PROVIDENCE – Melissa Bavoux, a senior loan accounting representative at Citizens Bank, has been named the latest recipient of the Citizens’ Community Service Sabbatical.
Bavoux began her paid three-month paid leave on Feb. 1 at Connecting for Children & Families Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of family and community life in Woonsocket. Bavoux will return to Citizens in May.
Bavoux will help CCF provide a financial literacy program in the neighborhood elementary schools. She will work on the publication of the organization’s quarterly newsletter, participate in the planning its annual event, work in the childcare center and support Connecting for Children & Families’ weekly food pantry.
“We believe that a healthy bank sits at the heart of a healthy community,” said Ned Handy, president of Citizens Bank Rhode Island. “Our sabbatical program is of particular value to the communities we serve. Our colleagues have the opportunity to spend three months making a significant impact on the lives of people served by local nonprofits like Connecting for Children & Families. Melissa is passionate about community service and her enthusiasm is sure to benefit CCF’s programs and services.”
The Community Service Sabbatical program enables a Citizens employee with three or more years of service to work full time in the community for three months. The bank said the intent is that the employees bring back to the workplace a greater appreciation of the social needs and challenges in the community at large. About 90 Citizens employees have been selected since the program started in 1994.
