NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania is new Champion in Action

Agency receives $25,000 grant, volunteer and promotional support

PITTSBURGH      (October 15, 2008) - Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV today named NeighborWorks^® Western Pennsylvania as their fourth quarter Champion in Action^® under the category of financial literacy. NeighborWorks^®, which has been providing financial literacy services to low- and moderate-income individuals in the Pittsburgh region for nearly 40 years, will receive a $25,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation and extensive volunteer and promotional support from Citizens Bank, WPXI-TV and Pittsburgh Cares.

“Citizens Bank is pleased to join WPXI-TV in naming NeighborWorks^® as our newest Champion in Action,” said Ralph J. Papa, Chairman of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. “Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Colin Kelley, this tremendous organization has been a key community partner for sustainable homeownership in the region.”

 “As an organization committed to the community, WPXI-TV is proud to partner with Citizens Bank to honor NeighborWorks^®,” said Ray Carter, WPXI-TV’s general manager. “On behalf of WPXI-TV, I congratulate the leadership, staff and volunteers of NeighborWorks^®. Through cooperative partnerships with residents, businesses and local government, NeighborWorks^® is able to offer programs and services to help homebuyers throughout the Pittsburgh region before, during and after the purchase of their homes.” 

Through Champions in Action, Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV recognize and support nonprofit organizations for the contributions these groups make to communities in the Pittsburgh region. A new Champion in Action is selected each quarter among a range of social service areas.

As a Champion in Action, NeighborWorks^® will receive:

• $25,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from the Citizens Bank Foundation.
• Media coverage from WPXI-TV, including public service announcements and TV profile.
• Volunteer support from Pittsburgh Cares and Citizens and WPXI-TV employees.
• Extensive public relations support.
• Promotional support, highlighting the organization in all Citizens Bank branches.
• Exposure on both Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV Web sites.

What makes NeighborWorks^® a Champion in Action?  

• Since 1968, NeighborWorks^® has been providing financial literacy services to low and moderate income individuals in the Pittsburgh region. Its efforts enable many to develop the skills necessary to combat foreclosure, avoid predatory loans, and overcome race and income disparities.
• NeighborWorks^® operates three main areas of business: homebuyer education, counseling, including credit repair and foreclosure mitigation, and financial education initiatives. Education workshops teach potential homebuyers how to achieve homeownership. Counselors work one-on-one to help future homebuyers improve their credit and assist homeowners to avoid foreclosure. My Money, My Life teaches young adults about personal finance. As host of the Financial Education Consortium, NeighborWorks^® is part of a coalition that works to support financial education in the region.
• NeighborWorks^® was the first community-based group to organize around the lack of safe and affordable housing and has become a model for like organizations around the country. It promotes strong and vital neighborhoods and enhance lives by increasing opportunities for, eliminating barriers to and preserving homeownership for thousands of homebuyers throughout the region. Through critical relationships with regional partners, NeighborWorks^® has created an organization with an array of vital financial literacy products and is “fulfilling dreams one home at a time.”

“We are honored to be recognized as a Champion in Action,” said Colin Kelley, Chief Executive Officer of NeighborWorks^®. “At NeighborWorks^® we are committed to providing our clients with a comprehensive selection of products and services in an effort to help them to successfully navigate the homeownership process.”

In addition to NeighborWorks^®, the following organizations have been selected as Champions in Action since the program was introduced in western Pennsylvania in 2004: Wilkinsburg Community Ministry, Aliquippa Alliance for Unity and Development, Beginning with Books, The Neighborhood Academy, HEARTH, Human Services Center Corporation, Washington Community Arts and Cultural Center, Rainbow Kitchen Community Services, Sojourner House MOMS, Little Sisters of the Poor, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Health Hope Network, YouthPlaces, the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, and Family Tyes.

To learn more about NeighborWorks^®, Inc., located at 710 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1100, call 412.281-9773 or visit www.nwpa.org.
 
About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania

Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has approximately 400 branches and more than 660 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 13 retail branches and 26 ATMs in southern New Jersey and a commercial loan office in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $159 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.

Citizens Financial Group, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,600 branches, 3,300 ATMs and 24,500 employees. CFG’s two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 13-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. It is one of the 10 largest commercial banking companies in the United States ranked by assets and deposits. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).

About WPXI

WPXI-TV is a Cox Television station in the Pittsburgh television market. Cox Television includes 15 television stations, three national television sales representation firms, a television production company, and a Washington, D.C. news office. Cox Television is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., based in Atlanta. WPXI-TV’s Web site is wpxi.com.

About Pittsburgh Cares

Pittsburgh Cares, founded in 1992, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing community engagement through volunteerism and enhancing the impact of regional service partners. In 2006-07, Pittsburgh Cares coordinated more than 950 volunteer projects.  Pittsburgh Cares volunteer network has provided more than 44,500 hours of service over the past year and with an average of 217 new volunteers per month, our impact continues to grow stronger.  Pittsburgh Cares coordinates three specialized programs: Youth Engaged in Service (YES), Campus Cares, and Business Cares. YES is an outreach program that connects youth under 18 year of age to volunteer opportunities. Campus Cares works with the local college community including Greek Life, student organizations, individual students, and faculty/staff to connect them to a wide variety of volunteer and service-learning opportunities. Business Cares coordinates employee volunteer programming for small, mid-size and large companies in Greater Pittsburgh through customized contracts. For more information on Pittsburgh Cares, please log onto www.pittsburghcares.org or call 412-471-2114.