Pictured left to right: David Smith, EVP, and Chief Investment Officer at Rockland Trust and Member of Board of Advisors at Cardinal Cushing; Lauren DeAngelo, Retail Marketing Officer at Rockland Trust and Member of St. Coletta Golf Classic Committee Heather M. Ghilardi, Fixed Income Research Analyst at Rockland Trust and Member of St. Coletta Golf Classic Committee; Andrea Borowiecki, VP of Charitable Giving & Community Engagement at Rockland Trust; Michelle Markowitz, President & CEO; Jamikka Pitts, Café employee, adult program participant; Ginger Sullivan; Vice President of Quality Assurance & Innovation; Patrick Sullivan, Cushing student.
Hanover, MA – August 03, 2023 – Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation is pleased to announce a $30,000 grant to Cardinal Cushing Centers of Hanover. This grant will assist Cardinal Cushing in the transition of the MarketPlace into a self-sustaining business and training site for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
“We are honored to be the recipient of such a generous grant,” said Michelle Markowitz, President & CEO at Cardinal Cushing Centers. “We are so appreciative of the ongoing support we receive from Rockland Trust, which helps us as we continue to expand our programs to better meet the needs of our special population.”
The MarketPlace is home to Cardinal Cushing's community-facing businesses where 300 student and adult participants engage in vocational training as well as paid employment opportunities. The Cushing Café, Unique Boutique and Take 2 Thrift Shop have become a destination shopping experience for the greater South Shore community and are a model of true integration. The space also offers six new state-of-the-art classrooms for their transition-aged students. The MarketPlace plays an integral role in Cardinal Cushing's employment training program by working to deepen the programmatic excellence and reach of vocational programs for all participants.
"The Foundation is honored to support the Cardinal Cushing Center's mission in creating meaningful employment opportunities at their MarketPlace," said Andrea Borowiecki, Vice President of Charitable Giving & Community Engagement at Rockland Trust. "The organization is doing incredible work to help us build a more inclusive community which in tandem is improving the quality of life of the individuals and families they serve."
As the MarketPlace grows out of its start-up phase, Cardinal Cushing seeks to ensure that its participants are maintaining competitive, paid employment outside of Cushing after having trained in the MarketPlace. Employment specialists and job coaches work directly with the individuals they support to identify interests and strengths, and then assist each person with their job search, interview process, and provide support to ensure the individual is successful in retaining the job. The goal is always to match the level of support to the individual's ability level.
About Cardinal Cushing Centers, Inc.
Cardinal Cushing Centers is in the business of changing lives. A non-profit organization founded in Hanover, MA in 1947, Cushing Centers began as a day and residential school for students with intellectual disabilities. With additional locations in Braintree, Cushing now supports over 600 individuals of all ages, with the goal of helping each student and adult to become included and independent members of society. Programs include, among others, affordable housing, community programs, education, employment training, recreational, therapeutic, and residential services.
About Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation's mission is to strengthen the communities served by the Bank. We enable individuals and their families to access opportunity and improve the quality of their lives. To date, the Foundation has distributed more than $20 million in grants to qualified non-profit organizations in the communities served by Rockland Trust. For information about the Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation, please visit www.RocklandTrust.com/CharitableGiving.
About INDB and Rockland Trust
Independent Bank Corp. (NASDAQ Global Select Market: INDB) is the holding company for Rockland Trust Company, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts. Rockland Trust was named to The Boston Globe's "Top Places to Work" 2022 list, an honor earned for the 14th consecutive year. Rockland Trust has a longstanding commitment to equity and inclusion. This commitment is underscored by initiatives such as Diversity and Inclusion leadership training, a colleague Allyship mentoring program, and numerous Employee Resource Groups focused on providing colleague support and education, reinforcing a culture of mutual respect and advancing professional development, and Rockland Trust's sponsorship of diverse community organizations through charitable giving and employee-based volunteerism. In addition, Rockland Trust is deeply committed to the communities it serves, as reflected in the overall "Outstanding" rating in its most recent Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation. With retail branches in Eastern Massachusetts and Worcester County as well as commercial banking and investment management offices in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Rockland Trust offers a wide range of banking, investment, and insurance services to individuals, families, and businesses. The Bank also offers a full suite of mobile, online, and telephone banking services. Rockland Trust is an FDIC member and an Equal Housing Lender.
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