February 23 2011— today announced that it would celebrate its 50th consecutive profitable quarter by donating 50,000 pounds of food to two Bay Area Food banks, the and the Redwood Empire Food Bank.
Joining the Bank in making the donation are the Marin Community Foundation (MCF), Mollie Stone’s Markets and Unified Grocers, Inc.
“We are extremely grateful to the three organizations which are joining us in providing this much-needed food,” said Kim Kaselionis, Chairman/CEO of Circle Bank. “This is no small commitment on their part and they stepped up as soon as we told them how we wanted to honor our success by giving back to the community.”
The donation of non-perishable foods was divided equally among the Food Banks, which serve a total of seven counties, including Marin, San Francisco and Sonoma.
Said David Goodman, Executive Director of the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB): “We are the largest hunger relief organization in Sonoma County, and our effort to end hunger reaches into four additional counties, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino. The North Coast has been hit hard by the economic downturn. Thousands of our neighbors depend on the REFB for their most basic necessity, food. We’d like to thank Circle Bank, the Marin Community Foundation, Mollie Stone’s Markets and Unified Grocers. Their generous donation enables the REFB to provide over 13,000 meals to those in need of food assistance.”
Said Paul Ash, Executive Director of the San Francisco and Marin Food Banks: “We continue to see an increase in the number of those turning to the Food Bank for assistance. We are thrilled to celebrate the success of Circle Bank and are grateful for their generous contribution to help make a positive difference in the lives of those in need.”
Said Mike Stone, co-founder of Mollie Stone’s: “Congratulations to Circle Bank for their great achievement and their generosity of giving back to the community for people in need.”
Said Thomas Peters, Ph.D, MCF CEO/president: “We are pleased to be part of this great community effort. Efforts like this reflect the generosity of this community and help put a spotlight on the need of a growing number of people to have food for themselves and their loved ones.”
Circle Bank’s 50th consecutive profitable quarter was recorded in the period ending Dec. 31, 2011, and dates back to 1996 when Kaselionis became chairman. “While being able to remain profitable through turbulent economic times is gratifying,” she said, “we are cognizant that it is our communities and our clients who have provided the impetus for our success. Being able to contribute 25 tons of food to people in need is one way for us to say thank you and to support our neighbors.”
The Bank also planned to host customer appreciation activities at each of its branches on Friday. “Not only do we want to thank them,” Kaselionis said, “we also want them to enjoy the time that they spend in our branches.”
About Marin Community Foundation
The Marin Community Foundation was founded with one simple aspiration: to make a difference in the lives of others through thoughtful, effective philanthropy. Our mission is to encourage and apply philanthropic contributions to help improve the human condition, embrace diversity, promote a humane and democratic society, and enhance the community's quality of life, now and for future generations. For additional information, go to our website (www.marincf.org).
About Mollie Stone’s Markets
Mollie Stone's Markets is the best of both worlds. Founded in 1985 by Mike Stone and David Bennett, Mollie Stone's has been unflinching in its commitment to providing the best possible shopping experience for our customers.
At Mollie Stone's, customers are #1. What sets Mollie Stone's apart are that its roots are natural. Mollie Stone’s understands that customers are full of passion for local and hand-made. The organization has evolved into this "best of both worlds" company in which has regular groceries and natural foods. It still offers full-service seafood and meat departments.
About Unified Grocers, Inc.
Founded in 1922, Unified Grocers is a retailer-owned wholesale grocery distributor that supplies independent retailers throughout the western United States. Unified and its subsidiaries, which generated approximately $3.8 billion in sales during fiscal 2011, offer independent retailers all the resources they need to compete in the supermarket industry.
About Circle Bank
Circle Bank (www.circlebank.com) is a full-service bank, providing a broad range of financial services to consumers and businesses. The Bank is headquartered in Novato, with branches in Corte Madera, San Rafael, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and San Francisco’s Noe Valley. The Bank had total assets of $316.7 million as December 31, 2011. It recently reported its 50th consecutive profitable quarter. It is the only community bank in Northern California to publish an annual Corporate Responsibility Brochure (CSR).
