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YouthPlaces is western Pennsylvania’s new Champion in Action
Agency receives $25,000 grant, volunteer and promotional supportPITTSBURGH (October 11, 2007) - Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV today named YouthPlaces as their fourth quarter Champion in Action under the category of violence prevention. YouthPlaces, which is committed to working aggressively to stem the rising tide of youth violence among at-risk youth from under-served neighborhoods, 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 YouthPlaces as our newest Champion in Action,” said Ralph J. Papa, president of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. “Under the leadership of Executive Director Lori Schaller, this tremendous organization has made great strides in stopping community violence by reaching out to engage at-risk youth and build bridges of hope.”
“As an organization committed to the community, WPXI-TV is proud to partner with Citizens Bank to honor YouthPlaces” said Ray Carter, WPXI-TV’s general manager. “On behalf of WPXI-TV, I congratulate the leadership, staff and volunteers of YouthPlaces. Through their hard work and dedication they have played a critical role in the prevention of violence in Pittsburgh neighborhoods throughout Allegheny County.”
Through Champions in Action, Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV recognize and support non-profit 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, YouthPlaces receives:
• 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 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 YouthPlaces a Champion in Action?
• Through the Together as One initiative, YouthPlaces works aggressively to skim the rising tide of youth violence and builds a continuum of support that fosters long-term change in high-risk neighborhoods.
• The Together as One program identifies youth that are involved in violence-related activities or negative peer associations and engages them in summer service projects within their neighborhoods. Community projects such as neighborhood beautification, planting gardens and reviving playgrounds offer hands-on work experience that builds competencies and creates relationships between the youth and neighborhood residents.
• Since the program’s inception in 1994, 17 city neighborhoods and the municipalities of Braddock, Rankin, Duquesne and McKeesport have experienced summers with virtually no incidents between neighborhood rivalries and no occurrences of violence among young adults in public housing communities. More than 400 teens and young adults have developed newfound pride in their neighborhoods and have developed the skills to resolve conflicts and solve problems in a peaceful manner.
“We are honored to be recognized as a Champion in Action,” said Lori Schaller, executive director for YouthPlaces. “At YouthPlaces we believe that we can positively impact the quality of life for our young people by engaging youth in the community and providing the necessary skills they need to avoid violence.”
In addition to the YouthPlaces the following organizations have been selected as Champions in Action since the program was introduced 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, and Health Hope Network.
To learn more about YouthPlaces located at 2934 Smallman Street, 2nd floor, call 412.434.0851 or visit www.youthplaces.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, PA 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, filling over 9,700 volunteer spots with our active network of 3,500 youth and adult volunteers. The 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.
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