CAMDEN — In conjunction with its Hope@Home initiative, Camden National Bank has launched a company-wide drive to collect urgently needed items for Maine's homeless shelters. Across all of the Bank's 64 locations, employees, customers, and local businesses are partnering together to gather personal items, toiletries and non-perishable food items for "Hope Kits" to be delivered to shelters in each of the communities Camden National Bank serves. The collection will take place throughout the month of February, and donations can be delivered to any of the banking centers in Maine.

"When we first introduced Hope@Home in January of last year, there were a lot of unknowns," said Greg Dufour, president and chief executive officer of Camden National Bank, in a press release. "We didn't know how the program would be received by our customers and communities or whether our dedication to this single issue would resonate with everyone the way it did with us. We knew we wanted to raise awareness around the issue of homelessness in Maine, and we knew we wanted to use our position and visibility to help make a difference."

Through the community-based, statewide program, for every home Camden National Bank finances, $100 is donated to a homeless shelter in the community of the new homeowner, and in the homeowner's name. In 2015, Camden National Bank financed 442 new home purchases and raised $44,200 for Maine's homeless shelters.

Dufour added, "With a year under our belts, we can now report that response has been great. In addition to donations of over $44,000 to Maine's shelters, Hope@Home is also helping to increase awareness in our communities. Whether it is someone stopping me on the street to thank us, a new homebuyer sending a note to one of our lenders complimenting the program, or our employees donating their own time to area shelters, we have seen an increase in engagement to help the homeless. Our 'Hope Kits' are another way we can provide support and raise awareness for those in need in our state."

To donate items for the "Hope Kit" collection effort, visit your local banking center, or go to CamdenNational.com to find a location near you. For more information on Hope@Home or how to join Camden National Bank's efforts to help Maine's homeless individuals, children and families, please visit CamdenNational.com/hopeathome.