Columbia Bank Raises $315,025 In Its Sixth Annual Warm Hearts Winter Drive, Giving Nearly $1.5 Million To Local Northwest Homeless Shelters In Past 6 Years

TACOMA, Wash., Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Bank today announced that it raised $315,025 during the sixth annual Warm Hearts Winter Drive to benefit families and individuals struggling with homelessness in the Northwest. Customers, employees, business partners and community members throughout the region also donated thousands of items of warm winter wear and supplies to benefit more than 65 homeless and relief shelters.

Columbia has raised nearly $1.5 million in combined donations since the program began in 2015. Employees at all of Columbia Bank's 145 branches across Washington, Oregon and Idaho helped secure the donations. All of the clothing and funds collected are donated directly to shelters and relief organizations in the communities where the collections originated. Among the benefiting organizations are Tacoma Rescue Mission, Mary's Place Seattle, Portland Rescue Mission, Eugene Mission and Union Gospel Mission of Spokane.

"In a year made particularly difficult by the pandemic, the Warm Hearts Winter Drive was as important as ever," Columbia's Chief Executive Officer Clint Stein said. "I could not be prouder of the way our bankers and people across the Northwest stepped up to help their neighbors. Their efforts will make a tremendous difference in the communities we serve this winter."

Mary Hartman, Executive Director of Mary's Place in Seattle, a local beneficiary of the Warm Hearts Winter Drive, commented, "We're so grateful to the amazing Columbia Bank community for their generous support! Thanks to you, our kids will have warm coats and a safe warm place to stay inside with their families this winter. You are bringing hope and changing lives, thank you!"

For more information about the annual drive, please visit WarmHeartsWinterDrive.com or call 1-877-272-3678.

About Columbia 
Headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLB) is the holding company of Columbia Bank, a Washington state-chartered full-service commercial bank with locations throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The bank has been named one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces," more than 10 times and was recently honored as #1 in Customer Satisfaction with Retail Banking in the Northwest region by J.D. Power in the 2020 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. Columbia was named the #1 bank in the Northwest on the Forbes 2020 list of "America's Best Banks" marking nearly 10 consecutive years on the publication's list of top financial institutions. More information about Columbia can be found on its website at www.columbiabank.com.

Columbia Bank received the highest score in the Northwest region of the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study of customer satisfaction with their own retail bank. Visit jdpower.com/awards.

Media Contact: 
Moira Conlon
Financial Profiles, Inc. 
310-622-8220
[email protected]

SOURCE Columbia Bank