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Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center named Champion in Action in Massachusetts
Citizens Bank and NECN provide $25,000 grant, PR and volunteer supportBOSTON (October 10, 2007) - Citizens Bank and NECN today named the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center a Champion in Action® in Massachusetts under the category of violence prevention. It has offices in Amesbury and Newburyport and works with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in nine cities and towns on the North Shore. As part of the award, Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center will receive a $25,000 unrestricted grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation and promotional support from NECN.
“The Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center is a true Champion in Action for providing life-saving services to thousands of abused women and their children,” said Robert E. Smyth, President, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. “In addition to offering programs to victims of abuse, it works with members of the community to promote a philosophy that supports nonviolence and mutual respect within relationships, homes and society. We are proud to join NECN in honoring this organization during National Domestic Violence Month.”
For 25 years, Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center has worked to protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, educate the community about domestic violence and create partnerships with police departments, civic organizations and community leaders who can change the lives of women and their children. It offers a confidential 24-hour hotline, support groups with child care and legal representation by staff and pro bono attorneys. The dedicated staff and volunteers at Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center believe that when a community is involved in responding to domestic violence, the healing process can begin.
Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center believes that victims should be able to stay safely in their homes. This is possible when the community holds perpetrators, those who commit the crimes, accountable. This approach allows victims and their children to maintain their daily lifestyle including work, school and contact with family and friends, which is typically cut off if they seek safety in shelters or go into hiding.
“The work being done by the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center to stabilize and revitalize the lives of women and children affected by the scourge of domestic violence is no less than heroic,’’ said NECN Founder and President Philip S. Balboni. “NECN could not be more proud to team up with Citizens Bank to support this organization for what it does to improve not only the lives of individuals, but also what it does to strengthen the fabric of the community as a whole.’’
Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center is being recognized for:
• Empowering women and children to live free from fear, intimidation, violence or the threat of abuse by providing support, advocacy and education.
• Creating a Rapid Response Team to assist victims immediately following an incident giving them the greatest chance of moving beyond violence toward safety.
• Conducting workshops in places where family violence is likely to be revealed including hospitals, police departments and churches.
• Educating elementary school students on bullying prevention and teaching teenagers about dating violence and healthy relationships in an effort to break the cycle of violence for the next generation.
• Providing support to 1,200 adults and 175 children in fiscal year 2007.
In addition, Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center created the Harry Potter Child Empowerment Group. The innovative, therapeutic program uses Harry Potter books to teach children they can overcome violence and move toward peaceful and successful lives as Harry Potter does in the popular fictional book series. Through this program, children quickly learn to change their attitudes about violence while learning to understand their own experiences and recovery process.
As a Champion in Action, Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center receives:
• A $25,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from the Citizens Bank Foundation.
• Media coverage from NECN, including public service announcements, news stories and segments on other NECN programs such as NewsNight and New England Business Day.
• Volunteer support from Citizens and NECN employees.
• Extensive public relations support.
• Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action in all Citizens Bank branches and on its ATMs.
• Exposure on both Citizens Bank and NECN Web sites.
”Domestic violence robs its victims of the ability to transcend their present situations and to dream of possibilities that lie before them,” said Suzanne C. Dubus, Executive Director, Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center. “As a small organization, being recognized by Citizens Bank and NECN will help us get our message out to a larger audience. We are honored to receive this award.”
Since introducing the program in 2002, Citizens has awarded 21 Massachusetts organizations $525,000.
To learn more about Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, please visit jeannegeigercrisiscenter.org.
About Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 263 branches and 608 ATMs in Massachusetts.
RBS Citizens, N.A. is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $159 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. 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 NECN
NECN is the largest 24-hour regional news network in the country, with 3.7 million subscribers in more than 1,050 cities and towns in all six New England states. It is a partnership of Comcast and the Hearst Corporation. The station specializes in long-form journalism, producing documentaries and extensive local and national political coverage. For more information on NECN, go to www.necn.com.
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