Community Archives

February 29, 2024

Celebrating California Hall of Fame Honorees

River City Bank was honored to participate in this year's California Hall of Fame event at the California Museum in Downtown Sacramento. Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom inducted the 17th class of honorees, highlighting trailblazers who have embodied the California Spirit. Team RCB was in attendance to celebrate the newest class of inductees, including The Go-Go's, federal judge and civil rights leader Thelton E. Henderson, and basketball star Cheryl Miller, to name a few.

Needless to say, we are "Head Over Heels" with this year's Hall of Fame inductees and congratulate them all on this well-deserved honor.

To learn more about the California Museum and the California Hall of Fame, visit their website at www.californiamuseum.org.

November 7, 2023

Yolo Crisis Nursery Groundbreaking

River City Bank had the distinct pleasure of attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the future home of the Yolo Crisis Nursery. The demand for services has become so great that the program is expanding to an 8,800-square-foot building in Davis, set to open in Spring 2025. The Yolo Crisis Nursery team raised the funds in record time as there is a need for a larger facility to meet the increasing demand and serve more children and families in crisis in Yolo County.

The goal was achieved with generous contributions from community partners and donors, as well as local, county, and state supporters. At the groundbreaking, Executive Director Heather Sleuter shared the vision of the new facility and the lives that it will change. She spoke on how the new home for the nursery will increase its services and create a better learning environment for the children. Yolo Crisis Nursery is one of only four crisis nurseries in California and the first to be designed and built from the ground up. All other crisis nurseries in the state are housed in repurposed buildings, as the Yolo Crisis Nursery has been since its inception.

The Yolo Crisis Nursery was founded in 2001 as a child abuse prevention program. It serves every corner of Yolo County, including the rural and unincorporated areas. The nursery helps kids thrive and become resilient in the face of traumatic experiences through its signature programs: Crisis Overnight and Respite Care, Wraparound Services for Families, and Specialized Infant Day Care and Preschool.

With a larger facility comes an opportunity to offer even more help, with the team planning to add counseling and therapy services and job-seeking assistance to ensure that parents and kids that access their programs thrive.

To learn more about Yolo Crisis Nursery, visit their website at www.yolocrisisnursery.org.

June 29, 2023

Kelly Foundation Presents the American Red Cross with $100,000 Donation

Kelly Foundation Board Member Riley Gardner of River City Bank recently visited the offices of the American Red Cross California Gold Country Region. There he presented Chief Development Officer Kimberly Coley and Senior Regional Philanthropy Officer Kimberly Diaz with a check for $100,000.

The much-needed funds will help The American Red Cross with its ongoing work assisting families during challenging times, including providing disaster relief to Californians impacted by the State’s recent severe weather.

Headquartered in Sacramento, the Gold Country Region covers territory consisting of urban to rural, mountains to valley flatlands, and everything in between.

To learn more, visit their website at www.redcross.org and find out how you can make a difference.

October 4, 2022

River City Bank donates $10,000 to Sacramento Steps Forward

Donation supports regional systems to prevent homelessness

River City Bank presenting a donation check to Sacramento Steps Forward

SACRAMENTO, CA — River City Bank, Sacramento’s premier business bank, showed its support for ending homelessness and strengthening communities by presenting a $10,000 donation check to Sacramento Steps Forward. The donation supports implementing a new regional coordinated access system to ensure that homelessness is either preventable, brief, or one-time.

“As one of Sacramento’s longstanding community-based businesses, River City Bank is dedicated to seeing our region grow and prosper, and that includes supporting organizations that provide solutions for ending homelessness,” said Steve Fleming, President and CEO of River City Bank. “As the lead agency for Sacramento Continuum of Care, Sacramento Steps Forward is responsible for providing homeless families and individuals with needed housing and support services.”

“Thank you to River City Bank for this generous contribution and for recognizing Sacramento Steps Forward’s work on a comprehensive approach to end homelessness. Homelessness is truly a humanitarian crisis. It touches all of us – from the unimaginable hardships for our unhoused community to the impacts suffered by nearby neighborhoods, businesses, and the community,” said Lisa Bates, CEO of Sacramento Steps Forward. “We are grateful for this investment and the direct impact it will have on systemic solutions in Sacramento.”

River City Bank presented the donation check to Lisa and the SSF executive team members during its client appreciation reception, which was held on September 21, 2022.

As part of the event tradition, River City Bank recognizes and makes a charitable contribution to one of our non-profit clients. River City Bank employees had the challenging, yet rewarding, job of choosing the donation recipient from many charitable organizations with compelling missions.

About Sacramento Steps Forward

Sacramento Steps Forward is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving the Sacramento region leading multi-sector, system-level change to compassionately end homelessness where our vision is an equitable community where everyone has a safe place to call home. Sacramento Steps Forward is also the lead agency for the Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care. For more information about Sacramento Steps Forward, visit SacramentoStepsForward.com.

September 7, 2022

Kelly Foundation awards $100,000 grant to Saint John’s Program for Real Change

Donation supports families seeking to end the cycle of poverty

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Kelly Foundation awarded $100,000 to Saint John’s Program for Real Change, an organization that operates the largest shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness in the Sacramento region. The donation will go towards building strong family support structures leading to generational independence and less homelessness.

“Saint John’s directly impacts the lives of women and children desperate for change, and we are excited to partner with an organization that helps the community thrive one life at a time,” said Shawn Kelly Devlin, Chairman of the Board of the Kelly Foundation and of River City Bank. “We’re confident this donation will support families in need to become self-sufficient after experiencing such challenging circumstances.”

“We are proud to support the women and children of the Saint John’s Program for Real Change and respect their ambition to better their lives after undergoing detrimental situations,” said Steve Fleming, President and CEO of River City Bank.

Members from River City Bank and the Kelly Foundation present a check to the Saint John’s leadership team

After an expansion in 2017, Saint John’s added 11 modular homes in 2021, which house up to 55 individuals. Saint John’s now serves up to 320 women and children daily with an on-going waitlist. Members receive extensive education, counseling and training to help lead them to a future of success both personally and professionally. In addition, the finest chefs from the Sacramento area partner with Plates Café each month to provide a one-of-a-kind gourmet meal in support of the women and children served at Saint John’s Program for Real Change.

“The Kelly Foundation’s grant is an investment that will heal lives for generations,” said Julie Hirota, CEO of Saint John’s Program for Real Change. “We appreciate the Kelly Foundation and River City Bank for believing in women and children who work so hard and choose to permanently escape the cycle of poverty and dependence.”

The Kelly Foundation supports health and human services, education, culture, environment, and civic improvement through its funding. During the Foundation’s 2022 fiscal year, approximately $850,000 in grants were provided to organizations that support the Sacramento region. Since merging with the RCB Foundation in 2009, the Kelly Foundation, of which River City Bank remains a major contributor, focuses on giving back to the greater Sacramento region through charitable donations.

For more information about the Kelly Foundation, please visit KellyFoundationSacramento.org. For more information about Saint John’s Program for Real Change, visit SaintJohnsProgram.org.

About the Kelly Foundation

The Kelly Broadcasting Company’s KCRA-TV (Sacramento-Stockton-Modest, CA) went on the air on Sept. 5, 1955, and the owners of the Kelly Broadcasting Company established the Kelly Foundation in December 1988 as a formal vehicle for structuring charitable contributions. The Kelly family sold KCRA-TV in 1999 and have continued the Kelly Foundation ever since. In 2009, the River City Bank Foundation merged with the Kelly Foundation, and some executives of the Bank currently serve on the Foundation’s Board. Jon S. Kelly founded River City Bank in 1973 and his daughter, Shawn Kelly Devlin, currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board. The Kelly Foundation is an expression of the importance the Kelly family places on being a good neighbor and citizen in regions where they do business. For more information on the Kelly Foundation, please visit KellyFoundationSacramento.org or call (916) 978-4892.

About Saint John’s Program for Real Change

Since 1985 Saint John’s Program for Real Change has provided more than 30,000 homeless women and children with the essential tools to rise above their circumstances and make REAL, transformative change in their lives. Operating the largest shelter in the Sacramento Region, Saint John’s Program is the one focused exclusively on women and children–the most vulnerable and rapidly growing segment of the homeless population in our region and nationwide. Dedicated to the eradication of homelessness, this 18-month comprehensive program includes mental health therapy, alcohol and drug counseling, parenting education, high school diploma preparation and attainment, budgeting classes, healthy relationship training and a proprietary Employment Training Program. Accommodating over 700 clients and their children each year with three levels of increasingly independent housing, 96% of Saint John’s Employment Training Program graduates secure unsubsidized employment, a crucial step in their journeys to self-sustainability.

March 31, 2022

Yolo Food Bank: Serving Yolo County Communities Since 1970

Back in 1970, Yolo Food Bank was strictly a volunteer program. In 1988, it hired its first employees and officially became a food bank. Fast forward to 2022, Yolo Food Bank now distributes nearly 12 million pounds of food annually and has become a lifeline to the communities it serves. Recently, we spoke with Maria Segoviano, Yolo Food Bank’s Director of Communications. She shared with us how Yolo Food Bank, now the only food bank in the County, had doubled its efforts during the pandemic and how those efforts continue as the lingering effects of COVID remain.

How is Yolo Food Bank helping with food insecurity and advancing nutrition security?

Yolo Food Bank distributes nearly 12 million pounds of food each year to neighbors in need, via 130 distributions each month in every corner of Yolo County. This includes Yolo Food Bank’s direct distribution programs (Eat Well Yolo, Eat Home Yolo, and Kids Farmers Market), and more than 80 nonprofit partner organizations countywide.

While the pandemic appears to be losing intensity, the demand for food assistance in Yolo County remains steady. Emergency needs were joined by pre-existing needs, which were exacerbated by pandemic conditions, laying bare many food access inequities. It is now Yolo Food Bank’s objective to durably increase food and nutrition security and help create an equitable and sustainable local food system by connecting individuals and families to healthy, high-quality food and resources; collaborating with community partners to deepen outreach and address food needs; and convening key players in the community to assess progress and plan collective actions.

How has COVID changed Yolo Food Bank and the people it supports?

Thanks to the generosity of donors of funds, food, and time, and the nimbleness of our staff of essential workers, Yolo Food Bank was able to adapt and respond to a three-fold increase in the demand for food assistance in a matter of weeks when COVID hit. A new home delivery program was created and implemented in days, and all food distributions were adapted quickly to meet COVID safety protocols. Pre-COVID, Yolo Food Bank distributed less than six million pounds of food annually – it ended 2020 having recovered, collected, stored, and distributed over 10 million pounds of food to tens of thousands of Yolo County residents.

“Pre-COVID, Yolo Food Bank distributed less than six million pounds of food annually—it ended 2020 having recovered, collected, stored, and distributed over 10 million pounds of food to tens of thousands of Yolo County residents.”

Tell us about the “Eat Home Yolo” program that began during the height of the pandemic.

Two years ago, Yolo Food Bank swiftly activated a countywide weekly doorstep grocery delivery program now known as “Eat Home Yolo” for senior citizens and vulnerable homebound residents within days of the announcement of California’s stay-at-home order. With COVID-19 in full swing, Yolo Food Bank became Yolo County’s essential food response provider and coordinator, ramping up and adapting the format and delivery to meet the sudden and increased need.

Dozens of dedicated Yolo Food Bank volunteers and three of our partner organizations — Kare4All, Farm Fresh To You, and West Sacramento Mercy Coalition — make weekly nutritious food deliveries directly to residents’ doors. Collaborating with nonprofit partners, community leaders, and businesses in the region to deepen outreach for our homebound neighbors has made all of the difference in sustaining this effort. “Eat Home Yolo” is now an integral part of Yolo Food Bank’s operations, making about 2,400 doorstep deliveries throughout Yolo County each month.

Volunteers and donations are essential to the success of the organization. How does one sign up to donate time or money?

Donations of funds and time are Yolo Food Bank’s greatest needs. Yolo Food Bank is more than 90% funded by private philanthropy – every donation is meaningful and deeply necessary to nourish the tens of thousands of struggling families and individuals that Yolo Food Bank supports each month. Last year Yolo Food Bank conducted a study at our “Eat Well Yolo” food distributions countywide and discovered that about 60% of the households we serve receive more than half of their weekly groceries from these food distributions. Furthermore, about 1/5 of food recipients say they receive nearly all or all of their weekly groceries from Yolo Food Bank. Thank you for assisting your neighbors in need!

Donations can be made via yolofoodbank.org/give, and to volunteer, visit yolofoodbank.org/volunteer to get started.

September 29, 2021

The Legacy of Randy Paragary

Randy Paragary, a pioneer in Sacramento’s restaurant and nightlife scenes for over 50 years, passed away on August 13th after a short bout with cancer. His entrepreneurial spirit led and shaped a renaissance of food, drink, and hospitality in the state capital.

The Paragary legacy in Sacramento is incomparable. As a graduate of McClatchy High School and an alumnus of Sacramento State and McGeorge School of Law, Randy’s roots in Sacramento ran deep. His debut into the restaurant scene began in the late 60s. Along with his high school friend and business partner Patrick Power, Randy opened his first venture, the ParaPow Palace Saloon, in 1969. Randy continued to succeed in other restaurant concepts, including Paragary’s, Café Benardo, and Centro Cocina Mexicana.

Successful restaurants were not Randy’s only legacy. He provided support and mentoring to many who began their careers in one of his establishments. Randy left behind a generation of industry leaders he helped mold. This unique group included Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney’s B&L, N’Gina Guyton of South, Henry DeVere White of DeVere’s Irish Pub, and others who worked at his places before opening their own.

Fort Sutter Hotel

Before he passed away, Randy took on a new role, that of hotelier. Located in Midtown’s Sutter District, Randy and his wife Stacy recently unveiled their six-story, 105-room Fort Sutter Hotel this past January. The boutique hotel boasts a striking interior and architectural design while creating a space for Sacramento artists to showcase their work.

Midtown Parks

Randy was bullish on Sacramento when others weren’t. He was the incredible force behind the vibrancy that is Midtown Sacramento. Randy was a founding member of the Midtown Association, the group behind Explore Midtown, a leader in Greater Sacramento’s hospitality industry. His investments in neighborhoods such as Midtown and R Street became transformative moments that helped to revitalize once-sleepy sections of Sacramento.

The group established Midtown Parks, the organization’s 501(c)(3) arm, focused on investing in local parks. It aims to support the community’s well-being by creating centrally-located public spaces that provide opportunities for recreation, leisure, and building relationships with neighbors. Inspired and honored by Randy’s vision and lasting influence, Midtown Parks is currently raising funds for an upcoming lighting project in Midtown’s Sutter District.

If you would like to donate to the project in memory of Randy Paragary, please visit the Midtown Parks website at https://midtownparks.givingfuel.com/midtown-parks.

River City Bank’s Riley Gardner with Randy Paragary

July 7, 2021

Doggy Dash 2021

On June 5th, walkers with and without four-legged companions participated in the 2021 Sacramento SPCA (SSPCA) virtual Doggy Dash. Celebrating its 28th anniversary, the SSPCA’s Doggy Dash has grown into Northern California’s largest 2K/5K dog walk and pet festival. This year, the SSPCA had hoped to raise $150,000, but with support from individuals, businesses, and foundations, the event surpassed its 2021 goal, raising $165,000.

Event attendees shared photos and enjoyed the event’s live broadcast and pet festival. Those who connected online also took a virtual tour of the new Zoe K. McCrea Animal Health Center before the event officially kicked off.

The SSPCA is the only full-service 100% non-profit animal shelter in the Sacramento region and relies on donations from the community to support its mission. In 2020, the organization was responsible for 2,603 animal adoptions, 13,012 animals spayed or neutered, and 1,181 animals ushered through foster care. To donate or learn more about the Sacramento SPCA, visit their website at www.sspca.org.

December 23, 2020

Yolo Crisis Nursery Receives Funding from 2020 AHEAD Program Grant

The Yolo Crisis Nursery has received a 2020 AHEAD Program grant. The generous $37,500 award is part of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s (FHLBank San Francisco) $1.9 million Covid-19 relief initiative. This year, the FHLBank reviewed 362 applications before selecting 97 AHEAD grant winners. The grants were delivered through participating Bank members, including 20 that submitted winning applications for the first time. River City Bank was proud to sponsor the Yolo Crisis Nursery for this award.

As part of its AHEAD Program, FHLBank San Francisco awarded grants to 52 pandemic relief projects providing food, clothing, rental assistance, homeless services, and other support to the communities they serve. FHLBank awarded an additional $1.6 million in grants to 45 projects to boost economic development activity and promote financial stability in communities throughout Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Since 2001, the Yolo Crisis Nursery has continuously provided early intervention services in a safe environment to nurture healthy and resilient children, strengthen parents, and preserve families. It offers voluntary and free childcare for ages birth through five years old. The Crisis Nursery will use the AHEAD grant to hire additional staff to support the Safe Stays Program and provide supportive services to families in need. The program provides a variety of services, including referrals to community resources that can assist with mental health counseling, domestic violence intervention, medical care, parenting classes, and job training and placement.

As an essential service, the Yolo Crisis Nursery has remained open during California’s stay-at-home orders, and its team has seen more families than ever. The group continues to work tirelessly to help lessen the burdens created by the pandemic by providing safe and temporary care for children and their families.

To learn more about the Yolo Crisis Nursery and its services, visit www.yolocrisisnursery.org.

October 16, 2020

Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians

The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is a federally recognized tribe located in Placerville, California. The Tribe owns and operates the Red Hawk Casino and is one of the largest employers in El Dorado County. Beyond the casino, the Tribe has also created a very strong community infrastructure, operating its own fire and police departments, Elders Center, Tribal Court, and more. In 1995, the Tribe opened a health center in nearby Shingle Springs. In 2011, that small center was transformed when the Tribe built the Shingle Springs Health & Wellness Center on the Rancheria. It provides the local community with the best possible care in all aspects, including family practice, pediatrics, specialty care such as physical therapy, dentistry and orthodontics, pharmacy and mental health.

We had the honor of speaking with Chairwoman Regina Cuellar to talk more about how the Tribe continues to grow while preserving its culture and traditions.

Please give us a little history of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

The Shingle Springs Rancheria was purchased by the United States government in 1920 on behalf of the Sacramento Verona Band of Homeless Indians. Our Tribal Members are descendants of Miwok and Nisenan Indians, and our Tribe has had to overcome many obstacles to get where we are today.

Our reservation was originally 160 acres. As part of our commitment to the success of the Tribe, our reservation has grown over the years to more than 500 acres. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, enacted by the United States Congress in 1988, allows gaming as a means of generating revenue for tribes, encouraging economic development and self-sufficiency.

Due to the success of our businesses, we are able to provide many social, health, economic, enrichment, and educational resources to our Tribal Members.

How does the Tribe’s history impact it today?

Our ties to the land and our ancestors are of paramount importance. The Tribe is dedicated to strengthening its culture by learning as much as we can and passing along our traditional way of life to future generations.

Tribal Members and each department are dedicated to cultural revitalization. The overarching goals of the community are to protect, preserve, and interpret the cultural heritage of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. This includes the protection of cultural and sacred landscapes, the return of ancestors from museums and institutions, the intergenerational transfer of cultural-ecological knowledge (i.e., songs, dance, and regalia) to the community, and the revitalization of the community’s language.

Recently, the Tribe reclaimed some of its homeland with the purchase of Verona Marina. This area, at the confluence of the Feather and Sacramento Rivers, is where our ancestors lived as early as the 1800s. Words cannot explain or describe our connection to this land. It is part of the fabric of the Tribe and its culture.

How has the pandemic affected the community?

The health and safety of our Tribal Members, employees, patients, and guests are paramount. COVID protocol is strictly followed on the Rancheria and at the Tribe’s businesses.

We never imagined a time that we would close our casino, but as we all know, the pandemic has made us look at our lives and businesses differently. Red Hawk Casino is the Tribe’s revenue lifeblood.

Since we are a sovereign nation, we did not have to close the casino, but we voluntarily closed for the health and safety of our team, guests, and the surrounding community. The casino was closed for almost three months. We reopened on June 7 with all protocols in place. In addition, we’ve installed partitions between slot machines where possible, and the Waterfall Buffet was converted into a food court offering a variety of stations including American, Italian, Asian, Tex-Mex, and Hawks Coffee, featuring coffee and pastries.

At the Shingle Springs Health & Wellness Center, non-urgent care was temporarily suspended. Today, with modifications, our dental and pharmacy departments are fully open to in-person visits, medical offers both in-person and telehealth appointments, and behavioral health appointments are conducted via telehealth.

The Tribe has a robust infrastructure. Can you tell us more about that?

Our Tribe and Rancheria have changed significantly from our humble beginnings, and our organization is complex. The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians is an independent, sovereign tribal government led by our seven-member elected Tribal Council. As one of the area’s largest employers, the Tribe owns and operates a variety of businesses that are creating economic independence for today and future generations. Most importantly, we are a family that is working hard to honor and preserve our culture and traditions.

What are some of the Tribe’s businesses and community programs?

Red Hawk Casino – Red Hawk Casino is one of the premier entertainment destinations in Northern California. The stunning 278,000 sq. ft. facility features an 88,000 sq. ft. gaming floor with more than 2,000 slot machines and all the most popular table games. An experience unlike any other, Red Hawk Casino offers award-winning excitement, excellent dining options, and unparalleled gaming action.

Shingle Springs Health & Wellness Center – The Shingle Springs Health & Wellness Center provides medical, dental, behavioral health, specialty care, and pharmacy services to thousands in the area. Our state-of-the-art, high-quality care is available to Natives and non-Natives.

Express Fuel and Convenience Store – Our gas station and convenience store are owned and operated by the Shingle Springs Business Development Corporation.

Shingle Springs Tribal Temporary Assistance to Native Families (TANF) – Our Tribal TANF program serves eligible Native American families in Sacramento, El Dorado, Yolo, and Placer counties. Currently, we have more than 700 active TANF clients. We provide essential tools and teach skills to empower Native families to achieve self-sufficiency.

What other community programs does the Tribe support?

As part of its core philosophy, the Tribe is honored to support a wide variety of cultural and charitable organizations and causes.

Boys & Girls Club of El Dorado County Western Slope, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Sierra, Marshall Foundation, Vista del Lago High School Fishing Club, and Hands4Hope are just a few examples of the many organizations we support. The Tribe has also established a partnership with the Food Bank of El Dorado County to provide food boxes to eligible seniors in five counties and TANF participants.

The Shingle Springs Health & Wellness Center is one of the area’s key resources for patients with Medicare and Medi-Cal. Because volunteerism is aligned with our core values, our team participates in many health fairs and volunteers for dental missions in Honduras.

Pre-pandemic, the Tribe donated the use of its gym and other facilities to organizations such as Special Olympics, Master Gardeners, 4-H, local high school cross country meets, and more.

As responsible corporate citizens, we are active members in all local chambers of commerce and other business-oriented organizations. We also participate in several golf tournaments, which is an effective way to build and strengthen relationships while contributing to meaningful causes.

To learn more about the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, visit their website at www.shinglespringsrancheria.com.