Tri Counties Bank Celebrates 50th Anniversary by Helping Community College Students Achieve Their Dreams

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tri Counties Bank, a leading community bank in California, kicked off its 50^th Anniversary Celebration today with the launch of a year-long fundraising campaign to support the California Community Colleges Student Ambassador Program. In a press event at Sacramento City College, the bank launched the campaign with a $50,000 contribution and announced it will hold a variety of fundraising events and volunteer activities in partnership with the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC), which oversees the program.

The Student Ambassador Program trains and empowers students as on-campus leaders in peer-to-peer outreach. Ambassadors connect fellow students to food, housing, and other basic needs resources that ease barriers to education (such as CalFresh and Crisis Text Line), provide hands-on benefit application assistance, and reduce the stigma around getting help. Through the partnership, Tri Counties Bank employees in California will be connected directly with local student ambassadors across the California Community College system.

“We chose FoundationCCC as a partner for our 50^th Anniversary campaign because of the positive impact the California Community Colleges and the Student Ambassador Program have on the communities we serve throughout the state,” said Rick Smith, President and CEO of Tri Counties Bank. “Tri Counties Bank believes in people, first and foremost, and we plan to continue that mission over the next fifty years.”

The partnership comes at a critical time. A 2023 survey found that two-thirds of California community college students struggle with food or housing insecurity. Nearly half of California community college students are unsure of where their next meal will come from, and roughly one in four face homelessness. Each ambassador can reach approximately 1,000 students, providing crucial support to address these challenges and ease their pathway towards college and career success.

“As a single parent who had to balance education with childcare responsibilities, I’ve seen first-hand how access to food and housing resources can transform lives,” said Yuriko Curiel, Student Ambassador Program Coordinator for the FoundationCCC. Once a part of the program herself, Curiel now trains future student ambassadors.

Tri Counties Bank’s year-long 50^th Anniversary initiative will involve multiple fundraising efforts, including encouraging donations through the Bank’s Mobile and Online Banking, and a new checking account that will benefit the FoundationCCC. Additionally, as part of the Bank’s mission to improve the financial success of its communities, Tri Counties Bank has committed to providing financial education training to student ambassadors and community college students, and will be hosting a needs drive in all bank branches, to be launched this summer to help community college students throughout the academic year.

Tri Counties Bank’s 50^th Anniversary Campaign will celebrate its past, present, and future with a focus on its customers, shareholders, communities and employees. As part of the campaign, the Bank encourages current and former customers to submit their favorite Tri Counties Bank moments and find a customer appreciation event taking place near them at TriCountiesBank.com/50.

To learn more about Tri Counties Bank’s 50th Anniversary and its groundbreaking partnership with FoundationCCC, visit TriCountiesBank.com/50.

About Tri Counties Bank

Established in 1975, Tri Counties Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ: TCBK) headquartered in Chico, California, with assets of almost $10 billion and nearly 50 years of financial stability. Tri Counties Bank provides a unique brand of Service With Solutions® for communities throughout California with a breadth of personal, small business and commercial banking services, plus an extensive branch network, access to approximately 40,000 surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, and advanced mobile and online banking. Tri Counties Bank participates in the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund’s BankOn program that seeks to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable financial products and services. Visit TriCountiesBank.com to learn more. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #458732

About the Foundation for California Community Colleges

The Foundation for California Community Colleges works to benefit students, colleges, and communities by accelerating paths to economic and social mobility, strengthening communities, and reducing barriers to opportunities for all Californians. FoundationCCC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1998. It serves as the official statewide nonprofit organization supporting the California Community Colleges, the largest system of higher education in the nation. For more information, visit foundationccc.org.