Bank collecting supplies for local students

Eight First Bank locations will serve as donation centers this month for a back-to-school supplies drive.

The bank is co-hosting the effort with Western Services Workers Assn., a nonprofit assisting low-income workers.

Coordinators of the drive, running until Aug. 21, hope to gather enough donations to fill 250 backpacks that will be distributed on the first day of classes.

This will be First Bank’s third year participating in the drive, though it has worked for more than 10 years with WSWA on other projects.

Susan Montoya, First Bank vice president and Corporate Reinvestment Act officer, said the 250 students who will benefit from the drive are children of WSWA clients, ranging from elementary to high school students in the Santa Ana school district.

“At First Bank we continue to try to serve the communities we operate in and we certainly want to give these kids a leg up on their academics by making sure they have basic school necessities,” she said Wednesday. “We’re also trying to help their parents by taking some of the worry off their backs and alleviating stress on their limited incomes. We’re happy to help.”

Montoya said they need No. 2 pencils, pens, college-ruled loose-leaf paper and notebooks, three-ring binders, folders and rulers, and other basic items. First Bank will provide partial funding for the backpacks, purchased through a wholesaler at $5 each, and encourages the community to match their support in supplies or donate cash to offset the cost.

Collection sites will be at the following First Bank locations: 3001 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, 4301 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, 16900 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, 18020 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, 25461 Rancho Niguel Road, Laguna Niguel, 8251 Westminster Blvd., Wesminster, and 18206 Imperial Hwy., Yorba Linda.

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