Oak Valley Community Bank Partners With the United Way, Bank On Stanislaus

OAKDALE, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 6, 2012) - Oak Valley Community Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oak Valley Bancorp (NASDAQ: OVLY), formed a collaborative partnership with the United Way of Stanislaus County to meet the financial education needs of the community by rolling out Bank On Stanislaus County.

The goal is to reach out to unbanked individuals and provide them with basic financial education. To achieve this goal, United Way will facilitate financial educational workshops between community organizations and financial institutions. The workshops will help educate individuals on basic management skills, managing a checking account, and providing them with the knowledge and skills to achieve financial stability.

The first workshop was held on April 4, 2012 at the Stanislaus Literacy Center located in Modesto, CA. Additional workshops are scheduled each month throughout the year at the Literacy Center, the American Red Cross, and a number of other United Way partner agencies. A Certificate of Completion will be given to each individual upon completing the workshop, which can be taken to partnering financial institutions, who will in turn open a Bank On checking account.

"Teaching adults how to responsibly handle their finances and use basic banking products isn't a luxury in today's economy, it's a necessity. Banking products and services continue to evolve, but consumers will always need to understand the basics -- how to open an account, save for the future, and how to avoid overdraft fees," said Janis Powers, Senior Vice President Risk Manager of Oak Valley Community Bank. "That's why our partnership with the United Way and their Bank On Stanislaus County initiative makes so much sense."

Oak Valley Bancorp operates Oak Valley & Eastern Sierra Community Bank, through which it offers a variety of loan and deposit products to individuals and small businesses. The Company currently operates through 14 conveniently located branches: Oakdale, Sonora, Turlock, Stockton, Patterson, Ripon, Escalon, three branches in Modesto, Manteca and three branches in their Eastern Sierra Division, which includes Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, and Bishop.

For more information, call 1-866-844-7500 or visit www.ovcb.com.