Florence Bank to Exceed $1.1M in Giving in Community Grants Program
Ten years ago, a first-time mother struggled with the care of her newborn and later helped another mother having difficulty. Her efforts marked the grass-roots founding of It Takes a Village in Cummington. Today, a handful of part-time staff members and a committed team of volunteers for the nonprofit provide support — ranging from help with laundry and dishes to an extra set of hands at a doctor’s visit — for families in the hill towns with infants in their first year. The organization served 1,500 families last year and distributed more than $100,000 in diapers and other baby supplies. It also offers parenting and wellness classes and runs a distribution center, where parents can find free maternity wear, diapers, clothing, and strollers, regardless of income, age, or adoption status.