Earlier this month, North Shore Bank Chief Executive Officer, Kevin M. Tierney, Sr., along with President and Chief Operating Officer, Michael R. Wheeler, met with representatives from our foundation to present us with a $10,000 donation! Their generous donation will be going directly to our new Mental Wellness Initiative to help fund our programs.
The Mental Wellness Initiative was established by our foundation to help our schools deal with the mental health issues that have escalated during the past two years due to COVID, as well as those issues that continue to challenge our schools every day. The first program that was introduced under this initiative was the Social Emotional Libraries. Overseen by the school’s guidance counselor, these motivational paperback and hardcover books cover topics including responsibility, respectfulness, being safe, cooperation, acceptance, resilience and empathy. The libraries have been distributed to all eight elementary schools in the City of Peabody and will be accessible to all elementary school teachers to use for social emotional teaching in their classrooms!
The second program currently funded under our Initiative is Amazing Hero Artist – Rob Surette. In the last 29 years, Rob has visited over 4,000 schools worldwide, spreading messages of self-empowerment, positivity, equality, kindness and hope! Rob will be appearing at all elementary schools in Peabody during the month of March, and at the Higgins Middle School in late May. He will bring his messages of perseverance, respect, strength and struggles, strategies and routines and healthy lifestyle to his art performance.
We are adding new programs frequently to keep the mental health discussion alive and active within our community. We would like to thank Kevin M. Tierney, Sr., Michael R. Wheeler, and the entire staff at North Shore Bank for recognizing this critical need and helping to fund our programs!
Kevin M. Tierney, Sr. noted the importance of mental wellness, stating, “As we continue to navigate these challenging times, we’re pleased to be teaming up with the Peabody Education Foundation to raise critical funds for mental health advocacy, services and support for our young students.” He added, “It’s important that we recognize that even children experience depression and anxiety. We’re committed to serving the needs of our community, and our community can only grow stronger by investing in our children.”
PEF President and Chairman, David Gravel, echoed Kevin’s statements and thanked North Shore Bank stating, “The Covid-19 Pandemic has had a profound impact on people’s health, ability to learn, work, and live. The most important challenge we face today, is how to adapt our educational system to address the mental health issues that have escalated during the past two years.” He continued, “The Peabody Education Foundation’s Mental Wellness Initiative would not be possible without the support of Community Partners like North Shore Bank. We are deeply grateful for their generosity as we navigate through these difficult times. They provide a bond of commitment that will help to strengthen us all and motivate others to get involved.”
Photographed left to right: Kristine Bruno, PEF; Kevin M. Tierney, Sr., North Shore Bank CEO; Dave Gravel, President and Chairman of PEF; Michael R. Wheeler, North Shore Bank President and COO; Dan Vassallo and Karen McGovern of PEF.