Bank of the Sierra and the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Donate $10K to St. Anne’s Food Pantry
December 14, 2020
Porterville, Calif. – Bank of the Sierra announced today that St. Anne’s Food Pantry will receive a total of $10,000 after the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) matched the $5,000 grant St. Anne’s Food Pantry received through the Sierra Grant Program. The Tulare County nonprofit organization initially received its $5,000 Sierra Grant in the third quarter of 2020.
St. Anne’s Food Pantry serves the Tulare County communities of Porterville, Lindsay, Terra Bella, Strathmore, and Springville. The volunteer-run organization has seen a substantial increase in families in need of food due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now serving around 700 to 800 families each month. A Sierra Grant will go towards the purchase of a large, threedoor refrigerator to store more perishable food due to increased demand.
In a statement thanking the banks, George Martinez, Director of St. Anne’s Food Pantry stated, “Thanks to the generous contributions from Bank of the Sierra and FHLBank San Francisco, St. Anne’s will finally be able to purchase a three-door, stainless steel refrigerator to keep our donated food safe and cold for those who need it. The additional funding will also allow us to build an awning on site, so we have a place to store nonperishable food as well. If there’s any funding available after these projects are complete, we’ll use it to purchase more food for those in need.”
Bank of the Sierra proactively searched for additional funding opportunities for its Sierra Grant recipients and identified St. Anne’s Food Pantry as a strong candidate for FHLBank San Francisco’s pandemic relief program. Bank of the Sierra will continue to research supplementary funding prospects for its Sierra Grant recipients and prioritize funding to nonprofit organizations that are fighting or have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through its Sierra Grant Program.
“We applaud Bank of the Sierra’s dedication to providing resources that support families and individuals struggling with the economic effects of the pandemic, said Marietta Núñez, Senior Vice President and Community Investment Officer at FHLBank San Francisco. “Their generous donation to St. Anne’s Food Pantry, which is a lifeline for many year-round, is one that we are especially proud to match as the holiday season approaches.”
“The additional funding for St. Anne’s Food Pantry is just another example of Bank of the Sierra taking the extra step to help the organizations that do so much for our communities,” said Kevin McPhaill, Bank of the Sierra President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our Sierra Grant Program has become an important resource for local nonprofits that have been impacted by COVID-19.”
About the Sierra Grant Program
Since its inception in 2004, the Sierra Grant Program has been responsible for donating over $2.4 million to organizations that improve local communities. Bank of the Sierra awards $1,000 to $5,000 grants to between 15 and 25 nonprofit organizations each quarter as part of the program. Overall in the third quarter, Bank of the Sierra awarded a total of $54,500 to nonprofits in the eight counties it serves. Nonprofits who wish to apply for a Sierra Grant can pick up an instructional brochure at any Bank of the Sierra branch or visit the bank’s website at bankofthesierra.com/sierragrant.
About Bank of the Sierra
Since its founding in 1977, Bank of the Sierra has grown to become the largest independent bank headquartered in California’s southern San Joaquin Valley. Bank of the Sierra is a community-centric regional bank, which offers a full range of retail and commercial banking services with full-service branches located within the counties of Tulare, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Los Angeles, Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. The Bank also maintains a loan production office and an online branch and provides specialized lending services through an agricultural credit center and an SBA center. Bank of the Sierra is recognized as one of the strongest and top-performing community banks in the country with a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. In response to the escalating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the communities they serve, FHLBank San Francisco is matching the donations to nonprofits or contributions to support small businesses that its member financial institutions are making, with up to $10,000 in match funding available per member this year.
About St. Anne’s Food Pantry
This year, St. Anne’s Food Pantry has served over 20,000 people through November, for an average of 665 families each month. The pantry is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. each week except for holidays. The nonprofit receives USDA food from FoodLink for Tulare County, and many other food donations from the Feeding America Program, where grocery stores donate food to pantries, and local farmers, school food drives, and individuals. St. Anne’s Food Pantry serves the cities of Porterville and Springville as well as Lindsay, Strathmore, and Terra Bella. The organization is operated by the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. In 2020, volunteers have logged over 6,000 hours served. The pantry is a ministry of St. Anne’s Catholic Church.
