Kennebunk Savings is following through on years of work researching and funding substance use disorder prevention and recovery efforts by participating in New Hampshire’s Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) initiative. RFWs encourage employees, employers and communities to collaborate by creating positive change and eliminating barriers for those impacted by substance use disorder.
“Helping our communities thrive is what we do,” said Bradford C. Paige, the bank’s President and CEO. “Sometimes that means helping a young couple buy their first home. Sometimes that means providing meals for food-insecure school children on the weekends. And for the last three years, it has also meant contributing $375,000 to support substance use disorder prevention and recovery programming in our communities. Taking this step now to become a Recovery Friendly Workplace represents another active and meaningful commitment to prevention and recovery efforts to benefit our employees, their families, our customers and our communities.”
The RFW initiative provides guidance to help employers support healthy lifestyle choices. It provides resources to make it easier for employees who are both directly and indirectly impacted by substance use disorder to access support and recovery services, and it encourages the use of non-stigmatizing and inclusive language.
Kennebunk Savings is rolling out these resources and training opportunities now. In 2020, in addition to their charitable giving, the bank began sharing resources on social media and their website aimed at community education on subjects like the negative impact of stigmatizing language on health outcomes, social determinants of health, and trauma informed care. In 2019, the bank began distributing Deterra bags, which safely deactivate prescription medication, free of charge at all of their branch locations.
“Our RFW designation is something we’re extraordinarily proud of,” said Paige. “We’re looking inward; our employees are members of our community and our most valuable resource. We want to do everything we can to support them and their loved ones.”
