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PEOPLE’S UNITED COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS $5,000 TO MAINE’S ISLAND INSTITUTE

March 5, 2015

PORTLAND, ME – The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, announced today that it has once again awarded $5,000 to Island Institute in Rockland, Maine.

The Island Institute works to sustain Maine’s island and remote coastal communities and exchanges ideas and experiences to further the sustainability of communities here and elsewhere.

The grant from People’s United Community Foundation will support the Island Scholars Network, which provides island students and their parents with support, guidance and advice through college graduation regarding post-secondary educational options, the college transition, internships, and careers on the island.

“Since its inception in 2007, the Island Scholars Network has dramatically increased the number of Maine island students who are applying for scholarship aid and participating in summer internships,” said Heather Deese, the Institute’s Vice President of Strategic Development. “Continued support from the People’s United Community Foundation will help ensure that young people are able to pursue post-secondary education and can return after college to become the next generation of island leaders.”

“Island Institute understands that Maine’s year-round island communities face unique challenges and helps to ensure that they remain vibrant places to live and work,” stated Dan Thornton, Officer of People’s United Community Foundation and Southern Maine Division President for People’s United Bank.

Established in 2007, People’s United Community Foundation was formed to help support programs and activities that enhance the quality of life for citizens in the communities that People’s United Bank serves. People’s United Bank, founded in 1842 and serving customers from New York to Maine through a network of more than 400 branches, is the largest independent bank headquartered in New England. The Foundation places special emphasis on programs designed to promote economic self-sufficiency, education and improved conditions for low-income families and neighborhoods. The funding priorities of the Foundation include community development, youth development, and affordable housing.