Eastern Bank Recognizes “Community Quarterbacks”
More than $600,000 in grants awarded to 43 organizations by bank President
Rich Holbrook and Quarterback Doug Flutie

QUINCY, Mass., March 22, 2006 – Eastern Bank today recognized 43 organizations with its 2^nd Annual “Community Quarterback Award,” honoring each for its leadership and commitment to serving area communities.

Bank President Richard E. Holbrook and quarterback Doug Flutie, the bank’s spokesman, honored the organizations before almost 100 guests during a ceremony at Cradles to Crayons in Quincy, which was one of the organizations honored.

The 43 organizations are receiving more than $600,000 from the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation and will also be presented with a “Community Quarterback” football, which symbolizes their leadership.

“Eastern Massachusetts is fortunate to have organizations that stand out because of their innovative thinking, tireless work and never-ending commitment to important causes and issues,” Holbrook said.  “These organizations are leaders in their communities.  That’s why we call them Community Quarterbacks.”

The organizations honored today are located in communities throughout eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, Falmouth, Lynn, Plymouth, Quincy and Salem.  The organizations are listed below, along with the amount of their grant.

“Eastern Bank is proud to recognize and support these organizations, which have dramatically improved the quality of life for people across Massachusetts,” Holbrook said.

Eastern Bank contributes 10 percent of its net income to the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, which last year donated almost $4 million to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across eastern Massachusetts.  Each “Community Quarterback” recipient received a grant of $10,000 or more.  Some organizations applied for the grants, while other donations were unsolicited by the organizations.

“It’s great to be part of a team like Eastern Bank, which recognizes the importance of giving back to the community and supporting organizations that do some of the state’s hardest and most important work,” Flutie said.

The following is a sampling of the work carried out by the organizations honored today:

Cradles to Crayons in Quincy collects new and gently used infant and children’s items and distributes them to Boston-area families in need. Cradles to Crayons will use its grant to design and implement an online ordering service to further streamline its distribution and collection services.

The Open Door United Church of Christ, Salem Mission began more than 20 years ago, and its services include a 34-bed shelter that expands to 52 beds in winter months, meals and a food pantry, health clinic, case management, housing search and advocacy and a new job-training program.  The grant will go toward the construction of two buildings with improved shelter and day service space, new job training services, and 22 new supportive housing units.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, which seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness, will use its grant toward the building of the Blue Hill Place in Dorchester.  Blue Hill Place will have 22 new homes, 4,000 square feet of commercial space, 32 off-street parking spaces and a children’s playground. This project will not only significantly improve the problem of substandard housing in the Blue Hill area, but will also create meeting spaces and will help to stabilize and grow the struggling economy of this community.

The Boys & Girls Club of Lynn has been in the forefront of youth development for more than 100 years, working with young people from disadvantaged economic, social, and family circumstances.  It will use its grant toward the club’s “Making Minutes Count” program, a comprehensive homework help and tutoring program.

Gosnold, Inc. of Falmouth is a nonprofit behavioral health organization treating men and women with addiction and mental health issues.  It develops programs that are responsive to community needs and enables access to care for all persons, regardless of their ability to pay.  Gosnold will use its grant to upgrade the electrical system in its residential program for men.

The 2006 Community Quarterback recipients follow:

ACCION USA, Inc. (Boston) – $15,000	KIPP Academy Lynn (Lynn) – $10,000
American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay (Boston) – $25,000	Lynn Community Health Center (Lynn) – $25,000
Anna Maria College, Molly Bish Center (Paxton) – $15,000	The Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (Dorchester) – $25,000
Anti-Defamation League (Boston) – $50,000	Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Buzzards Bay) – $20,000
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston (Boston) – $10,000	McLean Hospital RALLY Prevention Program (Belmont) – $10,000
Boston Foundation for Sight (Needham) – $20,000	Newbury College (Brookline) – $10,000
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (Boston) – $15,000	North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. (Peabody) – $10,000
Boys & Girls Club of Lynn (Lynn) – $20,000	North Shore Medical Center (Salem) – $25,000
Casa Myrna Vazquez, Inc. (Boston) – $10,000	Open Door United Church of Christ - Salem Mission (Salem) – $15,000
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (Boston) – $10,000	Operation Bootstrap on behalf of the Lynn Literacy Partnership (Lynn) – $10,000
Cradles to Crayons, Inc. (Quincy) – $10,000	Project Bread -The Walk for Hunger (East Boston) – $10,000
Cranberry Hospice (Plymouth) – $10,000	The Salvation Army of Greater Boston – $25,000
Edinburg Center (Lexington) – $10,000	Shelter Legal Services Foundation, Inc. (Newton) – $15,000
Father Bill’s Place (Quincy) – $10,000	South Middlesex Opportunity Council (Framingham) – $10,000
Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc. (Dorchester) – $10,000	South Shore Community Action Council, Inc. (Plymouth) – $10,000
Germantown Neighborhood Center (Quincy) – $10,000	STRIVE Boston Employment Services, Inc. (Dorchester) – $10,000
Gosnold, Inc. (Falmouth) – $15,000	Topf Center for Dance Education (Boston) – $10,000
The Greater Medford Visiting Nursing Association (Medford) – $10,000	Tower School (Marblehead) – $25,000
Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston (Boston) – $25,000	Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry (Roxbury) – $10,000
Habitat for Humanity - North Shore (Lynn) – $10,000	Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Massachusetts, Inc. (Raynham) – $10,000
Hallmark Health Visiting Nurse Association (Malden) – $10,000	Wellspring House, Inc. (Gloucester) – $10,000
Independence House, Inc (Hyannis) – $10,000