For an example of responsive government at its best, look no further than Framingham Town Hall. These dedicated professionals work tirelessly to serve the community and make Framingham a great place to live and work.

In celebration of our 120th Anniversary, we salute our town’s leaders and administrators for their commitment to our community.

Framingham Town officials include (front, from left): CFO Mary Ellen Kelley, Director of Parks & Recreation Robert Merusi, Town Clerk Valerie Mulvey, and Selectman Jason Smith. Also (rear, from left): Council on Aging Director Mary Parcher, Director of Buildings Jim Egan, Assistant Town Manager Timothy Goddard, and Director of Inspectional Services/Building Commissioner Michael Foley, CBO.

We are proud to call Framingham our hometown.

Mark R. Haranas, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotion of Richard M. Reder to credit officer of the commercial loan department. His responsibilities will include assessing credit and credit risk, as well as loan review.

Reder has been with the Bank since 2007 and previously served as a commercial credit analyst. He has over 12 years of experience in lending.
 
A Belmont resident, he is a graduate of Bentley College and the New England College of Finance.

December 3, 2009

Join us at The Hanover Theater for a fun and festive holiday show featuring talented singers Sharon Zee and Stephen McNulty. Plus enjoy a delicious lunch buffet at Indian Meadows Country Club.     

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip motorcoach transportation
• Reserved seating at the holiday show
• Buffet Luncheon

$69 for members
$79 for non-members

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.

Dedicated to excellence in public service, the members of the Framingham Police Department work around-the-clock to protect and serve those who live, work, and travel in Framingham.

In celebration of our 120th Anniversary, we salute them for all they do to keep our community and its citizens safe from harm.

Framingham’s finest include (from left) Deputy Chief Kenneth Ferguson, Deputy Chief Steven Trask, Deputy Chief Craig Davis and Chief Steven Carl.

We are proud to call Framingham our hometown.

December 5 - 7, 2009

Who needs to watch a football game in December New England weather? Join us in Sunny Miami to watch the New England Patirots vs. the Miami Dolphins. Stay in the sun a little longer by adding a 5 Day/4 Night cruise to the Bahamas.

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip motorcoach transportation
• Round-trip airfare to Miami
• Hotel accommodations
• Poolside dinner buffet
• Two breakfasts
• Tailgate party
• Ticket to the game
  

$899 per person based on double occupancy

Add an optional 5 Day/4 Night Cruise to the Bahamas
December 7 - 11, 2009

Our trip will include all of the above plus:

• 5 Day/4 Night Cruise to the Bahamas
  

As low as $1,299 per person based on double occupancy

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.

December 5 - 9, 2009
5 days

Come with us to San Antonio for some holiday cheer. It's sure to be a great time as we visit The Alamo, Fredericksburg and the Bandera Dude Ranch. 

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip airfare from Logan Airport
• Hotel accommodations and transfers
• Air taxes and fees
• Four breakfasts
• Three dinners

$1,599 per person based on double occupancy.

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.

“Framingham Co-operative Bank is local and reliable. Just like us.”
- Jim & Joann Green, Owners Automatic Appliance, Framingham

At Automatic Appliance, they understand the value of dependability. That’s why they rely on Framingham Co-operative Bank for their commercial financing.

“They know us, they know our business and they make financing easy,” Jim says. “Their rates are competitive. Plus, they provide a level of service and reliability you can’t put a price on.”

Need a local partner for your business?
Call Nicholas Kefalas at (508) 820-4043 or Michael Bilinsky at (508) 532-8305.

You may not know it, but you have round-the-clock protection against debit card fraud. That’s because debit cards from Framingham Co-operative Bank are protected by FraudWatch® Plus.

With FraudWatch Plus, we provide industry leading technology, tools and the expertise to protect your card, and your accounts, from fraud. Experienced fraud analysts work around-the-clock, watching for any suspicious card activity, ready to contact our customers if they detect potential fraud on your card.

If you have a debit card from Framingham Co-operative Bank, you are already protected by FraudWatch. Plus. There is no sign up, and no fee, for this service.

If we detect potential fraud on your card, you will receive a call from “Fraud Prevention Services.”

At Framingham Co-operative Bank, we take fraud seriously. If you have any questions about FraudWatch Plus, please contact a member of our staff.

February 21 - March 1, 2010
9 days

Join us as we travel to China. On this fantastic trip, you will be able to walk along a section of The Great Wall, see panda bears at the Bejing Zoo, see a Peking Opera show and experience ancient Bejing on a rickshaw tour.

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip airfare from Logan Airport
• Hotel accommodations and transfers
• Air taxes and fees
• Seven breakfasts
• Four lunches
• Four dinners

$2,329 per person based on double occupancy.

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.

The staff of the Framingham History Center is devoted to connecting us with our community’s rich heritage by collecting, preserving and sharing our stories, our historic buildings, and our local artifacts. Learn more at www.framinghamhistory.org

In celebration of our 120th Anniversary, we salute the Center for connecting the past and the present for the benefit of the future.

Framingham History Center personnel (from left): Volunteer and Research Librarian Kevin Swope, Curator Dana Ricciardi, Town Historian Fred Wallace, and Executive Director Annie Murphy.

We are proud to call Framingham our hometown.

According to Robert P. Lamprey, chairman, the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation recently awarded college scholarships totaling $18,000 to six 2009 graduates of Framingham’s three high schools.

Three of the scholarships, in the amount of $5,000 each, were established in 2005 to honor the memory of Roland J. Bunnell II, a past trustee of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation. Mr. Bunnell was also a member of the Framingham Co-operative Bank board of directors and senior vice president at the time of his death in 2004. He had served the Bank for more than 15 years.

The Bunnell Memorial Scholarship recipients were Jesse Mitchell, Framingham High School, who will be attending Northeastern University; Alisha Sparling, Marian High School, who plans to attend Stonehill College in the fall; and Catherine Griffin, Joseph P. Keefe Technical School, who will continue her education at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science.


The Charitable Foundation also funded three $1,000 awards made through the Edwin Alexis Marin Memorial Scholarship program at Framingham High School. The Scholarships are named for a student who died in a car accident following his sophomore year at Framingham High. The program encourages Latino students at the High School to continue on to college, by providing one means of financial support.

Recipients of the Edwin Alexis Marin scholarships were Alma Garcia, who will attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst in September to study nursing; Alexis Rivera, who will study criminal justice  at Westfield State College; and Melinda Alves, who will attend Bridgewater State College, where she will major in education.

“By investing in the education of today’s youth, we are hopeful that they will be among those who give back in ways that will further strengthen the fabric of our community in years to come,” said Lamprey.

Featuring the Sacred Valley, Cuzco & a 5-day Galapagos Islands cruise
March 3 - 16, 2010
14 days

Come with us on this breathtaking adventure. We will visit marvelous sites such as, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu, the ancient capital city Cuzco, and Quito Equador.  The trip will end with an incredible five-day cruise of the Galapagos Islands.

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip airfare from Logan Airport
• Hotel accommodations and transfers
• Air taxes and fees
• Twelve breakfasts
• Five lunches
• Nine dinners

$7,599 per person based on double occupancy.

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.

March 16, 2010

Come spend the day with us at the Venus De Milo for a delicious meal and to see the incredible show Four Celtic Women. The show will feature traditional Celtic instruments and a performance of songs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Northern Spain and France.

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip motorcoach transportation
• Luncheon at Venus De Milo with a choice of either Corned Beef & Cabbage or Baked Haddock
• Reserved seating to see Four Celtic Women
  

$69 for members
$79 for non-members

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.

According to Chairman Robert P. Lamprey, the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation recently granted more than $26,000 to benefit the community.

The largest award, in the amount of $10,000 was to the Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest. The grant was made to help support the out-of-school programs at the Framingham Clubhouse on Pearl Street, which serves an average of 150 youngsters each day. In part, the Foundation’s gift will help the Boys & Girls Club keep its annual membership fee at just $25 per child per year. This is the sixth consecutive year the Club has received support from the Bank’s Charitable Foundation.

Framingham’s Joseph P. Keefe Technical School received an award in the amount of $8,495 from the Foundation for the purchase of a Point of Sale (POS) computer/register system. The state-of-the-art equipment will be used in the student-run dining room that serves as the hospitality component of the school’s Culinary Arts program, and will provide students with the technical skills necessary to compete in the industry, according to James M. Lynch, superintendent/director.

The Foundation also awarded the sum of $3,600 to the MetroWest Jewish Day School to expand community service curriculum in the classroom and expand its annual community service event, Mitzvah Day. Involving parent and community volunteers, Mitzvah Day takes place at Metrowest social service organizations, for the benefit of the entire community.

The First Baptist Church in Framingham received an award of $2,000 in support of its volunteer “Happy birthday, Baby” project, which provides baby care essentials for low-income mothers and pregnant teens in greater Metrowest. The sum of $1,000 was awarded to the Framingham Baseball League to help fund that organization’s scholarship program. An additional $1,000 was granted to the Association of Small Foundations, which provides programs, publications and resources for member organizations.

Whether you need help on a school research project or a tip on a great summer read, you can count on the folks at the Framingham Public Library.

Their personal dedication to literacy enriches our entire community.
In celebration of our 120th Anniversary, we salute the professionals of the Framingham Public Library and the many other dedicated individuals in the community we count on every day.


Framingham Public Library staffers with Director Mark Contois (second from right) and Assistant Director Jeanne Kelley, (second from left).

We are proud to call Framingham our hometown.

The Framingham School Committee has commended Framingham Co-operative Bank for its third annual sponsorship of a student essay contest in two Framingham elementary schools.

A total of 182 students in 9 fifth-grade classrooms at the McCarthy and Hemenway schools competed for first-place honors for essays reflecting their personal thoughts on: “What Does Patriotism Mean to Me?”

The competition was sponsored by Framingham Co-operative Bank in conjunction with Partners in Education. The contest is incorporated into the classroom curriculum as practice for MCAS testing.

At a recent Framingham School Committee meeting, board members recognized and applauded the students and participating teachers. The board also thanked Partners in Education and the Bank, and specifically Kimberly Sambuchi, retail banking analyst, for providing Framingham students with the opportunity to participate.

One winning essay was selected from each participating classroom. Essay winners were awarded $75 Series I Savings Bonds from Framingham Co-operative Bank. All of the contest participants received certificates of appreciation from the Bank, as well.

Front row, from left to right, Hemenway Elementary students Noel Shay, Chris Barone, and Priyanka Roy. Second row, from left to right, Hemenway Elementary teachers Mrs. Denise Nolan, Mrs. Deb Nazzaro, Mrs. Mandy Marrella, and Mr. Stephen Wiltshire.

If you use Online Banking from Framingham Co-operative Bank, you know how convenient it is to be able to access your accounts online. Now, we’ve made banking even easier with the introduction of Mobile Banking!

Using your web-ready cell phone or mobile device, you can:

• Check your account balances
• View account history
• Transfer funds between accounts
• Pay bills or cancel scheduled payments
  

Start using Mobile Banking today!
Mobile Banking is ready and waiting for all Online Banking customers – no additional sign up, no additional charge, and no hassles! Just use your web-ready mobile device to visit our web site – FraminghamBank.com – to try it today. Your phone will be automatically redirected to the mobile banking log-in page.

Not sure if your phone is web-ready? Visit the CNET cell phone buying guide page for information about your phone (listed by manufacturer). Don’t forget to also check with your phone provider to confirm your plan allows for web surfing.

Recently, Framingham Co-operative Bank launched a Page on the popular social networking web site, Facebook. Through the new Page, we will be sharing news, insights, photos, favorite links, and much more. We will also be using the Page to offer “Facebook-only” specials and announce new products and services.

Become a Fan and you would win an Apple iPod Touch!
Become a Fan of our Facebook page and receive up-to-the-minute news from Framingham Co-operative Bank.

It’s easy! Just visit our page, then click on “Become a Fan” at the top of the page.

Plus, if you are a Fan as of August 31, 2009, you will be automatically entered into our drawing to win an Apple iPod Touch! (Winner to be selected at random and will be contacted through Facebook. No purchase necessary).

Haven’t tried Facebook yet? It’s free to join! Click here to sign up today.

Whether you need to move money from your checking to your savings account (or vice versa), we’ve made transferring funds easy:

Online – Through Online Banking you can transfer funds between any Framingham Co-operative Bank statement account. You can also arrange for scheduled transfers, which is a great way to build your nest egg.

Phone – On the road? With Telephone Banking you can manage your accounts right over the phone (including transferring funds) from anywhere, anytime. Just call toll-free (888) 415-9901.

ATM – Visit any Framingham Co-operative Bank ATM machine, and you can transfer funds between any accounts associated with your ATM or Debit Card.

Don’t forget – You can make unlimited transfers FROM your checking account, but due to federal regulations, you are limited to six (6) transfers and withdrawals per month from any savings account.

We know how difficult it can be to get to the Bank to make a deposit. The good news is there are a couple of ways you can get your deposit to the Bank, even when you can’t make it over yourself:

Make deposits at other banks’ ATMs
With NYCE Shared Deposit, you can make deposits at ATMs owned by participating institutions. Click here to find out more.

Have your paycheck deposited automatically
Save time and fuel with Direct Deposit to your Framingham Co-operative Bank Checking or Savings account. It’s easy to set up...and funds are available earlier!

Send your check in the mail
Send your endorsed check and deposit ticket to:
Deposit Operations; 828 Concord Street, Framingham, MA 01701

Enhanced Login Security is superior security technology designed to protect your accounts from unauthorized access. It identifies you as the true “owner” of your accounts by recognizing not only your password but your computer as well.

If we don’t recognize your computer – for example, you’ve logged in from a public computer or one you haven’t used before– we’ll ask you challenge questions as an additional line of defense to prevent unauthorized access.

With Enhanced Login Security, you’ll be protected from whatever computer you’re using, whether you’re at home or on the go.

If you are new to Online Banking, the first time you log into your accounts you will be asked to set up your computer, as well as answer a series of "challenge questions." These challenge questions will also be used if you forget your online banking password and need it to be reset.

For more information, or if you have questions about Enhanced Login Security, please call Customer Service at (508) 820-4000 during regular business hours.

For the third year, Framingham Co-operative Bank has sponsored a student essay contest in three Framingham elementary schools.

Each year students in 11 fifth-grade classrooms at the McCarthy, Hemenway and Potter Road schools compete for first-place honors for essays reflecting their personal thoughts on: “What Does Patriotism Mean to Me?”

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We will be performing an upgrade to our computer systems this weekend.  During this time period, Online Banking and Bill Pay will be unavailable.

The affected times are from Saturday, May 2 at 1:00 pm until Sunday, May 3 at 5:00 pm.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

With Online Banking your account statements are available online – anytime, anywhere, at your convenience.

With paperless statements, you will receive your monthly statement electronically – so you will get it faster then ever before. Plus you can access statements from the past 16 months, making account research easy.

We will send you an e-mail each month when your new account statement is available online.

Paperless statements from Framingham Co-operative Bank are safe, secure and an excellent way to protect yourself from identity theft. And did we mention it’s totally free?

To sign up for e-statements, log into Online Banking and click on the “Online Statements” button.

Since it was established in 1998, the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation has donated over $1.4 million to community causes as part of its commitment to improve and enhance quality of life for local residents.

Spectators attending events at Framingham’s Loring Arena may be more comfortable in the future, with the help of a $10,000 award made recently by the Charitable Foundation.

According to Robert P. Lamprey, Foundation chairman, the $10,000 grant was made to the Framingham Parks and Recreation Commission, which is responsible for the Town-owned facility. In his funding request, Parks and Recreation Director Robert Merusi said that soaring energy costs have made it impossible to use traditional heating methods to keep the building at a comfortable temperature for patrons.

The most recent round of Foundation grants approached nearly $50,000, according to Lamprey.

Award recipients included United Way of Tri-County, which received $15,000. The sum of $6,500 was awarded to MetroWest Legal Services, which provides free, civil legal representation to local low-income residents. Advocates, Inc. received $2,000 in support of programs and services for people with disabilities.

The Foundation’s $5,000 award to Framingham Adult ESL will help that group continue its free English language instruction and life-skills training programs for local individuals from a variety of backgrounds, allowing them to fully participate in work and social activities in the community.

A donation of $3,200 from the Foundation to the St. Tarcisius School will help with classroom improvements, and its $3,000 gift will fund the Edwin Alexis Marin Memorial Scholarships awarded to several Framingham High School Latino graduating seniors each May.
 

Mark R. Haranas, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, announced today that Kurt K. Bischoff, Jr. has joined the Bank as senior vice president, responsible for deposit operations and information technology management.

Bischoff joins the Framingham bank with over a decade of experience from South Shore Co-operative Bank, where he served most recently as senior vice president – operations and information technology. He also served in branch management and technology positions with Massachusetts Cooperative Bank, Summit Bank, and Greater Boston Bank during a career in financial services that spans nearly four decades.

A Norton resident, Bischoff holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Albion College in Michigan, and is a graduate of the New England School of Banking at Williams College. He also completed studies at Robert Morris Associates Commercial Lending at the University of New Hampshire and at the New England Banking Institute in Boston.

Throughout his professional career, he has been an active volunteer with numerous industry, community, charitable and civic organizations.

Steven M. Sousa, senior vice president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotion of Rahnuma Habib to the position of human resources manager, responsible for the personnel function and benefits administration throughout the Bank.

Habib, who joined Framingham Co-operative Bank as a teller in 1998, has served as human resources coordinator for the past decade. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Badrunnessa College in Bangladesh and also a bachelor of science degree in management from the University of Phoenix. An Ashland resident, she is a member of the Human Resource Management Association.

December 3, 2009   

Show some holiday spirit and join us at The Hanover Theater to see a fabulous holiday show featuring Sharon Zee and Stephen McNulty.

Our trip will include:

• Round-trip motorcoach transportation
• Reserved seating for the show
  
• Dinner at Acadia & Indian Meadows Country Club

$69 for non-members
$79 for non-members

To register: Use our online registration form or call Rachel Stewart at 508.532.8326.   

Chief Executive Officer Robert P. Lamprey offers Framingham Co-operative Bank customers his full assurance that every deposit at the Bank is protected, dollar-for-dollar, without restriction. Despite today’s uncertain economic environment, there’s no need to worry about the money you have in the Bank, or about the Bank itself.

Framingham Co-operative Bank is a safe, sound and secure financial institution with an outstanding capital ratio – the benchmark of a bank’s strength as determined by regulatory agencies.

Plus, Framingham Co-operative Bank provides a unique combination of coverage that automatically protects your deposits in full:

• On October 3, 2008, FDIC deposit insurance temporarily increased from $100,000 to $250,000 per depositor through December 31, 2009. (For details regarding the FDIC’s account ownership definitions and coverage, please visit www.fdic.gov/deposit, or speak to your branch manager.)
  
  
• Transaction Account Guarantee Program
  Framingham Co-operative Bank is participating in the FDIC’s Transaction Account Guarantee Program. Under that program, through December 31, 2009, all non-interest bearing transaction accounts are fully guaranteed by the FDIC for the entire amount in the account. Coverage under the Transaction Account Guarantee Program is in addition to and separate from the coverage available under the FDIC’s general deposit insurance rules.
  

• All deposits over and above FDIC limits are covered by the Share Insurance Fund (SIF), established by the legislature in 1934 to protect deposits in Massachusetts-chartered co-operative banks.

You can count on Framingham Co-operative Bank for total peace of mind. No other bank offers you greater deposit protection.

Steven M. Sousa, senior vice president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, has announced the promotions of Michael Bilinsky, Yasmine Ouweijan, and Lisa White.

Michael Bilinsky, assistant vice president, has assumed full-time responsibilities as the Bank’s business development officer, responsible for building strategic relationships and working partnerships with local business enterprises.

Bilinsky was previously manager of the Bank’s main office at 828 Concord Street in Framingham. A Framingham native, he graduated from Marian High School and went on to earn a degree in business management. Since joining the Bank in 1990, he has completed additional studies in the field of financial services and banking. He now lives in Marlboro.

Yasmine Ouweijan, formerly assistant manager of the Bank’s Lincoln Street branch in Framingham, has succeeded Bilinsky as manager of the Concord Street office. In this position, she is responsible for overall branch performance and for maintaining the Bank’s high standards for customer satisfaction.

A former teacher in her native Lebanon, Ouweijan joined the Bank in 1999 as a teller, later moving into a customer service role. She was named assistant branch manager in 2007. A North Grafton resident, she recently completed studies at the American Bankers Association’s “Branch Management Development School” in Stamford, CT.

Lisa White, administrative assistant, has assumed the additional role of assistant branch manager of the Concord Street office. White joined the Bank in 1997 as a teller, with previous teller and supervisory experience gained at United Bank in Oklahoma. She has completed financial services courses offered by Rose State College in Oklahoma and by the Massachusetts Bankers Association. A Marlboro resident, White has served in customer service and administrative assistant positions with Framingham Co-operative Bank since 1998.

$10,000 to expand successful Danforth program

Mark R. Haranas, president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, announced today that the Bank’s Charitable Foundation recently donated over $28,000 to benefit the activities of eight local non-profit organizations.

The sum of $10,000 was designated to continue and expand the Drop Into Art program at the Danforth Museum of Art. The program got underway in 2007 with an initial $10,000 donation from the Charitable Foundation. According to Katherine French, Museum director, nearly 1,500 MetroWest residents participated in the program in its first year. Each first Sunday of the month, the Museum opens its doors to children ages 5-10 and their families. The program provides free family admission, tours led by teen docents, and hands-on creative studio activities in the Museum School.

“The program has been successful beyond expectation,” said French.

Health & Legal Help
For the third consecutive year, the Foundation awarded $5,000 to the Natick Visiting Nurse Association to support its telemonitoring program, which utilizes technology to enhance home health care. Daily monitoring enables the VNA to track patients’ progress and identify possible warning signs that might require immediate attention or hospital care.

MetroWest Legal Services also received a $5,000 grant from the Charitable Foundation, toward the continued provision of free legal services to those with low-income, the elderly, and people with disabilities in our community.

Elders & Teens
This is the seventh year the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation has supported BayPath Elder Services. Its recent $2,500 donation will be used for BayPath’s Money Management Program for elders. The program currently has 62 trained money management volunteers who assist low-income elders with their day-to-day finances in order to support and prolong their independence in the community.

Samaritans, Inc. received $2,500 for its Samariteens Youth Suicide Prevention Program in Framingham. The teen program began in 1986 in Boston in response to high rates of youth suicide. Today, Samaritans has more than 100 active youth volunteers based in both Boston and Framingham who answer the 24-hour Samariteens Crisis Helpline.

Infants, Children & Families
The Charitable Foundation awarded $2,000 to the Framingham Rotary Club toward its renovation project at Butterworth Park on Bishop Street in Framingham. The Club is building a state-of-the-art playground, pavilion and tricycle/stroller path at the Park.

A $1,000 donation to the Framingham Housing Authority will help ensure that the children of local struggling families living in public housing receive a holiday gift.

A $300 award to the “Happy Birthday Baby” program of the First Baptist Church will provide baby care packages for low-income mothers and pregnant teens in the Metrowest area. Volunteers will use the donation to purchase diapers, baby clothing, and other new-baby essentials for needy mothers and their newborns.

$1.2 Million Plus
The Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation awarded over $200,000 to local educational, civic and charitable groups in 2008. Since it was established in 1998, it has donated over $1.2 million to community causes as part of its commitment to improve and enhance quality of life for local residents.

Our 2008 Club Advantage Member Appreciation night, A Musical Revue, was a smashing success! Thank you to all who attended. Click here to see some photos from the event.

Steven M. Sousa, senior vice president of Framingham Co-operative Bank, announced today that the Bank has introduced a new “Checking for Charity” initiative.

According to Sousa, the Bank will make a $10 donation to charity for each new personal or business checking account opened. The American Cancer Society will be the beneficiary of the campaign over the next 12 months.

To support the Bank’s commitment to help in the fight against cancer, displays at Framingham Co-operative Bank offices will feature informational materials about various cancers including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular and prostate cancer, and skin cancer at various times throughout the year.

“We hope that displaying this information in our offices will help increase awareness, support research, and play a role in prevention,” said Sousa.

$10K award will help create the new ‘Framingham History Center’

Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation, announced that the Foundation recently awarded $55,550 to benefit the community and its residents.

A $10,000 award to the Framingham Historical Society and Museum will help that group introduce its new identity as The Framingham History Center to the public.

“Our new name does a better job of communicating the vibrancy, relevance and accessibility that are so important to our brand,” explained Anne R. Murphy, executive director.

According to Murphy, last year’s $8,000 gift from the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation played a significant role in expanding awareness about the Framingham Historical Society and Museum, and also attracted 150 new members. The Foundation grant was used to launch a highly successful Arts and Culture Series, a web-based storefront, and a new e-newsletter.

Among the highlights of the Arts and Culture series was an exhibition of the work of the late Framingham artist Floyd Walser, and the subsequent donation of nearly 100 of the artist’s paintings, sketches and artifacts to the Society.
 
A grant in the amount of $15,000 was awarded to Resiliency for Life, a model alternative high school dropout-prevention program located on the Thayer campus in the Framingham school system. The program provides ongoing mentoring, tutoring, and counseling support for at-risk students.

The Charitable Foundation awarded the sum of $10,000 to the Daily Bread Program of the Salvation Army, which feeds up to 80 people five days a week. Major Mark A. Himes stated that the Daily Bread program has had to expand in order to serve an even greater volume of people today than in the past.

Project Just Because, Inc. received a grant of $10,000 from the Foundation, in support of its “Keep a Family & Child Warm Program.” The program provides those in need in greater Metrowest with warm winter coats and blankets, according to Cherylann Lambert Walsh, Project Just Because president and founder.

The sum of $6,000 awarded to the John Andrew Mazie Foundation will support that organization’s mentoring program for minority and low-income high school youth. Adult volunteers recruited from local companies are matched with underachieving Framingham High School teens. The adults serve as role models and motivate and support the teens’ educational and career goals during the student’s high school career. Forty students join the four-year program at the beginning of each new school year, says Lowell Mazie, executive director of the Mazie Foundation.

Area residents who turn to the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Southern New England, a public service agency, will benefit from the Charitable Foundation’s $3,300 award in support of that organization’s work. CCCS provides financial counseling, financial education, debt management programs and housing counseling to help individuals and families resolve financial difficulties and achieve long-term financial well being.

A $1,250 donation to the Massachusetts Bankers Association Charitable Foundation will support that organization’s annual contributions to local charities and other worthwhile causes recommended by its members.

What could be more appropriate than a tried and true Framingham native at the helm of a tried and true Framingham institution? That’s exactly what happened on July 1st of this year when Mark Haranas became President of Framingham Co-operative Bank, nineteen years to the day after he first stepped foot into the local institution as the Bank’s new attorney. He may have been new to the Bank at the time, but he was certainly no stranger to Framingham. 

A real “Townie”
Mark was raised on the south side of Framingham, near the current Memorial House, formerly Memorial School. He was one of three siblings whose dad, Peter, a retired state police officer, died when Mark was only 13. Mark’s mother, Ellen, worked full-time at Bates News on Howard Street, and later for the Town of Framingham, to raise the family. Mark chipped in with his paper route — mornings, evenings and Sundays included.
    A genuine home-towner, Mark attended Memorial School, Lincoln Junior High School, Framingham South High School, and Framingham State College, where he majored in political science and history and earned a degree in 1976. Following graduation, he married the former Susan Smith, who is also a Framingham native. Susan went on to earn a nursing degree at Framingham Union Hospital School of Nursing, and Mark stuck close to home to take a job with the Framingham Board of Assessors and then became the Town’s Animal Control Officer, supervising a staff of seven, while applying for law school.

Back home
He paid his way through New England School of Law with the help of bank loans and a night job with UPS. After he received the juris doctor degree in 1983 and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar, it was back to Framingham — of course! — to practice.
    He joined the Framingham law firm of Sullivan & Sullivan, and serviced the former Framingham Savings Bank, for which the firm was general counsel at the time. He later joined and became a partner in the firm of Hargraves, Karb, Wilcox and Galvani, LLP, the general counsel to Framingham Co-operative Bank and served as the Bank’s attorney until accepting the position as president. He resigned from the firm and the successor firm (now Mayer, Antonellis, Jachowicz & Galvani) is still general counsel to the Bank. Mark’s oldest son, Peter, also an attorney, now carries on the Haranas tradition at his former firm.

Career change
Mark says that the opportunity to lead the Bank was one to which he couldn’t say “No.”
    “I have so much respect for former presidents Charlie Hickson and Bob Lamprey (still CEO and board chairman) that I couldn’t pass up the chance to learn about the business from a different perspective, and I knew I couldn’t learn from a better mentor than Bob Lamprey. “I have always told my children, to be flexible and open to change,” Mark says. “How could I not do the same?”
    Mark considers that he has always worked in service-related endeavors, and that his new role at Framingham Co-operative Bank is no exception. “Our mission is to serve the community, and we do it exceptionally well.”
    Driven by “a service mentality,” he has traditionally been one of the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night — Saturdays included. His idea of “a good day” is being able to solve problems and help others. “There is a great deal of satisfaction in that,” he says.

Nearby
The Haranas family now lives in nearby Hopkinton, where Mark was involved in coaching youth basketball and lacrosse when their children were younger. Mark and Susan’s middle son, Jim, started his first job this year as an English teacher at Charlton Regional Vocational School. Son Mark is a senior at UMass Amherst, where he is majoring in journalism.
    Elected to the Bank’s Board of Directors in 2000, Mark will continue to serve as a director and as a trustee of the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation.
    His immediate plans are to help ensure that the Bank remains conservative and stays profitable. “We’ve been here since 1889; we know we’ve been doing it right, and we’ll keep doing it right.”
    Also in Mark’s future is a holiday trip to a destination where he and his wife can spend time scuba diving — a favorite activity. It’s a safe bet that he will be the first to arrive and the last to leave!