Bank pledges to help rebuild soup kitchen

CONCORD — Merrimack County Savings Bank has pledged to buy $50,000 in Community Development Finance Authority tax credits to help rebuild The Friendly Kitchen, Concord’s only soup kitchen.

The Friendly Kitchen burned down in April 2011 and was unable to rebuild at its former location. It is constructing a 120-seat kitchen on South Commercial Street. The kitchen, which is based temporarily at Sacred Heart Church, served nearly 37,000 meals in 2011.

BJ's donates $15,000 to local nonprofits

MANCHESTER — BJ’s Charitable Foundation, the charitable foundation of BJ's Wholesale Club, recently donated $15,000 to two New Hampshire Catholic Charities and YMCA of Greater Manchester.

Bank donates $4,500 for teen programs

LACONIA —Meredith Village Savings Bank donated $2,500 to Mentoring Together, a program at Laconia Middle School inspired by the Better Together community initiative.

The donation will primarily be used to help fund the salary of a part-time coordinator.

The bank also donated $2,000 to the Appalachian Mountain Teen Project of Wolfeboro, enabling the program to offer trips and activities to enrich the lives of Lakes Region teens who face challenging life circumstances and have limited financial resources.

Bottomline sponsors half marathon

PORTSMOUTH — The Seacoast Half Marathon and Families First Health and Support Center announced that Bottomline Technologies has become a Visionary Sponsor for the sixth running of the race on Nov. 11.

Each year the Seacoast Half Marathon Committee selects a local charity to be the beneficiary of all proceeds of the event, and in its five previous years has raised more than $300,000 for these organizations.

The race has become a premier charity event including 1,200 runners and competitive walkers covering 13.1 miles through Portsmouth, Rye and New Castle.

St. George donates $5,000 to New Horizons

MANCHESTER — St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral and the Glendi Committee recently donated $5,000 to New Horizons for New Hampshire from their 2012 Glendi celebration held Sept. 14-16.

Each day New Horizons for New Hampshire provides hot meals to more than 200 individuals and families, each month more than 900 individuals and families look to New Horizons for groceries. An average of 91 adult men and women stay in New Horizons two shelters every night.

Credit union sponsors Footrace for Fallen

Members First Credit Union was once again the main sponsor for the Manchester Police Athletic League’s annual Footrace for the Fallen, which took place Oct. 14.

The race began in 2007 to honor the memory and sacrifice of Manchester police officers killed in the line of duty.

Proceeds directly benefit the Manchester Police Athletic League, a nonprofit, center city organization dedicated to mentoring at-risk youth.