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Building a strong and healthy community is paramount to both organizations

FREMONT, California - June 3, 2008 - For nearly 15 years, Fremont Bank Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Northern California’s Fremont Bank, has forged a special bond with the Bay Area’s Kidango—an agency providing a variety of services to children and families in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco Counties.  The relationship originated with the bank providing a financial helping hand to the local, deserving non-profit agency—but has transformed into a special rapport that is based on mutual admiration, trust and respect.

The bank’s founder, Morris Hyman, and vice chairman, Mike Wallace, originally cultivated the relationship with Kidango’s Executive Director Paul Miller when the agency was seeking financial support. The bank was immediately instrumental in identifying the financial and fundamental needs of Kidango to achieve the agency’s mission to provide quality child care and child development services to children and support services to their families. Beyond providing the necessary non-profit funding, Fremont Bank took the time to truly understand Kidango’s challenges and complexities associated with developing and strengthening the agency.

“From the beginning, we realized we needed a community bank that understood our needs and respectfully treated us as more than just a client,” says Kidango’s Paul Miller. “Fremont Bank instantly became our bank of choice with its excellent customer service and natural perceptiveness in responding to our particular needs.”

Throughout the years, Fremont Bank continued to proactively respond to Kidango’s specific requirements, both financially (e.g. loans, lines of credit, etc.) and through donated resources.  Since 2000, the bank has bequeathed more than $150,000 in grants and donations to Kidango.  Moreover, through the bank’s ‘Team H.E.R.O.E.S.’ (Help, Educate, Recognize, Organize, Embrace and Serve) program, many Fremont Bank employees participated in a volunteer project that beautified and improved the classrooms and landscaping at Kidango’s Rix Center in Fremont.

Each year, Fremont Bank also sponsors and volunteers bank employee time to Kidango’s annual fundraising benefit, Taster’s Showcase—a food and beverage extravaganza where participants can taste the finest from local restaurants, wineries, caterers, and beverage suppliers.

“Beyond the financial services, Fremont Bank performs numerous and important ‘little things’ to help us become a better agency,” adds Miller. “From sponsoring Taster’s Showcase, to painting the school, to providing investment-related assistance, Fremont Bank continues to be assertive in helping Kidango thrive.”

Hattie Hyman Hughes, President, Fremont Bank Foundation and Brian Hughes, Relationship Officer for Nonprofit Agencies, have carried on the bank’s tradition of working collaboratively with Kidango to ensure the agency flourishes.

“Kidango and Fremont Bank have grown-up together and our relationship continues to grow through our mutual respect for each other and our common goal to help the families of the community,” says Hattie Hyman Hughes—who has served on Kidango’s board of directors and is now an honorary board member. “Building a healthy and safe community is paramount to Fremont Bank.  We encourage other Bay Area businesses to provide assistance to local non-profit organizations such as Kidango to build stronger communities.”

About Fremont Bank
Fremont Bank (www.fremontbank.com) is the leading full-service community bank in Northern California. Founded in 1964, Fremont Bank is one of the oldest independent family owned and managed banks in the region and focuses on personalized service for individuals and businesses. It serves communities through 24 branches and seven additional ATMs throughout the Greater Bay Area. Exceptional client service is the cornerstone of Fremont Bank’s business. Accommodation of customer needs in a friendly, personal atmosphere characterizes the bank’s culture. 

About Kidango
Kidango began as Tri-Cities Children's Centers in 1979.  At inception there were only 90 children and families being served at one center in Fremont.  Today more than 2,500 children and their families benefit from the Kidango programs in Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Francisco Counties.   As a leader in early education, early intervention, mental health, before and after school services, and family child care home education this public benefit organization has a long history of working closely with the California Department of Education Child Development Division, Regional Centers and Head Start programs to provide quality services for children ages 0-12.

For further information about the agency contact Kidango at 1-800-262-4252 or visit us on the web at www.kidango.org.