Citizens for Citizens history

1966 – Head Start opens centers throughout Fall River to provide pre-school educational programs for children ages 3 to 5 years.

1968 – Employment opportunities for persons age 55 and older are created through the funding of the Senior Aide Program.

By 1971 Citizens Savings was the 80th largest mutual savings bank in the United States.

1972 – Mark A. Sullivan, Jr. is hired as the agency’s Executive Director.

1973 – Operation Christmas is launched to provide toys for needy children.

1975 – Fuel Assistance and Weatherization programs are started to help reduce the burden of high energy costs for eligible area residents.

1976 – CFC purchases its headquarters on Griffin Street from United Methodist Ministers.

1978 – At the request of the Mayor and City Council, CFC’s service area is expanded to Taunton.

1979 – Women, Infants & Children (WIC) feeding program is funded to provide nutritional services to Greater Taunton.

1980 – In conjunction with Bristol Community College, CFC opens its Energy Information and Referral office on the campus of BCC.

1981 – After School and Family Day Care programs are funded to provide day care for children of working parents.

1982 – Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is awarded funding by US/ACTION.

In 1983 the bank opened its first commercial loan office outside of Rhode Island, locating it in Boston.

To prepare to convert from a mutual savings bank to a stock savings bank, Citizens Bank became a federal savings bank in October 1984.

1985 – CFC purchases the Aldrich School from the City of Fall River for classroom space for 180 Head Start children.

In 1986 the group acquired Gulf States Mortgage Company, an Atlanta-based residential mortgage origination and service firm with a loan portfolio of just over $1 billion.

Royal Bank paid about $440 million for Citizens in a transaction that was completed in December 1988.

1990 – CFC establishes the Edward “Jud” Sullivan Scholarship Fund for worthy high school seniors.

By 1992 Graboys had accomplished a quadrupling of the bank's assets during little more than a decade of leadership, to $4 billion.

Later in 1993, Citizens Financial completed its largest acquisition to date, the purchase of The Boston Five Bancorp and its 22 metropolitan Boston branches for $95 million.

During 1994 Citizens Financial completed three more acquisitions: Neworld Bancorp, Coastal Federal Savings Bank, and Old Stone Federal Savings Bank.

The addition of $4 billion in assets made Citizens the third largest bank in New England, trailing Fleet (which had acquired Shawmut in 1995) and Bank of Boston.

In April 1996 Citizens Financial merged with First NH Bank, which was based in Manchester, New Hampshire, was the largest financial services firm in the state, and was owned by Bank of Ireland.

Continuing to fill in geographic gaps in its New England base, Citizens spent $57.2 million for Bank of New Haven in August 1997.

In October 1998 Citizens Bank of Connecticut added four branches of Branford Savings Bank, expanding its presence in the greater New Haven area.

In October 1999 the bank paid $350 million to acquire State Street Corp.'s retail bank, which included four branches in Boston and Quincy, Massachusetts, and a commercial loan portfolio totaling $2.2 billion.

2000 – Early Head Start dedicates the Peggy O’Brien Sullivan Center.

2001: USA Patriot Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to broaden the scope of aliens ineligible for admission or deportation to include terrorist activities.

2005 – Citizens for Citizens, Inc. celebrates 40 years of providing assistance to area residents during difficult financial times.

2007 – Citizens for Citizens receives $50,000 grant from the Robert F. Stoico Foundation to fund a first-time home buyers IDA Program

2009 CFC starts Senior Home Safety Repair Program with funds from the Charles Farnsworth Trust.

2010 CFC begins its 45th year of service.

*as of December 31, 2019 excludes loans in Other