Bristol County Savings Bank Commits $50,000 Grant To Veterans Association of Bristol County in Fall River, MA
TAUNTON, MA, August 31, 2026 — Bristol County Savings Bank, through its Foundation, recently committed a $50,000 grant to be awarded in five annual installments to the Veterans Association of Bristol County (VABC) based in Fall River, Massachusetts. The donation will support the $1.2 million second phase of the organization’s $3 million “Building a Healthy Veterans Community” capital campaign. More specifically, the grant will support interior improvements to VABC’s new veterans’ services community center at 145 Globe Street, including a new commercial kitchen, food pantry, food rescue room, dining center, clothing center and related program spaces. Since the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation was formed in 1996, more than $38 million has been committed to hundreds of non-profits in the communities the Bank serves. In 2025 alone, the Foundation awarded $2.9 million to various 501(c)(3) organizations.
VABC aspires to be a state and national model community center and hub for veterans’ services, especially as it relates to its food program. Currently, the organization is a heavily relied upon food resource for local low-income and disabled veterans but can’t meet the increased demand as it delivers services from a City of Fall River-owned facility that is small, outdated and difficult to access. VABC’s new veterans’ services community center will increase the organization’s operational footprint by 300% from 4,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet, increase prepared meals and rescue food services by 100% to 1,000 units per month, increase food pantry donations by 100% to 40,000 pounds per month and expand households serviced by 50% to 7,500 households annually.
“When we purchased this new building in October 2025, VABC began a banking relationship with Bristol County Savings Bank to manage the tenant income associated with spaces not required for our veterans-specific programming. The Bank soon took interest in our capacity-building need to remodel the spaces that are critical to serving local veterans and this $50,000 investment is a result of their holistic approach to banking with a nonprofit in their community,” said Ken Levesque, Executive Director of the Veterans Association of Bristol County. “Through our human services, we are strengthening the financial independence of our veterans and that resonates strongly with Bristol County Savings Bank.”
“All of us owe a debt of gratitude to our local veterans for their service to our country and we are proud to do our part to help support them through these interior improvements to the VABC’s new Service Center,” said John Silva, President and CEO of Bristol County Savings Bank and President of the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation. “As a community bank, we focus on putting people first and are confident that this new space will provide improved and expanded services for our vets in need throughout Bristol County.” Silva added that the Bank has supported VABC’s programs in the past, specifically its Harvest for Heroes initiative to help fuel veterans experiencing food insecurity with fresh, nutritional food.
The Veterans Association of Bristol County was founded in 1987 by Vietnam veterans to fill a substantial void in supporting Southeastern Massachusetts veterans and active members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Today, VABC provides food security, clothing, and overall health and wellness services to low-income and disabled veterans and their families. The organization also offers housing referrals, technical guidance on VA benefits and a safe space for community belonging and peer support. VABC has raised $1.6 million toward its $3 million capital campaign goal, with $400,000 in additional funding needed to start construction of its commercial kitchen, food pantry and related veterans-specific interior spaces. For more information about VABC and to refer a veteran in need of services, please visit www.thevabc.org.
Bristol County Savings Bank is an active supporter in the communities in which it serves. The Foundation was established in 1996 as part of the Bank’s 150th Anniversary celebration. Its purpose is to fund needs that contribute to the economic and the social well-being of the people and institutions located in the greater Taunton/Attleboro region, the greater New Bedford/Dartmouth region, the greater Fall River region and greater Providence, Rhode Island region, with particular emphasis in the areas of education and literacy, economic development and housing for the low- to moderate-income population.