CSRwire – LOS ANGELES, CA – June 11, 2009 – A Community of Friends (ACOF), one of Los Angeles’ leading providers of special needs housing and services, honored Union Bank, N.A. with its Corporate Leadership Award at “Beyond Perceptions,” the organization’s seventh annual awards event. The bank was one of four individuals or organizations recognized at the event for leadership in advancing the cause of affordable housing and dispelling myths about homelessness and mental illness.
Since its founding in 1995, Union Bank’s Community Development Finance (CDF) division has provided more than $3 billion in financing for affordable housing, resulting in the creation of more than 25,000 homes. Union Bank’s charitable foundation helps to enhance the impact of its financing by reinvesting two percent of the bank’s net profit annually in the communities where it conducts business.
The CDF division and the bank’s charitable foundation have devoted significant attention to providing housing and services for individuals with special needs, such as farmworkers, the homeless and seniors.
“Providing financing and grant support for special needs housing goes to the heart of Union Bank’s mission to be a responsive and innovative corporate citizen,” said James Francis, the head of the bank’s CDF division. “A Community of Friends plays a vital role in Southern California, helping those individuals who face some of the most overwhelming challenges to get back on their feet. We are extremely honored to receive this award from such an important organization.”
ACOF focuses on ending homelessness through the provision of high-quality, permanent supportive housing for people with mental illness. An innovator in the special needs housing field for more than 21 years, the organization has created more than 1,300 homes in 35 apartment buildings throughout Southern California.
“Union Bank has displayed an unwavering commitment to A Community of Friends and to the cause of affordable and special needs housing,” said Dora Leong Gallo, the Chief Executive Officer of ACOF. “The bank’s leadership has made a significant impact in communities across Southern California.”
About UnionBanCal Corporation
Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $68.7 billion at March 31, 2009. UnionBanCal Corporation is the 16th largest commercial bank holding company in the U.S. based on assets at March 31, 2009. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. Union Bank is California’s fifth-largest bank by deposits. The bank has 335 banking offices in California, Oregon, and Washington and two international offices. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: MTU). Visit www.unionbank.com for more information.
