MANCHESTER, NH—St. Mary’s Bank today announced it gave $2,500 to Amoskeag Business Incubator (ABI), a non-profit organization which provides professional office space, technical assistance and other resources to small companies to help them grow and prosper.

ABI plans to use the funds to hire an AmeriCorps VISTA member, a volunteer who commits to serve full-time for a year at a nonprofit organization or local government agency and supports the community in various ways. At ABI, the VISTA member will be responsible for expanding services and resources available to the incubator’s businesses.

“By providing a better quality of support services means an increased chance of attracting growth businesses, which ultimately means a stronger chance of job creation and overall economic development,” said Michele Petersen, ABI Vice President. “We’re grateful to St. Mary’s Bank for their generous donation. In these challenging economic times, ABI is an important resource for the Greater Manchester area, and their funding will help us put a valuable resource in place to further strengthen our foundation.”

“We’re pleased to support the ABI, as the work they do not only fosters entrepreneurial spirit in our community but ultimately helps provide much-needed jobs to a number of New Hampshire residents,” said Tom Champagne, St. Mary’s Bank Community Outreach Director. “Their commitment to small local businesses offers individuals the chance to build something of their own and watch it thrive.”

Started in 1997, the ABI is a mixed-use incubator with a wide variety of businesses residing in it, including service, high tech, light manufacturing and distribution. It provides a number of technical services such as business plan review, quarterly goal setting and monitoring, on-site counseling, resource referrals, internship coordination through local colleges and universities, free educational seminars, networking events, infrastructure for wired and wireless Internet, a business information center and complimentary press releases.

For more information on ABI’s programs and small business support, please call 603.629.9511 or visit www.abi-nh.com.