SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Bank of America, through its newly announced “Gift of Opportunity” program, presented checks for $10,000 Tuesday to both the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada during a press conference event at the Club’s East Ninth Street location. Immediately after the check presentation, about 20 volunteers from Bank of America served meals in the Club’s cafeteria to children enrolled in the Club’s track break programs.
The donations, which will be used to fund hunger relief programs, are part of Bank of America’s mission to address critical community needs that are important to both the bank and its customers.
According to a recent report by the United States Department of Agriculture, 50 million or, 1 in 6 Americans, continue to confront the issue of food insecurity. Last year, the Club served nearly 200,000 free meals to assist in Northern Nevada’s hunger problem while the Food Bank provided 8.1 million pounds of food to more than 153,000 low-income seniors, children and families. Of the 153,000 people served by the Food Bank in 2010, more than 46 percent or, 70,000, of those helped were children.
Tuesday’s event was part of a nationwide program implemented by Bank of America that also involves volunteerism on the part of Bank of America employees. Following the check presentation included remarks from Mike Wurm, chief operating officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows and Cherie Jamason, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, as well as Bob Grubic, Bank of America’s president for Northern Nevada operations.
“We couldn’t begin to do the work that we do here in the northern Nevada without the help of donations and volunteers from companies such as Bank of America,” said Wurm. “This support enables our food programs to function successfully, allowing us to provide Club members with the nutritious snacks and meals that are essential for their growth and success at no cost.”
“Bank of America’s support could not come at a better time. This donation will have a real impact in the lives of northern Nevada residents,” added Jamason. “We continue to see the number of struggling individuals and families grow, with more people participating in our programs throughout the region each year. It is because of contributions like these, along with our nearly 130 partner organizations, that we’re able to supply food to families and individuals over an 80,000-square-mile area.”
Bank of America is a longtime supporter of Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which provides a safe place for children to obtain nutritious meals through its network of 4,000 Clubs. The donation is in addition to the combined $17 million that the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has directed to these non-profit partners and their networks since 2008.
