Officials with Oak Valley Community Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oak Valley Bancorp, announced they have received approval on a 2025 AHEAD grant of $150,000, which was submitted to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco on behalf of City Ministry Network.
Communities across Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties are set to see expanded workforce opportunities for Latino youth. This impactful grant will strengthen City Ministry Network’s Hispanic Youth Leadership Clubs by introducing a “career ready” curriculum that emphasizes soft skills, job shadowing, and exposure to both skilled trades and college-bound career paths. The initiative will also launch Latino Leadership Circles at CSU Stanislaus and Modesto Junior College and host annual Youth Leadership Summits to inspire and connect young leaders. Participants will benefit from coaching, résumé support, and professional networking, while AHEAD funds will help expand the organization’s capacity through a new workforce program coordinator, curriculum development, volunteer training, and program resources.
As a sponsor of FHLBank San Francisco’s Community Investment Programs and advocate for the work City Ministry Network is doing to empower youth and strengthen communities across the Central Valley, Oak Valley Community Bank authored and provided supplemental input for this grant.
Jose Sabala, Oak Valley’s Community Reinvestment Officer, shared, “We are proud to support City Ministry Network through this year’s AHEAD grant. Their commitment to equipping Latino youth with leadership and workforce skills aligns perfectly with our mission to invest in the future of our communities. This partnership with FHLBank San Francisco reflects our shared dedication to creating lasting opportunities and fostering meaningful, sustainable growth throughout the region.”
AHEAD grants enable FHLBank San Fracisco members like Oak Valley Community Bank to give a critical boost to local economic development programs and projects that directly address pressing needs in low- to moderate-income communities.
“In this year’s highly competitive application cycle, we received 400 AHEAD grant proposals, underscoring the widespread need for support to drive local economic vitality across our district,” said Eric Cicourel, Community Investment Officer at FHLBank San Francisco. “We are proud to partner with Oak Valley Community Bank in awarding this grant to City Ministry Network, recognizing the important work they do to empower Latino youth and strengthen communities across Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.”
