First Liberty Bank & Trust Provides $10,000 for Scholarships

April 30, 2010: First Liberty Bank and Trust Co. has donated $10,000 to The Community Foundation of Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties EITC K-12 Scholarship Program. Families with low to moderate income in Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties use the tuition assistance for public school special programs, like career and technology education, or for private school tuition.

This is the second year that First Liberty has participated in the EITC program, which allows Pennsylvania companies to offset a portion of their state corporate taxes by donating to the tuition assistance program. Since 2003, The Community Foundation has provided over $467,000 in scholarships to 128 students attending 18 K-12 schools.

Funding for the EITC program was cut by the state by about 40% for 2009, at a time when more local families were seeking help. First Liberty Bank, despite the current economic climate, kept its pledge to donate $10,000 for two years, which Community Foundation President Peter Quigg said helped compensate for some participants who decreased their giving. First Liberty's contribution was vital in meeting the needs of area students and their families.

As to why First Liberty Bank & Trust believes in supporting the Community Foundation, First Liberty President Robert P. Matley says "What better investment of dollars than in the quality education of our children? After all, they are our future."

First Liberty Bank & Trust has 25 branch offices located throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Susquehanna and Bradford Counties. Five of those offices are in the area served by the Community Foundation: Tunkhannock, Laceyville, Lawton, Little Meadows and Meshoppen.

For more information on the EITC program and The Community Foundation in general, please visit www.community-foundation.org.