BBVA USA announces $600,000 award to Feeding America to help food banks during pandemic

HOUSTON, May 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA USA announced today it awarded $600,000 to Feeding America®, a nationwide network of food banks. The organization will distribute funds to food banks across the bank's geographic footprint.

BBVA is a Feeding America Mission Partner, supporting the organization's focus on hunger relief. Through this partnership, BBVA works to help reduce food insecurity, including during the current global pandemic.

"Food insecurity has become an increasing area of concern with limited access, supply chain issues and increasing unemployment numbers. Food banks across the country have been stretched thin," said BBVA USA President and CEO Javier Rodriguez Soler. "BBVA's support of food banks across our footprint, through our partnership with Feeding America, is part of the bank's rapid relief efforts to provide support where it is needed most in the communities we serve."  

As a nationwide network of 200 local food banks and 60,000 feeding programs that provides meals to more than 40 million people each year, Feeding America reaches into every county in the country. The expansive reach makes the network exceptionally well-positioned to support robust, multi-faceted partnerships.

"Feeding America food banks are working tirelessly to meet the increased needs of our neighbors who face hunger," said Laura Biedron, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding America. "The Feeding America network of food banks, pantries and meal programs serve virtually every community in the United States, and it's through partnerships like ours with BBVA that these programs are possible."

The bank's award to Feeding America is the most recent among a number of initiatives in support of local communities in response to the pandemic, including:

• 1:1 Matching Campaign through the BBVA Compassion Fund, which supports impacted employees through contributions from other employees and BBVA USA dollar-for-dollar matching
• Virtual volunteer efforts, which will include attendance in partners' virtual board meetings, instructing online financial education classes, and mentorship through digital channels. Local BBVA employee volunteer chapters will be reaching out to partners to identify remote volunteer opportunities that can be performed during the duration of the pandemic.
• Virtual workshops through the Center for Financial Education, an initiative to improve financial health and capabilities.
• Public health support, working to procure $500,000 in essential materials and other public health support for nonprofit partners, including gloves, hand sanitizer and N95 masks.

BBVA Group earlier announced its commitment of €25 million to combat the coronavirus outbreak, helping health authorities and social organizations and fostering scientific research in countries where it operates.

In addition to community support, BBVA USA is providing assistance across its footprint to those who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, including special offers for consumers and small businesses, and specialized benefits for employees.

"We have teams across our footprint -- and around the world -- who are putting their strengths, skills and talents to work to mitigate the economic and social impact of this outbreak," Rodriguez Soler said. "I'm proud of the work we've been able to accomplish as a team during such a challenging time, working side by side with our non-profit partners and community leaders. We look forward to continuing that commitment as we navigate the health crisis and its aftermath."

For more BBVA news visit, www.bbva.com and the U.S. Newsroom.

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For more financial information about BBVA in the U.S., visit bbva.investorroom.com.

About BBVA

BBVA Group
BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) is a customer-centric global financial services group founded in 1857. The Group has a strong leadership position in the Spanish market, is the largest financial institution in Mexico, and has leading franchises in South America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States. It is also the leading shareholder in Turkey's Garanti BBVA. BBVA's purpose is to bring the age of opportunities to customers by providing the best solutions and helping them make the best financial decisions through an easy and convenient experience. The institution's responsible banking model aspires to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable society. BBVA rests on three solid values: customer comes first, we think big and we are one team.

BBVA USA
In the U.S., BBVA is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 641 branches, including 330 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 44 in Florida, 37 in Colorado and 17 in New Mexico. The bank ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (6th). In the U.S., BBVA has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 14th nationally in terms of dollar volume of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2019.

SOURCE BBVA USA

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