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Supporting Summer Camps
 Throughout the year, AmericanWest Bank contributes to a number of charities and organizations that focus on bettering the lives of children. Summer brings a tremendous need for funding, as kids are out of school and not receiving subsidized lunch programs or any other support they’d normally get during the school year. It can be a tough time of year for families already having trouble making ends meet, so AmericanWest contributed to three summer programs for children in Central Washington. The Southeast Yakima Community Center, BOLD of Ephrata and Mano a Mano of Pasco all ran similar day camps focused on giving children a safe, supervised place to be this summer.
Programs like these fill a vital role in a community’s ability to provide kids safe and structured opportunities. In Pasco, kids are able to stay involved with activities geared toward combatting summertime educational regression and developing leadership skills as part of the Mano a Mano program at the Tierra Vida Community Center. A $2,500 contribution is being put to great use in the form of scholarships to deserving families that couldn’t otherwise afford to attend the program.
In Ephrata, the Building Opportunities for Leadership Development (BOLD) is able to expand their community outreach throughout the summer. A $1,000 contribution is helping to pay for daily snacks, craft materials and tutoring for hundreds of Ephrata kids. With these expenses paid, the BOLD staff is able to fully emphasize the program’s goal of building relationships between kids and public officials and instilling the skills and values to send those kids into adulthood.
For the Southeast Yakima Community Center (SEYCC), a lack of funding put this summer program at risk so AmericanWest donated $5,000, as did another Yakima business and together that ensured the camp opened on time in June. In making that gift, the Bank challenged other businesses and community friends to do the same to make up the remaining budget shortfall. SEYCC’s program concentrated on outdoor activities and sports to keep kids active and moving, emphasizing healthy actions and choices.
AmericanWest pleased to support these and other organizations and the important services they provide to families and children.
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