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Oakland Planning and Development Corporation is new Champion in Action in Pitsburgh
Agency receives $25,000 grant, volunteer and promotional supportPITTSBURGH (April 25, 2008) - Citizens Bank and WPXI-TV today named the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation as their second quarter Champion in Action under the category of workforce development. Oakland Planning and Development, which has been providing workforce development services to clients and employers in the Pittsburgh region for more than 20 years, 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 the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation as our newest Champion in Action,” said Ralph J. Papa, Chairman of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. “Under the leadership of Executive Director David Blenk, this tremendous organization has made great strides in linking community residents to living wage, benefited jobs in the Pittsburgh region.”
“As an organization committed to the community, WPXI-TV is proud to partner with Citizens Bank to honor the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation,” said Ray Carter, WPXI-TV’s general manager. “On behalf of WPXI-TV, I congratulate the leadership, staff and volunteers of Oakland Planning and Development Corporation. Through its Hill-Oakland Workforce Collaborative, the agency does a good job in helping to fill employment gaps in the regional health care industry.”
Through Champions in Action, Citizens Bank 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.
As a Champion in Action, the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation will receive:
• $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 the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation a Champion in Action?
• Through the Hill-Oakland Workforce Collaborative, the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation provides clients with effective job search techniques, resume preparation, basic computer training and health care training. Through relationships with many Pittsburgh businesses and institutions, the collaborative is informed about new job openings and can recommend people whose skills match the requirements.
• The Hill-Oakland Workforce Collaborative provides several programs to assist its clients in obtaining employment. Its Job*Links program helps people with little employment experience and high barriers to employment begin to build a work history. The Health Employment Access program prepares clients for jobs in healthcare by providing computer and customer service skills, medical terminology instruction and CPR training. Through its School to Career program, inner-city youth are equipped with the skills they need to establish and pursue their career dreams.
• Since the program’s inception in 2001, the agency has assisted more than 7,000 clients to better compete in the job market. Its Hill-Oakland Workforce Collaborative program has matched more than 2,700 people with local employers and 80 percent of those employees continue to be employed at six months. With innovative programs such as training in Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide trainings, Oakland Planning and Development is growing our region’s workforce and providing career-focused employment for thousands of disadvantaged people.
“We are honored to be recognized as a Champion in Action,” said David Blenk, Executive Director of the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation. “Many area residents lack the knowledge and the skills to obtain gainful employment. At Oakland Planning, we prepare people for careers in health care and match them with employers that need their skill sets.”
In addition to the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation the following organizations have been selected as Champions in Action since the program was introduced in western Pennsylvania 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, Health Hope Network, YouthPlaces, and the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation.
To learn more about the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, located at 235 Atwood Street, call 412.621-7863 or visit www.oaklandplanning.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 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. 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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