Citizens Bank “Stockings of Love” campaign to assist homeless residents in western PA

PITTSBURGH        (November 14, 2008) - Citizens Bank announced today that it will conduct its “Stockings of Love” campaign at community branch offices to help the homeless of our region. The campaign began November 14 and run through December 8, 2008. 

Citizens Bank colleagues and customers are encouraged to participate in the program. Empty mesh stockings will be distributed to the branches and to Citizens Bank administrative offices. Colleagues and customers may pick them up, take them home and fill them with items for men, women and children.

The stockings will also be available during Pittsburgh’s annual Light Up Night on November 21 at a WISH Radio booth at Station Square from 5 to 9 p.m.

More than 2,000 filled stockings will be distributed to individuals in transitional housing and homeless shelters throughout western Pennsylvania.

 “The holidays are always the perfect time to assist the less fortunate in our community, “ said Ralph J. Papa, chairman of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. “This is more important than ever given the hard economic times many are facing.”

When customers or colleagues pick up a “Stocking of Love,” it will contain an insert card explaining the campaign with suggestions on items that should be included for a man, woman, boy or girl. Suggested items to include in the stockings are scarves, gloves, socks, knit caps and trial-sized toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant, shampoo, combs, brushes, barrettes, wash clothes and soap. These are items shelters indicate people need most.

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 $161 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).