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It’s been a year like no other, but if it’s taught us anything, it’s that we are a resilient lot.

David Reiling CEO

It’s been a year like no other, but if it’s taught us anything, it’s that we are a resilient lot.

David Reling CEO
Message From David

The past year has taught us a lot.

 

But more than anything else, 2020 showed us just how resilient we are.

At Sunrise Banks, an unprecedented year meant a new chance to better serve our customers – and a renewed outlook on what it means to be a community development financial institution in 2021.

In 2020, we pivoted to remote work within a matter of days; helped thousands of small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); and continued to focus on our mission of empowering financial wellness for all, no matter race, ethnicity or background.

While we found ourselves grieving the loss of George Floyd, we also were able to engage in meaningful conversations about race and equality. And while we spent too much time away from loved ones, we’ve learned to cherish the relationships we have and not take anything for granted.

Growth sits on the other side of discomfort. This year we’ve demonstrated an amazing amount of perseverance and made clear how much we can accomplish when we work together. Has it been easy? Definitely not. But our progress is proof that we’re capable of doing hard things.

In fact, it might make more sense to look at the good that came out of this year: We realized remote work is not only viable but effective; we saw an overwhelming amount of community spirit as our employees went above and beyond to help struggling businesses; and we recognized just how important our essential workers are.

The world we live in is changing, and we should think of this change as progress, and an opportunity to do better. I thank you for all your support and hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,

David Reiling

Self. Sunrise Banks has helped 216,537 individuals build their credit through its partnership with Self, a fintech that aims to improve consumers’ financial wellness.
Open Door
Mortgage
Program
Sunrise Banks helped 126 families purchase a home in 2020. Of those families, 42% – 53 families – purchased a home through our Open Door Mortgage Program, which helps clients with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) reach their dreams of homeownership.
Prepare + Prosper and FAIR Financial Access in Reach (FAIR) is a package of products built in partnership with Prepare + Prosper that provides checking, savings and credit-builder accounts to people in underserved communities. Since its launch, FAIR has enrolled more than 322 consumers into 492 accounts. Sunrise Banks works with Prepare + Prosper to offer FAIR.
Climate
Change
Commitment
The initiative is part of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values’ larger commitment to create positive change within the financial industry and take a stand on important social issues.

The participating institutions, which have combined assets of $20 trillion, intend to influence the wider banking sector by demonstrating that banks can assess and report on their greenhouse gas emissions.
Aeon In December 2020, Aeon purchased Cobblestone Court Apartments in Maplewood. The deal will keep all 74 homes affordable, at or below 60% of the area median income. The purchase is part of Sunrise Banks’ partnership with Aeon, the Minneapolis Foundation, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and the Frey Foundation to create a new, innovative pilot program that will preserve hundreds of units of affordable housing in the Twin Cities.
Paycheck
Protection
Program
In 2020, Sunrise Banks processed nearly 2,000 PPP loans with roughly 65% of these loans being under $50,000; in addition, approximately 45% of these loans were originated in CDFI-certified, low-and-moderate-income census tracts.

Who We Are

Employee
Demographics

95 percent More than 95% of our full-time employees are paid a livable salary according to Hennepin County (Minn.) standards.
80 percent More than 80% of Sunrise employees worked remotely in 2020.
55 percent More than 55% of Sunrise company managers identify as female.
27 Sunrise has 27 employees serving on local nonprofit or community boards.
20 Sunrise hired for 20 new jobs in 2020.

We Speak the
Following Languages

Afrikaans

Amharic

Arabic

American Sign Language

English

French

German

Greek
Hmong

Italian

Maithili

Nepali

Norwegian

Oromo

Spanish

Swedish
Sunny Award Winner

Meet Our 2020 Sunny Award Winner

 

Denise has more than two decades of experience in the banking industry and started at Sunrise in 2009 as a Regional Branch Manager for Franklin Bank. Since then, she’s moved her way up to a VP-level position. Denise always has a positive attitude and is willing to help others – she is more than deserving of this recognition.

Here’s what a colleague had to say about Denise:

Denise has been an anchor for so many of us during the virus and the trauma on so many levels from the killing of George Floyd. She is tirelessly working to ensure that the business is running smoothly while honestly caring and reaching out to each of us personally to make sure we are OK, to see if there’s anything she can do.

She is a true leader at Sunrise Banks and in our world. Denise Toussaint is one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life!

 

Congrats, Denise!

Awards
& Grants

Awards
& Grants
Named a Real Leaders “100 Top Impact Company” for the second year in a row
Sunrise Banks Chief Brand Officer Becca Hoeft received Ragan’s Top Women in Communication Award
Awarded $50 million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) for calendar year 2019 that will be used to fund economic development in low-income communities across the Twin Cities
Named a 2020 Financial Health Leader by the Financial Health Network
Received a $202,898 Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) fund to empower financial wellness in our local communities

Our
Affiliations

Sunrise Banks is a Certified B Corporation, Community Development Financial Institution and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. These affiliations are all tied to our mission of being the most innovative bank empowering financial wellness.

Sunrise Banks has been a certified B Corporation since 2009 and was recertified in 2020. Sunrise Banks scored a 144.2 during its recertification process; this is two points higher than the bank’s 2019 score and considerably higher than the average B Corp. score of 90.9.

In 2019, the bank was voted as “Best for the World” by B Lab for the seventh consecutive year. B Lab did not recognize “Best for the World” honorees this year given the COVID-19 pandemic. B Corporations are businesses that balance profit and purpose and have demonstrated a commitment to corporate governance, transparency and sustainability.

There are 3,500 Certified B Corporations located across 70 countries.

Sunrise Banks has been a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) since 2013.

Collectively, the GABV
serves more than
70 million customers.

The GABV holds over $210 billion of combined assets under management, and is supported by more than 77,000 co-workers. The GABV works to create sustainable economic, social and environmental development.

It has spearheaded initiatives like the Climate Change Commitment, which asks member banks to measure the carbon footprint of their financed emissions. The GABV is made up of mission-based banks intent on making the financial system more accessible for traditionally underbanked consumers.

Community Development Financial Institution

Sunrise Banks is the only CDFI bank in Minnesota. CDFIs are dedicated to community development and provide financial products and services that meet the needs of economically disadvantaged individuals within underserved communities.

393 million
In 2020, $393 million of new loans were originated in CDFI-eligible, low-to-moderate-income census tracts nationally. This represents nearly 62% of new loan originations at Sunrise Banks.

Overall Loan Portfolio

Values In Millions (12/31/2020)
small
business
269.9
small
business
269.9
economic
development
53.2
PPP
loans
132.5
community
services
35.0
construction 43.6
affordable
housing
25.2
health/wellness 7.7
arts/culture 7.4
education 17.0
consumer 98.2
other business/real estate 445.4

Credit Builder Program

0

Good credit is a vital piece of financial wellness. Having no credit – or bad credit – restricts one’s access to loans, credit cards, leases and more. That’s why Sunrise Banks offers products like Credit Builder accounts, which help customers build credit by establishing a strong payment history while also building up their savings. In 2020, 433 new Sunrise Credit Builder loans were opened, with an average loan size of $634.

0

Prepare + Prosper and FAIRPrepare + Prosper and FAIR

Financial Access in Reach (FAIR) is a package of products built in partnership with Prepare + Prosper that provides checking, savings and credit-builder accounts to people in underserved communities.

The FAIR products are built with customers’ specific needs in mind, no matter income size or banking history. These products offer consumers the tools and support necessary to take control of their financial wellness. Since its launch, FAIR has enrolled more than 322 consumers into 492 accounts.

Fintech
Partnerships

Financial technology – or “fintech” for short – is the use of technology to streamline financial services. Sunrise Banks partners with fintech companies to offer more convenient and affordable access to banking services; through our fintech partnerships, we are able to increase our customers’ financial wellness and, we hope, subsequently improve their quality of life.

A voluntary employee benefit that provides a lower-cost, responsibly structured loan alternative to payday loans.

400 percent
$15,112,273
400 percent

The APR on a payday loan can be as high as 400% – an exorbitant interest rate that’s not feasible for low-income consumers. Instead, payday loans can create a vicious cycle of poverty.

$15,112,273

In 2020, Sunrise helped originate 7,512 TrueConnect loans for a total of $15,112,273; the average loan size was $2,012.

Self is a Fintech that helps people begin their financial journey with a Credit Builder account. Sunrise Banks' partnership with Self has helped 216,537 individuals build their credit.

Rebuild Credit History

Self offers small Credit Builder accounts for people with poor credit who want to rebuild their payment history.

Establish Credit History

Self is also a helpful tool for those who have no credit history but would rather not open a credit card account.

Gusto's Cashout product allows employees to access their payroll in advance of payday and offers up to two payday advances a month direct from their paycheck, upon qualification.

CDC Project

The Sunrise Banks Community Impact Community Development Corporation (CDC)

 

Sunrise Banks created the Sunrise Banks Community Impact Community Development Corporation (CDC) to pool funds from Sunrise and outside investors in order to finance the acquisition of existing rental properties, preserving approximately 600 units of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Aeon, a nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable homes, will manage the properties.

In December 2020, Aeon purchased Cobblestone Court Apartments in Maplewood. The deal will keep all 74 homes affordable, at or below 60% of the area median income.

 

Mortgage Programs

Sunrise Banks offers a diverse array of home mortgage products to promote equity in homeownership and help everyone – no matter race, background or ethnicity – pursue their dreams of owning a home.

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.
0126 families

In 2020, 126 familes purchased a home. Of those families, 42% – 53 families – purchased a home through our Open Door Mortgage Program, which helps clients with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) reach their dreams of homeownership.

0298 loans

In 2020, Sunrise Banks closed 298 mortgage loans, including refinances and new purchases. Homeownership helps build wealth and overall financial wellness. It also improves general quality of life.

Paycheck Protection Program

Paycheck Protection Program: Helping Small Businesses Get Through a Pandemic

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is often referred to as “unprecedented.”

And while that adjective is certainly fitting, overusing the term can dilute its meaning. After a while, we may forget how massive of a stimulus package PPP really was.

To refresh our memory: In the program’s first two weeks, the Small Business Administration approved 1.6 million PPP loans – twice the amount the federal government had processed in the past fourteen years.

 

A Leader in PPP Lending

Sunrise Banks ended up being one of the most prolific PPP lenders in Minnesota, churning out just as many loans as major financial institutions.

In 2020, we processed nearly 2,000 PPP loans with roughly 65% of these loans being under $50,000; in addition, approximately 45% of these loans were originated in CDFI-certified, low-and-moderate-income census tracts.

PPP was responsible for keeping thousands of businesses alive during the pandemic. Many of the businesses Sunrise worked with were the smallest of the small.

 

“These are the one-, two-, three-person shops in a lot of cases,” said Sunrise Banks CEO David Reiling in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. “That’s really cool to see. It may not mean as much for us in fees, but it means a lot for these small businesses.”

 

Junita’s Jar

Cookies with a Cause

“Food and conversation are two things that naturally go together,” Flowers explained. “Food disarms people. It brings people together.”

Her “Cookies ‘n Conversation” events take place on college campuses (and now, virtually), where Flowers partners with campus organizations. These events provide education surrounding relationship violence.

“They bring the group together and I bring in a panel of experts: a therapist, a nurse practitioner and a survivor,” she explained.

Proof of Flowers’ concept came in 2019, as Junita’s Jar enjoyed steady sales growth. She was even invited to participate in the Finnovation Lab – an incubator for social ventures that was founded by Finnegans Brew Co. CEO Jacquie Berglund.

Flowers had every reason to believe that her childhood dream of being an entrepreneur was finally coming true.

 

Covid-19 Takes a Big Bite

But with the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020, things took an immediate turn for the worst.

“When COVID hit, I instantly lost 75% of my revenue,” Flowers recalled.

Worried that she wouldn’t be able to support herself and her two children, Flowers applied for a day job. Even though she was well qualified, she didn’t get it.

“That was heartbreaking,” Flowers said. “But I gave myself a week to be sad…and then I got to work.”

Flowers immediately contacted her customers, asking for their support. “I need you guys to buy! We are in trouble and may have to close our doors,” she told them.

Fortunately, they came through, which bought Flowers some time and hope.

“That was a validation that if you ask for help people who are really invested in you will come through,” she said.

But not long after the coronavirus hit, more tragic news came.

Monday, May 25th, 2020, is a day that changed Minneapolis forever. George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police – across the street from Flowers’ business.

“I remember getting up that morning not knowing what to do. Should I go to work or stay home?” she said.

Once again, Flowers faced a crisis.

 

The Kindness of Strangers

Yet another twist of fate occurred only three days later.

“I woke up that Thursday and I heard that little cash register sound that goes off whenever there’s a sale,” Flowers recalled. “And it kept going off. I thought my website was hacked.”

In fact, it was people from across the country looking to support the city of Minneapolis.

“They were searching out black-owned businesses to support,” Flowers explained.

Amongst the surprise supporters were employees of a local business where Flowers’ brother worked. The company’s 1,500 employees were each given $100 to support Black-owned businesses in recognition of Juneteenth. Her brother mentioned Junita’s Jar and what followed was a flood of orders.

If surprise orders helped right the ship, what happened next confirmed for Flowers that she had charted the right course in the first place.

In August, Flowers was named a winner of the Stacy’s Rise Project, a grant program created by Stacy’s Pita Chips to support female entrepreneurs. She was among 15 finalists selected from more than 1,600 applicants. The prize was $10,000, one-on-one mentorship and advertising support from Stacy’s parent company, PepsiCo.

“I started to cry,” Flowers said. “The grant money would not only help save the business but allow me to add a part-time staffer and focus on launching in retail stores.”

 

Gotta Have Faith

After a year that was equal parts harrowing and rewarding, Flowers remains optimistic.

 

“In March I was literally going to quit the business,” she said. “But I told myself: you’ve got to believe it will work out, even though it hurts, and it is hard.”

 

Flowers offers hope for not only the women she supports through her Cookies ‘n Conversation initiative, but also for fellow entrepreneurs, reminding them that “even in the smallest of crumbs, goodness still exists.”

There is no excuse for racism of any kind - period.

The death of George Floyd ignited a global conversation about racial equity and policing. But aside from its cultural relevance, it was first and foremost a tragedy. A human being’s life was cut unnecessarily short.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the death of George Floyd and we hope his legacy continues to promote awareness and action to achieve racial justice and equality for all.

Amidst a Pandemic and Riots, Pimento Kitchen Pivots to Serve Up Healing

Not Just Another Entrepreneurial Success Story

Were it not for the events of 2020, Pimento might have been just another entrepreneurial success story. The business did brisk business since opening at Burnsville Mall and winning in a Food Network reality show. Over time, the business expanded to Minneapolis’ Eat Street and opened additional locations at TCF Stadium and at St. Paul’s popular Keg and Case food market, not to mention a food truck and rum bar.

“Pimento was absolutely successful and growing exponentially,” Beevas said.

But like every restaurant, Pimento grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“Fortunately, it was an easier transition, as we had already pivoted to a Chipotle-style service model. And safety had always been a big part of what we were doing,” Beevas recalled.

The greater challenge was to juggle all the orders coming in simultaneously from several different takeout platforms.

“Ultimately, the business did okay during Covid, as the closing of other restaurants increased our exposure to newer markets. The real challenge was transitioning from 20% takeout to 80% takeout,” Beevas said.

 

Devastated, But Driven To Action

It wasn’t months of COVID-19 that altered Pimento’s trajectory, but instead the death of George Floyd. On Monday, May 25, 2020, less than two miles from Beevas’ restaurant, Floyd died after being stopped by Minneapolis Police. Video shows a police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck for an extended period of time before his death.

“I heard about it that night, but I just couldn’t watch the video,” Beevas said. That Wednesday, Beevas’ father, who lives in New York, sent him a link to the video showing Floyd’s death.

“I thought, if my dad is talking about this in New York then I need to watch it. So, I locked myself in the garage, pulled up the video and I allowed myself to bawl,” said Beevas.

The next day, ironically on his birthday, Beevas arrived at work determined to take action. “I felt that we had to do something. We needed to talk to the mayor, city council – we needed to get everyone together and do a summit and talk about ‘how did this happen?’” he said.

His employees had a different idea. Pointing to the lack of open supermarkets due to both COVID-19 and the unrest following Floyd’s death, they suggested a food drive. “They said, ‘We’re hurting. We need healing. And we’re hungry. We have no place to get food,’” Beevas remembered.

Despite having worked on the problem of food deserts globally when he was director of community involvement at Cargill, Beevas said he “didn’t understand the extent to which Minneapolis and St. Paul themselves were food deserts.”

The next day, Pimento announced a food drive with modest expectations. Beevas and his employees were ecstatic to see what happened next.

 

“We thought that it might be a few cases of water, perhaps a few boxes of food. By that Sunday we were so overwhelmed by donations we had to close the restaurant,” Beevas said.

 

Putting Relief on the Menu

Overnight, Pimento became an epicenter for community relief and healing. The following weekend, Pimento held a community festival that included music, COVID-19 screening, painting plyboards on boarded storefront windows, and, of course, donations.

“We had a line of cars coming to donate products – and a line of cars coming to pick up products,” Beevas said.

The third weekend after the death of George Floyd, Pimento hosted a summit on police homicide. Participants included the mayor, city council leaders, corporate leaders and community activists.

“We had 150 of the top influencers come to Pimento to talk about how we’re going to solve this. They said what we need is not another speech-giver or another fundraiser, but an umbrella organization that provides resources to those of us who are already out there on the front lines,” Beevas said.

Thus was born Pimento Relief Services, whose mission is to provide operational resources to those who are on the front lines of economic, political and social liberation. As Beevas explained, this liberation entails the creation of more Black-owned businesses, the establishment of more Black political power and the promotion of reconciliation and healing in society at large.

“The combination of those three things is the best approach to protecting and keeping Black people safe. Because this time this has to be solved,” Beevas said.

Rather than adding to what he calls the “nonprofit industrial complex,” Beevas said that Pimento Relief Services was incorporated as a benefit corporation. An associated 501(c)3 organization was set up to allow for donation funding.

Why a benefit corporation? Beevas asserted that “businesses have always been pivotal in making societal change. Oftentimes, businesses are faster to respond to society’s concerns than government, and even nonprofits, because businesses have the freedom to do what is right should they so decide.”

 

An Outsider’s Perspective

Being Jamaican and being a business owner gives Beevas an outsider’s perspective. And that’s a good thing.

“I grew up with doctors, lawyers and judges who look like me. The Prime Minister looks like me,” he said. “That allows me to think that the world is my oyster. It gives me a different perspective.”

He contrasts his experience with what African Americans face growing up in the U.S. Beevas said they are taught from a young age that certain opportunities aren’t available to them given their race.

“African Americans are told ‘that’s the way it is,’” he said.

 

What Pimento Can Be

Following extensive planning, Beevas has big plans in 2021 for Pimento Relief Services. He said to keep an eye out for the Pimento-backed “Twin Cities Can Be” campaign – the first U.S. incarnation of the global Cities CAN B movement, an effort to make cities more prosperous, sustainable, inclusive and resilient.

Although Pimento has raised more than $150,000 from community members, Beevas is looking for corporations and foundations to pitch in.

“This is not simply a nice-to-do. The economy will never realize its full potential until we all are able to participate equitably,” he said.

 

For more information

Pimento Kitchen: pimentokitchen.com

  • Pimento Jamaican Kitchen & Rum Bar: 2524 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55404
  • Pimento Jamaican Kitchen at Keg & Case Market: 902 7th St. W., St Paul, MN, 55102

Pimento Relief Services: pimentoreliefservices.org

Make a donation via Venmo: @PimentoKitchen

2020 Twin Cities Virtual Town Hall

Sunrise Banks hosted a virtual town hall on racial equity on Dec. 16, 2020, that featured local diversity and inclusion experts and thoughtful conversations on equality.

George Floyd’s death sparked a global conversation about race. At Sunrise, promoting and practicing equality is embedded in our values and mission. After Floyd’s death at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis, not far from our Blaisdell branch, we felt a responsibility to first ensure the safety of our employees.

Once the protests ended, it was time to talk about what happened. And while these conversations are a start, we know there’s so much more work to be done. Sunrise will continue doing everything it can to create a more equitable workplace, community and banking system.

0registrants

The town hall was well-attended, with around 800 registrants, and came roughly seven months after the death of George Floyd.

2020 Twin Cities Town Hall: A Discussion About Racial Equity
  • moderated by
  • Roshini Rajkumar
  • Panelists
    • Michael Goh
    • University of Minnesota Vice President for Equity and Diversity
    • Tomme Beevas
    • Owner of Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
    • Athena Hollins
    • Minnesota State Representative/Senior Director of Diversity and Foundations at the Minnesota Bar Association
Response to George Floyd’s Death

Sunrise Banks released the following statement after George Floyd’s death:

We’re grieving the loss of George Floyd and our hearts are breaking for his family and our community, just as we grieved the senseless killings of Philando Castile, Jamar Clark, and so many others. Our hope is that real, lasting change will come out of this unspeakable tragedy and we will emerge as a more tolerant and just society.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotion, confusion, fear and grief as we saw a senseless murder happen before our eyes and our community painfully suffering each day.

Our days have been filled with ensuring the safety of our staff and customers, engaging with local officials and talking to our community leaders. And, while we are late coming out to make a full statement, it doesn’t lead to our stance being any different.

There is no excuse for racism of any kind – period.

Sunrise Banks believes every person on this planet is important, and that kindness and love always win. We stand for the equitable and just treatment of all people, no matter their heritage or background.

We support those who respectfully and peacefully protest inequality and stand in solidarity with anyone attempting to end systemic prejudice and bigotry.

– David Reiling, CEO Sunrise Banks

African American AIDS Task Force

The Fight Against HIV/AIDS Continues during COVID-19

The AAATF is located at the corner of Franklin and Pillsbury, south of Downtown Minneapolis in the Minnesota Church Center, and was incorporated in 1994. The organization, like so many others across the state and the country, took an economic hit due to COVID-19.

In August, AAATF Executive Director Gwendolyn Velez got word the organization had received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The funds have helped the AAATF secure capacity so that it may continue to provide services for its roughly 130 case management clients.

In particular, the money has allowed the AAATF to move to a remote environment while still effectively supporting clients.

“We needed to free up money so that we could upgrade all of our IT systems to conform to this new environment that we’re in,” said Velez.

Communities of color are disproportionally affected by AIDS across Minnesota and the country. Black Americans make up just 12% of the national population, yet they account for 44% of the deaths related to HIV. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, can cause AIDS if not treated.

Stats from the Minnesota Department of Health state that 61% of new HIV cases were among communities of color in 2019.

Velez speaks frankly when asked about these disparities.

“Generally there is mistrust in the African American community regarding medical systems – the care is not the same, it’s not equitable,” said Velez.

Some of that mistrust likely stems from incidents like the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study, a 40-year clinical study in which organizers lied to its poor, African American test subjects about the care they were receiving. The study, conducted by the United States government, falsely told study subjects they would get free healthcare; as a result, many died.

A September 2020 Wall Street Journal article cited a Gallup poll that revealed “four in ten non-white Americans” wouldn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine if it were ready before Election Day.

The AAATF provides a number of preventative, educational and HIV direct services. These include HIV testing, support groups for those living with HIV, access to discounted medications, transportation for core medical services and medical case management.

During the pandemic, the AAATF has been giving out gift cards to clients so they can obtain hand sanitizer and other supplies to prevent COVID-19. The organization is also providing cloth face coverings to all of its clients. In addition, the AAATF is providing HIV home test kits for individuals to use under the supervision of an AAATF staff member in order to mitigate the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Ordinarily, the AAATF would conduct HIV testing by mouth swabbing or blood draws.

Some have compared the current pandemic to what happened during the AIDS crisis of the early 1980s. Velez sees one similarity.

“(The two are similar) only in the unknown part, and how people are reacting on some levels,” she said. “There were a lot of unknowns (during the AIDS epidemic) and that’s where the fear comes from. When you get to the other side of the fear about things is when it starts to normalize. But right now we’re not there with COVID-19.”

While COVID-19 has made the AAATF pivot, its mission still remains the same: to provide culturally specific HIV prevention, education and services to people of African descent who are living with or at risk of HIV.

 

“We have clients of every culture in our organization and we treat everyone as an individual according to their unique needs,” said Velez.

 

Giving Back
to Our Community

At Sunrise Banks, we pride ourselves on community engagement and giving back. We strive to help the communities we serve through volunteer efforts, local partnerships and charitable donations.

$15k raised

Sunrise Banks raised nearly $15,000 during Charitable Giving Week, which features auctions, games and an online pledging system that allows Sunrise employees to make donations to local organizations.

Charitable Giving Week 2020
78 hours

Sunrise employees volunteered 78 hours at Habitat for Humanity in 2020.

Habitat for Humanity
We love our community. #stillhereforyou
2020

Sponsorships & Donations

Accord
Aeon
African American Leadership Forum
Alliance Housing, Inc.
Alzheimer’s Association
Avenues For Youth
Boys and Girls Clubs - Sioux Empire
Crescent Cove
Daily Work - Minnesota
Fresh Energy
Frogtown Tuned-In
Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
International Institute of Minnesota
Junior Achievement of The Upper Midwest
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Lake Street Council Donation
Sponsorships & Donations

Sponsorship & Donations

Accord

Aeon

African American Leadership Forum

Alliance Housing, Inc.

Alzheimer’s Association

Avenues For Youth

Boys and Girls Clubs – Sioux Empire

Crescent Cove

Daily Work – Minnesota

Fresh Energy

Frogtown Tuned-In

Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

International Institute of Minnesota

Junior Achievement of The Upper Midwest

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Lake Street Council Donation

Literacy Minnesota

Lutheran Social Service

Make-A-Wish Foundation

Midway Chamber of Commerce – We Love Midway Fund

Minnesota Land Trust

One Cause

One Tree Planted

Park Bugle Newspaper

Saint Anthony Park Community Foundation

Star Legacy Foundation

Sunrise Banks Employee Fund

Sunrise Banks Pay It Forward Fund

Susan G. Komen Great Plains

Tara Sawyer Foundation

The Banquet – Sioux Falls

The Miami Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation

Twin Cities Jazz Festival

University of Minnesota Foundation

YouthLink