Bank of the Sierra Provides COVID-19 Funding Through Sierra Grant Program, Awards Over $34K to Coastal and Southern California Nonprofits During Second Quarter
August 13, 2020
Porterville, Calif. – Bank of the Sierra announced today that $34,900 was given to nine nonprofits in the Bank’s Central Coast and Southern California markets during the second quarter. The Bank will continue to prioritize funding to nonprofit organizations that are fighting or have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through its Sierra Grant Program. Bank of the Sierra awards $1,000-$5,000 grants to 15-25 nonprofit organizations each quarter as part of the program. Overall in the second quarter, Bank of the Sierra awarded a total of $60,000 to nonprofits in the eight counties it serves.
A Sierra Grant will be used by the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC) for its Senior Nutrition program, which serves nutritious meals to around 1,300 low-income seniors five days a week. The program was designed to reduce hunger and food insecurity, encourage socialization, and promote health by helping seniors access services. CAC’s services are especially needed during the coronavirus pandemic.
The West Valley Boys & Girls Club (WVBGC) will help Los Angeles County children and their parents with a Sierra Grant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, WVBGC has remained available for children and continues to keep them engaged in positive and enriching opportunities. The organization has launched a virtual education and social program, and it continues their support of youth with food insecurities with a free Grab-N-Go meal program.
A Sierra Grant will allow Family Care Network, Inc. (FCNI) to provide support to youth emancipating from the foster care system, transitional age youth (TAY), and families at risk of homelessness throughout San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The organization will help pay for groceries, housing costs, utility bills, reliable transportation, vocational training needs, and more, all to support employment. The people FCNI serves are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As the coronavirus continues to impact our communities, we will continue to help them through our Sierra Grant Program,” said Kevin McPhaill, Bank of the Sierra President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re proud to assist these organizations that do so much for our communities.”
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. 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
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.
