Yolo County Archives

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.

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.

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 4, 2017

River City Bank adds City of Davis to growing list of business banking clients

Selection team cites integrity and community investment as key decision factors

Sacramento, CA – October 4, 2017 – River City Bank, Sacramento’s premier business bank, announced the City of Davis as its newest business banking client. The City of Davis named River City Bank as its primary bank for an initial term of five years, during which it will be responsible for providing comprehensive banking services across multiple accounts. City representatives cited River City Bank’s experience in providing full-service banking to comparable public sector agencies, commitment to the community and honest business practices as key factors in the decision, which came to a vote before the Davis City Council in mid-July following a multi-month selection process.

“River City Bank has built its reputation on the strength of its client relationships for more than 40 years, and our team looks forward to servicing the City of Davis with the same unswerving commitment that we provide to every client,” said Steve Fleming, President and CEO of River City Bank. “We value our local communities, and we’re confident in our ability to maintain a shared vision that reinforces the financial vitality, stability, and integrity they value.”

“The City is happy to be doing business with River City Bank,” said Robb Davis, City of Davis Mayor. “Our goals when selecting a bank included partnering with a local bank that has strong community values, is capable of providing all services necessary for a governmental agency and is well trusted in the financial world. We look forward to a long relationship and have confidence that River City Bank will assist us in meeting our financial goals.”

Following the City Council’s unanimous decision to terminate its relationship with Wells Fargo in February, River City Bank rose to the top of the list of business banks competing for the opportunity to manage the city’s financial accounts. Davis said he and the council are confident in the bank’s commitment to providing exceptional service and its emphasis on building strong banking relationships. In addition, he cited the bank’s involvement in the local community through charitable events, donations and fundraising activities as a positive reflection of its commitment to success at every level.

The City of Davis has a population of more than 68,000 and is home to UC Davis, a nationally accredited university specializing in agriculture science and medical training. Nationally, the UC Davis School of Medicine is a top 20 school for primary care training and a top 50 school for medical research. The city also maintains a variety of recreational facilities, cultural amenities, safe neighborhoods and convenient service establishments with a strong focus on community involvement.

For more information about the City of Davis, visit CityofDavis.org.