New Comerica Bank donates $5,000 to local food pantry
Comerica Bank marked the opening of its first branch in Royal Oak this month with a donation to a nonprofit volunteer group in the city that supplies Oakland County residents who need food and toiletries.
Larry Bryant, a senior vice president with the bank, presented a $5,000 check to the Open Hands Food Pantry & Garden on Wednesday.
Open Hands Food Pantry opened nearly 40 years ago and is located in the lower level of St. John’s Episcopal Church at 11 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue.
Comerica’s donation is to help further the nonprofit’s effort to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Run by volunteers, Open Hands is the largest food pantry in the county and serves roughly 11,000 people a year, according to the organization’s website, and is a member of Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.
The pantry is open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.for drive-through food distribution of shelf stable groceries, fresh meat, and toiletries. Usually fresh vegetables and fruit are also available.
The new Comerica branch opened earlier this month at 323 S. Main and Third streets. The building there had been vacant for over a year after the former Pieology pizzeria closed.
In addition to general bank services, Comerica in Royal Oak offers walkup and extended service hours with an interactive Comerica Banker Connect teller machine.
Banker Connect representatives can help customers make cash deposits with immediate availability, deposit checks or cash, withdraw cash with choice of denomination, transfer money, and make installment payments.
“This investment in Royal Oak, as well as other communities across Michigan, expands our ability to serve customers with a range of relationship banking resources to meet their needs,” said Mike Ritchie, Comerica Bank Michigan, in a statement.
Comerica’s new branch in Royal Oak fits in with opening relocated banking centers in the past six months in Jackson, Southfield and Detroit, according to a Comerica news release.