Claremont — The Congress of Claremont Senior Citizens has donated $3,000 to Southwestern Community Services to help defray the cost of operating the public bus service that operates in Claremont, Charlestown and Newport.

State Rep. John Cloutier, D-Claremont, a member of the Congress, said many of the residents who live at the Earle Bourdon Centre, an assisted-living complex on Maple Avenue, use the bus and that is the reason they wanted to make a donation.

“We wanted to help continue the bus service,” Cloutier said after the donation was presented to Southwestern Community Services earlier this week.

The Congress, a private nonprofit that works on behalf of seniors, has its offices at the Bourdon Centre.

The money is in addition to donations of $10,000 from Newport, $14,000 from Charlestown and a promised $25,000 from Claremont in the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.