $4.1 million will be distributed.

Essex Savings Bank is pleased, in its 165th year of service to the community, to again offer customers the chance to determine 30 percent of the fund allocations by voting directly for three of their favorite causes, charities or organizations who have submitted applications to participate. Ballots will be available at all Essex Savings Bank Offices between Feb. 1 and 29 to determine the customer allocation of funds.

The remaining 70 percent will distributed by the Bank’s Directors, Senior Officers, Branch Managers and Essex Financial Services, Inc., the Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary.

The organizations (80) qualifying to appear on the 2016 ballot are:

Act II Thrift Shop, Inc. * APK Charities Corporation * Bikes For Kids, Inc. * Brazilian and American Youth Cultural Exchange (BRAYCE) * Bushy Hill Nature Center * Camp Hazen YMCA * Cappella Cantorum, Inc. * Chester Historical Society * Chester Land Trust * Community Music School * Con Brio Choral Society, Inc. * The Connecticut River Museum at Steamboat Dock * The Country School, Inc. * Deacon John-Grave Foundation, Inc. * Deep River Ambulance Association, Inc. * Deep River Fire Department, Inc. * Deep River Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, Inc. * Deep River Land Trust, Inc. * Dog Days Adoption Events, Inc. * E.C. Scranton Memorial Library – Madison * Essex Community Fund, Inc. * Essex Elderly and Affordable Housing, Inc. * Essex Elementary School Foundation, Inc. * The Essex Fire Engine Company No. 1 * Essex Historical Society, Inc. * Essex Land Trust, Inc. * The Essex Library Association, Inc. * Essex Winter Series, Inc. * Forgotten Felines, Inc. * Friends In Service Here (F.I.S.H.) * Friends of Hammonasset, Inc. * Friends of Madison Youth, Inc. * Friends of the Chester Public Library, Inc. * Friends of the Deep River Library * High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc. * Hope Partnership, Inc. * Ivoryton Library Association * The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, Inc. * Literacy Volunteers – Valley Shore, CT, Inc. * Lyme Ambulance Association, Inc. * Lyme Art Association, Inc. * Lyme Consolidated School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) * The Lyme Fire Company, Inc. * Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc. * Lyme-Old Lyme Safe Graduation Party, Inc. * Lyme Public Hall Association, Inc. * Lyme Public Library, Inc. * Lymes’ Elderly Housing, Inc. (Lymewood) * The Madison ABC Program Incorporated * Madison Ambulance Association, Inc. * Madison Historical Society, Inc. * Madisons Nite In Hand, Inc. * Maritime Education Network, Inc. * Musical Masterworks, Inc. * Old Lyme Fire Department, Inc. * Old Lyme Historical Society, Inc. * Old Lyme Land Trust, Inc. * Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Association * Old Lyme Rowing Association, Inc. * Old Lyme South End Volunteer Ambulance Association, Inc. * Old Saybrook Fire Company Number One, Inc. * Old Saybrook Historical Society * Old Saybrook Land Trust, Inc. * Pay Forward, Inc. * Pet Connections, Inc. * Region 4 Education Foundation, Inc. * Ruth Ann Heller Music Foundation * SARAH, Inc. * Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries, Inc. * Simply Sharing, Inc. * Sister Cities Essex Haiti, Inc. * Tait’s Every Animal Matters (TEAM) * Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau, Inc. * Valley Baseball-Softball Booster Club, Inc. * Valley Shore Animal Welfare League * Valley-Shore YMCA * Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center, Inc. * Westbrook Project Graduation, Inc. * Westbrook Youth and Family Services, Inc. * The Woman’s Exchange of Old Lyme, Inc. Essex Savings Bank is a FDIC insured, state chartered, mutual savings bank established in 1851. The Bank serves the Connecticut River Valley and shoreline with six offices in Essex (2), Chester, Madison, Old Lyme and Old Saybrook providing a full complement of personal and business banking. Financial, estate, insurance and retirement planning are offered throughout the state by the Bank’s Trust Department and wholly-owned subsidiary, Essex Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC.