COURTESY PHOTO
From left, Nicole Levesque of Danvers, Michelle Kovalcson of Lynn, Northeast Arc Chief Executive Officer Jo Ann Simons, and North Shore Bank Assistant Sales and Service Manager Chrystal Silva celebrate North Shore’s $1,200 “jeans day” contribution to Arc.
PEABODY — North Shore Bank turned casual day into a way to extend a helping hand to nonprofits like Northeast Arc.
North Shore launched a weekly “jeans day” allowing employees to wear dungarees on Fridays and workers in exchange donated five dollars each Friday to a different nonprofit organization.
Jeans days have raised more than $20,000 and bank employees in May picked Northeast Arc as their beneficiary and raised $1,200 for Arc.
Since 1954, Northeast Arc has been helping people with disabilities become full participants in the community, choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize and play. Services include autism support, residential, transition and employment support.
Kevin M. Tierney Sr., president and chief operating officer of North Shore Bank, said Arc’s presence on the North Shore made it a quick choice to become a jeans day beneficiary.
“It’s pretty hard not to be inspired by the group’s commitment and we’re really gratified to be able to assist,” he said.
Arc serves people with disabilities, children at risk of developing them and their families. The agency serves more than 9,000 people in 190 Massachusetts cities and towns annually.
