Wainwright Bank participates in over $2 million in loans originated by the Boston Community Loan Fund

Boston, MA, December 20, 2002 - Wainwright Bank & Trust Company (NASDAQ symbol "WAIN"), a socially responsible commercial bank headquartered in Boston, has provided over $2 million in community development loans originated by the Boston Community Loan Fund (BCLF) in 2002.

For over 10 years Wainwright Bank has had a close partnership with BCLF, a program of Boston Community Capital, one of the largest and most sophisticated Community Development Financial Institutions in the country. The $2 million in loan commitments provided by Wainwright in 2002 financed diverse community development projects, from tenant-owned cooperatives and construction loans for day care centers, to working capital for social service providers.

Since 1985, BCLF has provided critical help to organizations serving low-income people by providing loan capital and technical expertise. The BCLF has loaned more than $40 million dollars, financed over 3,800 units of affordable and safe housing, and created or preserved more than 1045 jobs that provide living wages to an underserved population.

"Wainwright Bank has been a vital partner for us over the years. Their enthusiasm and dedication to financing the type of lending we do has been outstanding," said DeWitt Jones, President of the BCLF.

As one of the leading socially responsible banks in the country, Wainwright has financed over a quarter billion dollars in affordable housing and other socially responsible community development projects within the Boston area including homeless shelters, food banks, AIDS services, women's health projects, and environmental protection.

"Our involvement with Boston Community Capital is a natural for us," said Pam Feingold, Senior Vice President and Community Development Lender at Wainwright Bank. "Not only are their programs obviously effective in building stronger communities, they mirror our own socially responsible direct lending activities."

Founded in 1987, Wainwright Bank is a socially responsible commercial bank with assets of $500 million primarily serving neighborhoods in Boston, Cambridge, Watertown and Somerville. Nearly 40% of the bank's commercial lending portfolio is dedicated to community development initiatives including affordable housing, homeless shelters, HIV/AIDS services, community health centers, and environmental protection to name a few. Wainwright's commitment to social justice issues has been widely recognized and in 2001 the bank received the international Annual Corporate Conscience Award from the Center for Responsibility in Business in New York.

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