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Frankford Group Ministry named Champion in Action in Philadelphia
Local hunger assistance organization receives $25,000 grant and other benefitsPHILADELPHIA (July 14, 2006) - Three of the region’s foremost corporate leaders announced today that Frankford Group Ministry has been named greater Philadelphia’s latest Champion in Action for the third quarter of 2006 in recognition of its programs to bring awareness to the problem of hunger. The organization provides food, clothing, after school programs, and a Neighborhood Advisory Committee for residents in and around Frankford as well as an Emergency Assistance program which provides nutritional food to individuals and families in crisis. Over the next three months, Frankford Group Ministry will receive a $25,000 grant, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support.
Champions in Action is an innovative program that provides various forms of support for small non-profit organizations in recognition of their contributions to communities throughout the five-county Philadelphia area. Since its inception in 2003, nine Champions have been selected.
In addition to announcing a new champion, Champions in Action has acquired a new partner. Greater Philadelphia Cares is joining the program to provide volunteer support for all the organizations named champions, past and future. “We are thrilled to join Citizens Bank, NBC 10, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News in recognizing local organizations doing great work,” said Lissa Hilsee, President and CEO of Greater Philadelphia Cares. “It is an extraordinary program that helps organizations such as Frankford Group Ministry to enhance its impact on the community.”
“Citizens Bank is pleased to join NBC 10, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, and Greater Philadelphia Cares in naming Frankford Group Ministry our latest Champion in Action,” said Stephen D. Steinour, Chairman and CEO of Citizens Bank. “Frankford Group Ministry is a highly regarded organization that has helped many individuals and families in and around Frankford. We want to recognize it for its efforts in raising awareness of the problem of hunger in Philadelphia communities.”
“NBC 10 is proud to be a partner with the Champions in Action program,” said Dennis Bianchi, President and General Manager of NBC 10. “Strong partnerships and programs such as this allow us to demonstrate our community commitment, and give us the chance to thank those local nonprofits, like Frankford Group Ministry, that do so much good work in communities across our region. This organization ensures that community residents of all ages have a place to turn for food assistance.
“Frankford Group Ministry has made a major impact on the community,” said Joe Natoli, Publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com. “In addition to providing meals to families in need, it continues to raise awareness and educate clients about hunger and nutrition.”
Bianchi, Natoli and Pamela Crawley, Senior Vice President and Director of Public Affairs at Citizens Bank, surprised Frankford Group Ministry and its staff members by delivering the news in-person along with balloons and an oversized check for an unrestricted $25,000 grant. NBC 10’s cameras were on hand to capture the moment. It was broadcast live on the morning show “10!” today.
Some of the statistics that demonstrate the successes of Frankford Group Ministry:
Each month Frankford Group Ministry provides nutritional food to more than 400 clients.
• Frankford Group Ministry partners with other local organizations to participate in the Cook for a Friend program, which delivers nutritional meals to homebound seniors.
• During the 2005 holiday season, Frankford Group Ministry distributed more than 120 food baskets and served a complete Christmas dinner to more than 450 families.
• Frankford Group Ministry’s youth programs participate in the national “Hunger Banquet,” educating them about hunger issues.
“We are honored to be recognized by Citizens Bank, NBC 10, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, and Greater Philadelphia Cares as a Champion in Action,” said Rev. Catherine Bowers, Executive Director of Frankford Group Ministry. “Frankford Group Ministry will use the resources that this award brings to grow and promote its programs for members of the Frankford community. We thank everyone at Citizens Bank, NBC 10, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, and Greater Philadelphia Cares for their support of non-profit organizations through the Champions in Action program.”
As the most recent Champion in Action award winner, Frankford Group Ministry will receive:
• A $25,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens Bank;
• Media coverage from NBC 10, including public service announcements and profiles;
• Advertising space in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and on Philly.com to promote both the program and the organization;
• Volunteer support from Citizens Bank, NBC 10 and Philadelphia Newspapers employees and Greater Philadelphia Cares;
• Extensive public relations support;
• Promotional support, highlighting the Champion in Action in all Citizens Bank branches;
• Exposure on the Web sites of Citizens Bank, NBC 10 and Philly.com.
• Consulting and implementation services, provided by Greater Philadelphia Cares, to leverage volunteer support that enhances impact.
To learn more about Frankford Group Ministry, visit www.frankfordgroupministry.org or call 215-744-2990. Frankford Group Ministry’s offices are located at 4620 Griscom Street in Philadelphia.
About Frankford Group Ministry
The Frankford Group Ministry is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the Frankford neighborhood in lower Northeast Philadelphia. It originated in 1979 when four United Methodist churches of Frankford recognized that their community and congregations needed bold leadership to address growing poverty, declining resources and increasing racial/ethnic diversity. FGM envisions a peaceful community and a powerful people engaged in community-building activities without regard to racial/ethnic background, economic class, gender, sexual orientation, or spiritual tradition.
About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a $35 billion state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has 402 branches, more than 670 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 13 retail branches and 25 ATMs in southern New Jersey and a commercial loan office in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $155 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,800 ATMs and more than 26,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 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).
About NBC 10
NBC 10, one of 14 Owned & Operated NBC television stations, is located in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. Millions of viewers throughout Greater Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, South Jersey and Delaware tune into NBC 10 everyday for the most up-to-date news, weather, sports, consumer, health and traffic reports. Viewers also tune in daily to watch the 10! Show, an upbeat, one-hour lifestyle and entertainment show featuring local, national and internationally-known celebrities. The program airs 'live' Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. Recognized as the #1 web site (www.nbc10.com ) in the top 50 markets, NBC10.com was recently awarded with the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award.
About The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News
The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and philly.com together form the region’s premier newsgathering and advertising entity. Communicating in print, online and through an array of subsidiary publications, The Inquirer, the Daily News and philly.com combine world-class journalism with unmatched marketing power to provide millions of readers investigative news, lifestyle information and shopping opportunities found nowhere else.
About Greater Philadelphia Cares
An award-winning nonprofit, Greater Philadelphia Cares is committed to empowering individuals to realize their ability to contribute to the community in meaningful ways. By providing a variety of flexible, tangible volunteer opportunities, Greater Philadelphia Cares is continuously enhancing the ability for volunteers to serve the community.
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