IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Opus Bank (“Opus” or the “Bank”) and Opus Community Foundation (the “Foundation”) announced today the Foundation’s approval of 27 grant awards to charitable organizations that the Bank and Foundation believe will have an immediate and long-lasting impact on efforts to rebuild and strengthen its communities. The charitable organizations receiving the Foundation’s financial support create enrichment and advancement opportunities that directly improve the lives of individuals and families in the communities Opus Bank serves.
The Foundation has awarded grants to 27 nonprofit organizations in Arizona, California, and Washington that focus on economic and financial literacy, community health and human services, safety net services, the arts, and education for at-risk children. These organizations include:
California
Blind Children’s Learning Center received a grant to support its early childhood programs, which provide specialized training, therapeutic services, and education to help blind and visually impaired children ages two weeks to 5 years and their families reach their full potential.
C. O. O. P. Foundation received a grant for its programs, which provide nutrition and health education, natural healthcare, and chiropractic care to low-income and homeless individuals.
Father Joe’s Villages received a grant for its programs, which offer innovative solutions that address the complex needs of the homeless, regardless of age, race, culture or beliefs and empower individuals to achieve self-sufficiency.
Foothill Unity Center received a grant for its programs, which provide food assistance, crisis support and management, and health services to low-income and homeless individuals, addressing their needs and moving them toward independence.
Glendale Healthy Kids received a grant for its programs, which provide access to health education and safety net healthcare to disadvantaged children with chronic and emergency medical, dental, and mental health needs through a volunteer network of medical care professionals.
Healthcare and Elder Law Programs Corporation (H. E. L. P.) received a grant to support its Listen, Then Help program, which provides impartial information, education, and counseling on elder care, law, finances, and consumer protection to seniors.
Homestart received a grant for its Financial Opportunity Center, which provides career improvement resources, financial literacy classes, and coaching to low-income individuals and families, transforming their financial behaviors and encouraging long-term commitments to increasing income, decreasing expenses, and acquiring assets.
Jester and Pharley Phund received a grant for its programs, which promote literacy and the development of compassion among students in grades K through 6 and support children facing serious medical challenges.
Kids Konnected received a grant for its programs, which provide friendship, support, understanding, and education through leadership training, support groups, and camps for youths who have a parent with cancer or have lost a parent due to cancer.
Marin Center for Independent Living received a grant to support its safety net programs, which provide counseling, housing referral, advocacy, assistive technology, medical equipment referral and recycling, home modifications, and community outreach to individuals living independently or regaining independence after a severe illness, age-related disability, or life-altering accident.
New Visions Foundation received a grant for its programs, which provide tutoring, counseling, internship opportunities, financial and basic needs assistance, and college prep courses to foster youth in grades K through 12, transforming their lives and acting as a catalyst for educational growth.
Reach Out Morongo Basin received a grant to support their programs, which recruit, train, and match volunteers to provide transportation, support, assistance, education, referrals, and social interaction to low-income seniors and disabled individuals living in the Morongo Basin.
SchoolsRule – Marin received a grant to support its programs, which promote literacy, the arts, and technology use in public schools throughout Marin County.
South County Outreach received a grant to support its programs, which provide safety net services to individuals, families, and seniors in crisis through its computer learning lab, food pantry, and support services that are focused on homelessness prevention, transitional housing, financial management, and life skills training.
The Wooden Floor received a grant to support its dance and pre-collegiate programs, which address the education and college access challenges of children from low-income families by strengthening their self-esteem and self-discipline, and instilling a sense of accomplishment through dance, academic skills workshops, and family programs.
Women Helping Women/Men 2 Work received a grant to support its Employment Success Program, which provides low-income and disadvantaged men, women, and teens access to computer training, financial literacy and life skills courses, and job placement services that assist job seekers with their quest to obtain gainful employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Washington
Childhaven received a grant to support its programs, which provide therapy, education, social interaction, and emotional support to children impacted by abuse and their families through wrap-around services, parent education, and drug-affected infant and therapeutic child care.
Cocoon House received a grant to support its programs, which provide emergency shelter and services that foster personal growth and healthy relationships to strengthen and empower at-risk and homeless youth with the objective of transitioning the youth into safe, permanent housing, while also addressing other challenges including educational, mental health, and addiction issues.
Edmonds Public Schools Foundation received a grant for its afterschool study programs, which provide one-on-one instruction and homework assistance to maximize the academic, creative, and personal potential of students from low-income families and those struggling academically.
Everett Chorale received a grant for its Community Choir program, which provides singing clinics at local K through 12 schools and concerts for the enrichment and enjoyment of seniors, students, and members of the military.
Friendship House received a grant for its programs, which provide safety net and transformative services to homeless men and women in Skagit County including emergency and transitional shelters, meals, clothing, and workforce training.
Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank received a grant for its programs, which provide safety net services and basic needs that address challenges low-income and homeless individuals and families face in finding work, attending and succeeding in school, and being productive members of the community.
Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing received a grant to support its programs, which provide short-term housing subsidies, case management, and support services for families threatened by homelessness in Kirkland and eastern King County.
Mary’s Place received a grant for its programs, which provide emergency shelter and basic needs to homeless women and their children including housing and employment assistance, referrals to social services, medical care, legal and financial aid, meals, and clothing.
Snohomish County Food Bank received a grant for its programs, which acquire, store, and distribute donated and purchased food to individuals and families in need.
Village Community Service received a grant for its programs, which provide residential support services including skills development in nutrition, health, cooking, banking, personal finances, and personal safety; and vocational services including skills assessment, goal setting, resume writing, interview training, mentoring, advocacy, job placement to individuals with development and other disabilities, allowing them to achieve their personal potential and thrive in their community.
Arizona
St. Joseph the Worker received a grant for its Employment Heals program, which provides access to job readiness support and services including interview skills training, resume development, professional presentation and communication etiquette courses, access to transportation, and financial assistance to unemployed or under-employed individuals in the Phoenix metropolitan region.
Opus Community Foundation
The Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) organization established by Opus Bank on September 30, 2010. The Foundation targets its philanthropic efforts in the areas of affordable housing, community development, education, financial literacy, community health issues, and the arts. The Foundation’s goal is to stimulate economic change, promote reinvestment, inspire philanthropy, and strengthen the communities around us. For additional information about the Opus Community Foundation, please visit the Foundation’s website: www.opuscf.org.
About Opus Bank
Opus Bank is an FDIC insured California-chartered commercial bank with $3.5 billion of total assets, $2.6 billion of total loans, and $2.5 billion in total deposits as of September 30, 2013. Opus Bank provides high-value, relationship-based banking products, services, and solutions to its clients comprised of small and mid-sized commercial businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, professionals, and consumers. Opus Bank offers a robust suite of treasury and cash management and depository solutions, and a wide range of loan products, including commercial and industrial, SBA, commercial real estate, multifamily residential, conforming and jumbo single-family residential, and consumer loans; and is an Equal Housing Lender. Opus Bank operates 60 banking offices, including two in the Phoenix metropolitan area of Arizona, 34 banking offices in California, and 24 in the Seattle/Puget Sound region in Washington. For additional information about Opus Bank, please visit our website: www.opusbank.com. To learn more about how Opus Bank is backing businesses, please visit: www.opusbank.com/Spotlight.
