TD Banknorth Donation Boosts Training Program for Literacy Volunteers of Greater Portland

TD Banknorth, through the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation, donates $5,000 to worthy organization

TD Banknorth, through the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation, has donated $5,000 to the Literacy Volunteers of Greater Portland, a local organization that helps Maine children and adults improve their reading, writing and related literacy skills.

The grant will help fund the organization’s training programs for new volunteers to serve the growing population of immigrants and non-literate adults of Greater Portland. Four TD Banknorth employees currently volunteer with the program as board members and tutors.
“Our mission is to train more volunteers so we can provide educational programs and services to more people,” said Kristen Stevens, executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Portland. “We are very grateful to TD Banknorth for this important grant as it will allow us to train at least 20 more volunteers to serve the needs of adults currently on our waiting list.”

Literacy Volunteers of Greater Portland was established in 1973 and is a nationally accredited member of ProLiteracy America (formerly Literacy Volunteers of America). The organization in Portland serves 70 to 90 adults per year. Most of those served are from refugee or immigrant populations. The program enables them to learn or improve their English so that they can find employment, improve their everyday lives, or apply for and obtain citizenship.

The TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Banknorth Inc. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Banknorth operates, having made over $14 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The efforts of the Foundation are coordinated locally through TD Banknorth's community relations departments and are focused on the areas of economic empowerment, youth development and community support. More information on the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation is available at www.TDBanknorth.com.

In Maine, TD Banknorth operates 61 branches and 90 ATMs. A division of TD Banknorth, N.A., TD Banknorth is the state’s largest bank and provides more than 229,000 Maine households with a full line of retail banking products and services.

# # #
Photo cutline: From left, Julie McQuillan, VP, TD Banknorth; Warner W. Price, SVP, TD Banknorth Wealth Management; Kristen Stevens, Executive Director, Literacy Volunteers; Mark Fitzgerald, VP, TD Banknorth