Waterford - Charter Oak Federal Credit Union last year reached the $1 million plateau for its Community Giving Program, the financial institution said Tuesday.

By the end of 2014, the program, instituted in 2009, had given out $1,015,000 to nonprofit community and charitable organizations, Charter Oak reported.

The Waterford-based credit union said donations totaling $32,800 to local food pantries and homeless shelters at the end of the year put its giving program over the $1 million mark. Recipients of the most recent community giving were the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, Care & Share of East Lyme Inc., The New London Community Meal Center, St. Vincent de Paul Place, Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality Inc., Friends of Assisi Food Pantry, Covenant Soup Kitchen and the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center.

"The need for brick-and-mortar food pantries, as well as easy-to-access mobile pantries, has never been greater, and Charter Oak is proud to participate," said Brian A. Orenstein, Charter Oak's chief cxecutive, in a statement.

Among Charter Oak's multi-year donations are a $15,000 commitment to United Community & Family Services in Norwich; $50,000 to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital's Cancer Center in Waterford, and $50,000 to the Regional Community YMCA to be built in Putnam.

For more information, visit CharterOak.org/community.

l.howard@theday.com

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