Kennebunk Savings wrapped up 2021 with $27,000 in donations to local food pantries and meal programs. The organization’s annual giving for the year totaled over $1 million in donations and grants.

“We’re always mindful of the fact that times of celebration for some can be stressful for others,” said Bradford C. Paige, president and CEO, in a Jan. 4 news release. “And while we work to alleviate food insecurity in our communities year-round, it’s something of a tradition around here to do a big push around the holidays.”

Recipients of seasonal donations include Community Outreach Services, Footprints Food Pantry and Cross Roads House.

“We are so grateful for this generous gift from Kennebunk Savings,” said Wildolfo Arvelo, executive director at Cross Roads House, in an email. “Their continued support of the work we do at Cross Roads House will help some of the most vulnerable people in our community get back on their feet and move from homelessness to a home of their own.”

“Footprints Food Pantry is sustained by the generosity of our community,” wrote Megan Shapiro-Ross, the organization’s executive director. “The donation from Kennebunk Savings fuels our ability to provide fresh produce, quality proteins and a variety of dairy products to local families as we continue to focus on reducing the impact of hunger in our community.”

The bank’s Community Promise campaign, which began in 1994, is an annual investment in the local community. At least 10 percent of the bank’s annual profits are donated to local nonprofits each year. “We’ve always been of the belief that we’re stronger together,” said Paige. “We’ve been invested in this community for a century and a half and we’re very proud to be here.”

Families seeking help this winter can dial 211 to be connected with many helpful services including financial assistance, help with domestic violence, recovery treatment and resources, health care, mental health care or heating and utilities assistance.

Neault a partner at Bergen & Parkinson

Bergen & Parkinson announced that Sarah B. Neault has become a partner at the regional law firm.

Neault resides in Biddeford with her husband and children and, according to the Jan. 4 news release, “has deep and longstanding personal and professional ties to the Saco-Biddeford region. She will continue to practice from the firm’s Saco office primarily in the areas of estate planning and probate and trust administration.”

Neault is a graduate of Northeastern University and the New England School of Law and is admitted to practice in Maine, Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

According to Bergen & Parkinson, “In addition to advising those with complex estate planning issues, Sarah has long held an interest in helping veterans maximize their VA benefits, as well as helping parents structure plans for children with special needs.”

Bergen & Parkinson provides legal services to clients throughout York County and southern Maine from its offices in Kennebunk and Saco.

Wellness sampler classes offered

Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s Agewell program will lead free virtual wellness classes beginning mid-January. To introduce the classes, the agency is offering one-hour sampler class with information and demonstration. Join any or all of the sampler classes to learn more about:

A Matter of Balance, Jan. 18; QiGong, Jan. 25; Conversation Cafe, Feb. 1; Gentle Exercise, Feb. 8; and Yoga for Healthy Aging, Feb. 15.

The one-hour sampler classes are at 1 p.m. on the dates listed. To learn more and register, visit www.smaaa.org/events or call 207-396-6578.

Annual MLK Celebration available via Zoom

The 19th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will be offered via Zoom on Monday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. by First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Kennebunk.

The program features keynote speaker Dr. Chris Hunt and musician Corey L. Brown. Reservations are required and can be made at www.uukennebunk.org. The cost is $10 for adults, $20 for two or more adults viewing on one screen, and free for those 18 and younger.

Hunt recently served as an associate provost at the University of New England, but this year returned to his home state, Pennsylvania, where he is vice president and dean for equity and inclusion at Moravian University. In his talk, “Dr. King’s Legacy and the Evolution of Activism,” Hunt draws from his research and experience as an administrator of several colleges and universities.

Speaking with Philip Shelley of UNE Magazine, Hunt said, “… in the wake of [George Floyd’s] death and countless others, we must honor them by doing the hard, introspective work of making more just and equitable college campuses and society. … It feels like society — more so now than perhaps at other times in the past — is willing to be introspective and ask ourselves, collectively, some harder questions.”

In his dissertation, “When Millennials Meet Baby Boomers: Multiple Case Study on the Lived Experiences of Black Male College Students,” Hunt examined the intergenerational college journeys of 21 Black male college graduates from 1965 to 2018 including their challenges, triumphs and strategies to achieve excellence.

Hunt’s consulting work includes special engagements, climate studies and ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion training and development. He and his family live in Easton, Pennsylvania.

The Rev. Lara Campbell, minister of First Parish, will welcome all to the celebration and lead a question-and-answer segment at the end of the talk. The Social Justice Committee of the church has sponsored MLK celebrations every year from 2003 offering breakfast as well as music and talks. This is the second year the program will be presented online, but hopes are that the celebration will return to in-person next year.

This year’s program will benefit the Abyssinian Restoration Project in Portland. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the Abyssinian Meeting House is being restored to acknowledge and promote the cultural heritage of African Americans in Maine.

York County Audubon to host tree identification session

York County Audubon will sponsor a tree walk at Kennebunk’s Hope Cemetery led by Eileen Willard, an instructor in dendrology at the University of New Hampshire.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, participants will investigate the native trees and shrubs along the trails and look at some of the older ornamental trees in Hope Cemetery. How do they survive the winter? What are some of the ecological strategies? Can trees be identified without leaves?

The event is free of charge, but the number of participants will be limited and advance registration is required. To register, visit www.yorkcountyaudubon.org and click on the event under Calendar/What’s Coming Up on the right-hand side of the page, scroll down and fill in the form. Once a reservation has been approved, a confirmation email will be sent.

For more information about Hope Cemetery, visit https://hopecemeterykennebunk.com/.

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