BankRI's 'Giving Tree' Helps Local Kids

Now in its 15th year, the BankRI 'Giving Tree' program began this week, with donations at the Johnston branch going to two local nonprofits agencies.

This year, Tri-Town Community Action and Tri-Town Head Start are the designated recipients of the toys collected locally.

“We know that many of our neighbors continue to face financial challenges," Mark J. Meiklejohn, President and CEO of BankRI, said in a statement, "so anything we can do to help ease this burden by providing gifts for their children will go a longway in making the holiday season brighter.”

At each of the 17 BankRI locations in the state, trees have been decorated with ornaments naming the wish of a local child. Customers are asked to choose and ornament and return to their local branch and place their donation under the tree for distribution before the December holidays.