Opus Community Foundation Announces 14 Grant Awards to Charitable Organizations in California and Washington

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Opus Bank (the “Bank”) and the Opus Community Foundation (the “Foundation”) announced today that the Foundation’s Board of Directors approved 14 grant awards to charitable organizations that the Bank and the Foundation believe will have an immediate and long lasting impact on efforts to rebuild our communities. The initiatives that are 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.

Stephen H. Gordon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Opus Bank and Chairman of the Opus Community Foundation, stated, “While Opus Bank remains focused on providing capital funding to business owners, real estate investors, and entrepreneurs who share our vision to expand and grow, our vision doesn’t stop there. Since being established on September 30, 2010, the Foundation has provided grants to 61 organizations, which grants total over $320,000. The organizations with whom we have chosen to partner are truly rebuilding and strengthening our communities through programs targeting specific areas of need in our communities, including affordable housing, education, job training and counseling, food programs, and the arts.”

The Foundation has awarded grants to nonprofit organizations in California and Washington that focus on affordable housing, critical health issues, community development, education, financial literacy, or the arts. These groups include:

Freedom 4 U received a grant to support their creative arts, life skills, music, and leadership and service programs, which target the youth in the Palos Verdes Peninsula community.

Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County received a grant to purchase building materials for the first of five new homes to be built in Marysville, Washington.

Jewish Federation and Family Services received a grant to support their Reading Partners program, which places trained volunteers in K-3 classrooms to give children in Orange County’s low income neighborhoods access to individualized attention.

Laguna College of Art and Design (“LCAD”) received a grant to support their Arts Education Community Outreach Program, which provides free college credit classes for high school students to help develop a portfolio; and professional development for high school teachers so they are better equipped to teach art in local K-12 schools. The LCAD Outreach program encourages the enthusiasm and creativity of young people in the exploration of the visual arts.

Laguna Playhouse received a grant to support their youth theatre programs, Youth Theatre Productions, Theatre for a New Generation, and Youth Conservatory and Repertory classes, which introduce the joy of live theatre to approximately 8,000 young people each year.

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank received a grant to support their programs, which acquire, store, transport, and distribute approximately 5 million pounds of food each month to other agencies and food banks in Los Angeles County.

Palos Verdes Ballet received a grant to support their upcoming fall and winter performances, which bring professional quality ballet to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and surrounding communities and help introduce fine arts to families and children.

Peninsula Symphony received a grant to support their music programs, which provide free concerts on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and in the South Bay area of Los Angeles and cultivate a love of music through education and entertainment.

Save a Bottle – Save a Life received a grant to support their outreach programs, which target Los Angeles school children and encourage their participation in recycling and giving to local food banks. Save a Bottle – Save a Life collects bottles and cans, offers incentives for involvement, and with the CRV money obtained from recycling the items, the organization buys food, which it donates to a regional food bank.

The Jeffrey Foundation received a grant to support their After School Education and Enrichment Program, which provides community-based, therapeutic, educational, and social services to special needs and at-risk children and teens from low income neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.

Wonderland Development Center received a grant to support their early learning programs, which serve very young children with developmental delays and disabilities, and their families. The programs provide developmental testing, assessment, and evaluation; occupational and speech therapy; and play and learn groups.

Working Wardrobes received a grant to support their Career Success Network, which provides much needed services to job seekers, including: career assessment tools, interview skills, resume development, access to computers, job postings, financial literacy education, and placement services.

YMCA of Snohomish County received a grant to support their Invest in Youth Campaign, which provides mentoring, education, college prep, and job search assistance, teen leadership programs, and early learning centers for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years.

YWCA of King County - Snohomish County received a grant to support their Dress for Success program, which provides disadvantage women with interview and business attire, job training and assistance, computer and resume writing classes, and counseling.

About 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, critical health issues, and the arts. The Foundation’s goal is to stimulate economic change, promote reinvestment, inspire philanthropy, and strengthen the communities around us.

About Opus Bank

Opus Bank, headquartered in Irvine, CA, is an FDIC insured California-chartered commercial bank with $2.2 billion of total assets, $1.1 billion of total loans, and $1.4 billion in total deposits as of June 30, 2011. Opus Bank provides high value, relationship-based banking products and exceptional service to its clients comprised of small and mid-sized commercial businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, high-net-worth individuals, professionals, and consumers. Opus Bank offers a wide range of loan products, including commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, multifamily residential, jumbo single-family residential, and consumer loans; and is a Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Preferred Lender. Opus Bank currently operates 29 banking offices, including 22 in the Seattle/Puget Sound region in Washington and seven banking offices in Southern California. Opus Bank has announced plans to open new banking offices in Encino and West Los Angeles, located in Los Angeles County; Corona del Mar and Irvine, located in Orange County; and La Jolla, located in San Diego County, California. On June 6, 2011, Opus Bank announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire RMG Capital Corporation (“RMG”) and its bank subsidiary, Fullerton Community Bank, FSB. Established in 1927, Fullerton Community Bank is a federally chartered savings bank that operates eight full service banking offices in northern Orange County, California, and has $640.3 million of total assets, $488.7 million of total deposits, and $521.9 million of total loans, as of June 30, 2011. For additional information about Opus Bank, please visit our website: www.opusbank.com.