Liberty Bank Awards $5,000 Grant to The Arc Eastern Connecticut to Support Job Training

Liberty Bank has awarded a $5,000 grant to support The Arc Eastern Connecticut’s Cookie Factory micro-enterprise in Woodstock. The funding will help purchase a state-of-the-art cookie depositor machine, which will significantly expand job training and employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

“Our brand promise is to ‘Be Community Kind,’ and by supporting The Arc Eastern Connecticut and its Cookie Factory, we are doing just that,” said Liberty Bank President and CEO David W. Glidden. “This grant helps to create job training and employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It also helps the local economy. By working with The Arc Eastern Connecticut, we are making a difference in our community!”

For people with IDD—who face a national unemployment rate approaching 90%—The Arc’s Cookie Factory provides more than just a job; it provides dignity, inclusion, and independence. The new depositor will modernize production, streamline operations, and enable the bakery to expand the number of employees with IDD.

“This project is about empowerment,” said Kathleen Stauffer, CEO of The Arc Eastern Connecticut. “Thanks to Liberty Bank’s generosity, we can expand real job opportunities for people with disabilities while strengthening the local economy and our communities.”

The Cookie Factory combines skill development with social enterprise, producing high-quality, all-natural cookies while generating revenue to support The Arc ECT’s vital programs across eastern Connecticut.

About The Arc Eastern Connecticut: The Arc Eastern Connecticut is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting inclusion, independence, and quality of life for people with IDD through advocacy, education, and community-based services. To learn more, please visit TheArcECT.org.

The Arc ECT, p.2 of 2

Caption: The Arc Eastern Connecticut recently received a $5,000 grant from Liberty Bank in support of the agency’s Cookie Factory in Woodstock. L-R: Ornet Hines,

Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager Liberty Bank, Kristine Tartaro, Head Chef of The Cookie Factory, and Barry Shead, Executive General Manager The Arc ECT.