A pile of Mitten Tree donation items are sorted for distribution.
With the support and generosity of local community members, MVSB collected 1,712 mittens, hats, gloves and scarves during their 2025 Mitten Tree Drive. The Bank has matched the contribution with $2 per item – a total of $3,424 that will be split between 11 local nonprofits addressing childhood food insufficiency.
Each year since 1979, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the Bank collects donations that are displayed on “Mitten Trees” at every MVSB branch office. At the end of the drive, the items are distributed by the branches to local schools, early learning centers and other organizations that support families in need in their local communities.
The recipients for this year’s matching donation included 11 organizations working to mitigate childhood food insufficiency. These include the End 68 Hours of Hunger programs in Alton, Exeter, North Conway, Portsmouth, Rochester and Wolfeboro, along with local Got Lunch! programs in Gilford, Ashland & Holderness, Inter-Lakes, Laconia and Plymouth.
Susannah Perron, MVSB Branch & Business Development Manager at the Meredith Route 104 Branch Office, poses with members of the Wicwas Lake Grange #292 during their drop off of Mitten Tree items.
Each MVSB branch selected local organizations to receive warm winter items collected. This year’s donations supported a wide range of schools, daycares, and community resource centers across the region. Receiving organizations, included:
Schools and Childcare Programs
- Ashland Elementary School, Holderness Central School, Imaginations A Children’s Place, Inter-Lakes Day Care Center & Nursery School, Inter-Lakes Elementary School, Inter-Lakes Middle High School, Kenneth A. Brett Elementary School, Kidworks Learning Center, Moultonborough Central School, Sandwich Central School, and Sandwich Children’s Center.
Community Resource Centers and Nonprofits
- Alton Community Services, Belknap House, The Carey House, Bridge House, Crossroads, Hope on Haven Hill, Isaiah 61 Café, LIFE Ministries Food Pantry, Pemi Youth Center, Seacoast Family Promise, SHARE Fund, Voices Against Violence, and Waypoint Family Resource Center.
Each branch’s selections reflect the unique needs of their local area and MVSB’s ongoing commitment to supporting neighbors throughout the communities it serves.