PORT ORCHARD — Kitsap Bank and Soroptimist International of Port Orchard are sponsoring the 25th annual Knittin’ Tree clothing drive once again.

Knittin’ Tree is a holiday season project designed to collect warm sweaters, gloves, mittens, hats, lap robes and slippers that help meet the needs of children and seniors in the South Kitsap community.

Items can be dropped off for the holiday season project now during lobby hours at the following branches: Bay Street, 619 Bay St.; South Park, 1700 Village Lane SE; and Bethel and Lund, 3324 Bethel Road SE. The three branches are in Port Orchard.

Habitat is partner

“We are so pleased to once again partner with the Soroptimists to give back to the community,” said Linda Smith, Kitsap Bank executive vice present and credit administrator. “Through this year’s project, we hope to raise awareness of the needs here at home.”

Kitsap Bank has donated $24,035 to Habitat for Humanity of Kitsap County as part of the bank’s commitment to creating more affordable housing in the community.

The total represents proceeds from a month-long fundraising campaign, as well as corporate contributions from the bank’s Community Connections program, said Shannon Childs, the company’s senior vice president and marketing director.

The check was presented at the bank’s edg3 FUND small business competition Nov. 17 in Bremerton, where Habitat for Humanity of Kitsap County was the featured nonprofit agency. The donation will help support Habitat in building homes for families in need in the county, Childs said.

“Kitsap Bank is proud of our tradition of community involvement, which spans than a century,” CEO Steve Politakis said. “As the community bank, we believe it is our role to invest and help our local nonprofits enhance our quality of life.”

The bank has made other financial donations to local Habitat affiliates this year. During September, all branches and departments of Kitsap Bank raised funds for their local Habitat for Humanity. In that month, the bank and its customers raised nearly $20,000 for local Habitat organizations. Combined with the bank’s corporate donations, Childs said in a news release, Kitsap Bank contributed more than $42,000 in 2017 to Habitat affiliates in Kitsap, Mason, Jefferson, Clallam and Pierce counties.