Pittsburgh (October 5, 2005) - Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV have named HEARTH's Benedictine Place its third quarter Champion in Action. The Perrysville Avenue-based transitional housing program, started ten years ago to help homeless mothers and their children become economically self-sufficient, will receive a $25,000 grant and extensive volunteer and promotional support from Citizens and WPXI-TV.
"Citizens Bank is pleased to join WPXI-TV in naming HEARTH's Benedictine Place as its newest Champion in Action," said Ralph J. Papa, President of Citizens Bank's Western Region. "Benedictine Place was started just 10 years ago, but the organization already has created a lifetime of change for the women and children it serves. I congratulate Judy Eakin, executive director of HEARTH, and a dedicated team of staff and volunteers for all they do for our community - especially the women and children they help recover from seemingly insurmountable hardship and misfortune."
"WPXI-TV is proud to partner with Citizens Bank to honor such a worthy organization," said Ray Carter, WPXI-TV's general manager. "The people behind Benedictine Place are as effective as they are caring. The organization's record of getting women back on their feet and in a position to provide and care for themselves and their families is nothing short of astonishing. A large share of the credit for the organization's success must go to the women under its care, so with this award we also honor their hard work, dedication and sacrifice."
Through Champions in Action, Citizens 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. Benedictine Place was selected under the category of homelessness.
Benedictine Place provides private, self-contained housing for Pittsburgh women and their children. During its 10 years in operation, the group has served more than 130 families with the support they need to become economically self-sufficient. As part of the program, all women under the group's care are required to further their education in the classroom. They receive personal, financial and career counseling to help them break the cycle of homelessness.
Here's what makes HEARTH a Champion in Action:
- Ninety-percent of the women who have completed HEARTH's two-year Benedictine Place program have obtained permanent housing.
- All of the women have increased their educational level and the majority of them have obtained employment.
- Benedictine Place is the only transitional housing program in the area that accepts women whose only problem is homelessness. It also is the only group in the area that accepts boys who are in school and over the age of 12 and families with up to four children.
Through Champions in Action, HEARTH will receive:
- A $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 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.
"We are honored to be recognized as a Champion in Action," said Eakin. "We commend Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV for the active support these organizations provide non-profit organizations in the Pittsburgh region and throughout western Pennsylvania. It is particularly encouraging to have them acknowledge that a small organization can have a huge impact on our community. This personal touch makes the difference in the lives of the women and children in the program."
HEARTH is the fourth and final group selected this year. Next year's categories, in order, are after-school programs, community arts, hunger and housing/homelessness. Applications for the first quarter of next year (after-school programs) will be accepted through October 14, 2005.
For more information about the Champions in Action program, visit www.citizensbank.com or www.wpxi.com. To learn more about Benedictine Place visit www.hearth-bp.org or call (412) 939-2302. Benedictine Place is located at 4540 Perrysville Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15229.
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a $33 billion state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has 400 branches, more than 660 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 11 retail branches and 13 ATMs in southern New Jersey. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $148 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,100 ATMs and more than 27,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and non-branch offices in more than 30 states. Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).