Freedom Volunteers at Pirate Fest

Staff Volunteer in Havre de Grace

Havre de Grace Pirate Fest 5k volunteers — **Pirate Fest 5k volunteers, L to R, Jeff Herman, Kristi Kelly, Janis Motichka**

Freedom staff volunteers spent the weekend helping out at the Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House’s Pirate Fest in Havre de Grace. Festival activities included a 5k run, a pirate encampment, kids’ activities and food.

Janis Motichka, VP of Accounting, Kristi Kelly, Electronic Services, and Jeff Herman, Business Banking, covered the 5K race in the morning. Later in the day Marcus Johnson and Jen Davenport from our Swan Creek branch and Heather Theisen, Loan Program, Dominique Beverly, Indirect Lending, and Anthony Allen, IT, handled the games at the afternoon’s Pirate Encampment. The weather was beautiful and the staff were happy to lend a hand.

**Pirate Fest pirate encampment volunteers, L to R: Heather Theisen and daughter, Anthony Allen, Jen Davenport, Dominique Beverly and Marcus Johnson**

Supporting Harford County Schools

Volunteers Keep Harford County Schools Beautiful

Freedom provides community support wherever possible. This includes allowing staff to do community volunteer work during the day. As part of our volunteer efforts, Freedom staffers met with Dr. Mack, Principal of Bel Air Elementary, to learn ways to support the school and its events.

Recently, employees volunteered at Bel Air Elementary School’s Field Day event. On May 23 employees took advantage of dry weather to do some landscaping work in front of the Harford County school. Staff representing Accounting, Marketing, Lending, Risk Management, the Contact Center and Member Services all lent a hand. Now the school’s landscape staff can work on other areas to keep the school beautiful.

"Before" image at Bel Air Elementary, one of Harford County's Schools — **“Before” shot of Bel Air Elementary sign**

"After" shot at Bel Air Elementary, one of Harford County's Schools — **“After” shot of Bel Air Elementary sign**

Barbara Earhart, Michelle Killian weeding at Bel Air elementary, one of Harford County's Schools — **L to R, Lending staff Barbara Earhart and Michelle Killian**

Freedom Risk Management staffers Kathy Soller and Michelle Young in the parking lot of Bel Air Elementary. one of Harford County's Schools — **L to R: Risk Management staff Kathy Soller and Michelle Young**

Freedom staffers behind the sign in front of Bel Air Elementary, one of Harford County's Schools — L to R: Danielle Hart (Contact Center); Michelle Young (Risk Management); Michelle Killian (Lending); Barbara Earhart (Indirect Lending); Kathy Soller (Risk Management); Stacie Sloan (Member Services); Janis Motichka (Accounting). Not shown: Susan Tannahill (Marketing)

Going Green in Bel Air

Freedom Staff Contribute to Arbor Day Efforts

Freedom staff at Department of Natural Resources tree planting event, Arbor Day 2017 — **From L to R, Rachel Schmidt, Holly Downey, Susan Tannahill, Michele Young, Sharon Mellor, and Mike MacPherson**

Freedom staff pitched in this Arbor Day, planting trees as part of our continuing effort to better our community. The Department of Natural Resources Arbor Day event allowed us to help plant the trees and shrubs that earned Bel Air the “Tree City” designation.

Two hundred of the trees planted on April 14 were donated by Freedom as a result of our “go green” electronic statement campaign of 2016. We donated trees to the DNR on behalf of those members who eliminated paper waste by going electronic. Rather than plant many saplings, we decided to plant fewer, larger trees to increase the odds that they survive and thrive.