COLUMBIA BANK RAISES A RECORD $351,611 IN SEVENTH ANNUAL WARM HEARTS WINTER DRIVE BENEFITTING HOMELESS SHELTERS

TACOMA, Wash., Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Bank today announced that it raised a record $351,611 during the seventh annual Warm Hearts Winter Drive to benefit families and individuals struggling with homelessness in the Northwest and Northern California.

Customers, employees, business partners and community members also donated thousands of items of warm winter wear and supplies to benefit more than 65 homeless and relief shelters. Columbia has raised more than $1.8 million in combined donations since the program began in 2015.

Employees at all of Columbia Bank's more than 150 branches across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California 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.

A special thank you goes to one of Columbia's partners, Reich & Tang, for their generous donation of $10,000 to the drive.

"Our annual Warm Hearts Winter Drive embodies who we are as a financial institution: a community bank that is committed to giving back. It's truly gratifying to see our team members and people across the communities we serve band together to help our neighbors in need," Columbia President and Chief Executive Officer Clint Stein said. "All of their work and generousity will make an enormous impact across the region we serve throughout the winter."  

Among the benefiting organizations are the Portland Rescue Mission, Mary's Place of Seattle, Tacoma Rescue Mission, Northwest Housing Alternatives Eugene Mission, Bonner Homeless Transitions in Idaho, and Good News Rescue Mission and Sacramento Loaves and Fishes in Northern California.

The program expanded to Northern California for the first time this winter. This followed Columbia's 2021 acquisition of Sacramento, California-based Merchants Bank of Commerce. The merger provided Columbia entrance into California, and the bank committed to immediately extending its mission of community service and charitable giving to its new California markets.

To learn more about supporting the Warm Hearts campaign, please visit WarmHeartsWinterDrive.com or email [email protected].

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, Idaho and Northern California. The bank has been named one of Puget Sound Business Journal's "Washington's Best Workplaces," more than 10 times. Columbia was named the #1 bank in the Northwest on the Forbes 2021 list of "America's Best Banks" marking 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.

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SOURCE Columbia Bank