Bank of the Sierra Awards Over $30K in Grants to Coastal and Southern California Nonprofits During Fourth Quarter
February 13, 2020
Porterville, Calif. – Bank of the Sierra announced today that $30,900 was given to seven nonprofits in the Bank’s Central Coast and Southern California markets during the fourth quarter. The Bank awards $1,000-$5,000 grants to 15-25 nonprofit organizations each quarter as part of its Sierra Grant program. Overall in the fourth quarter, Bank of the Sierra awarded a total of $62,500 to nonprofits in the eight counties it serves.
A Sierra Grant was awarded to Abundant Blessings House of Hope to provide operating support to the organization. The nonprofit provides a safe house for pregnant women from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties when their home lives are unsafe, unstable, or unsupportive. Along with food and shelter, life skills classes, family planning information and resources, job seeking support, and adoption resources are offered.
The Ventura College Foundation received a Sierra Grant to help pay for the enrollment, student center, and health fees for approximately 1,500 first-year and 200 second-year students at Ventura College. The Ventura College Promise is a first-come, first-served program that is available to any student of need who meets the eligibility requirements and completes the application process. It enables many students to attend college who otherwise might not have the resources to do so.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will use its Sierra Grant to support Children’s Health Initiative programs that build sustainable pathways towards food security by distributing nutritious food and fresh produce to low-income children and families. The organization also provides bilingual (English & Spanish) nutritional education so its clients can choose more healthy foods and avoid diet-related issues like diabetes and obesity.
“It’s amazing to see the many different ways Sierra Grant recipients help our communities,” said Kevin McPhaill, Bank of the Sierra President and Chief Executive Officer. “We can’t wait to see what the organizations do in 2020!”
About the Sierra Grant Program
Since its inception in 2004, the Sierra Grant Program has been responsible for donating over $2.2 million to organizations that improve local communities. 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 web site at BankoftheSierra.com/SierraGrant.
About Bank of the Sierra
Bank of the Sierra is in its 43rd year of operations and is the largest independent bank headquartered in the South 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.
