Elder Law of Michigan, Inc. named 2007 Champion in Action

Charter One Bank and WXYZ-TV 7 provide $25,000 grant, volunteer and promotional support in recognition of excellence in elder support

DETROIT (January 23, 2007) - Charter One Bank and WXYZ-TV 7 have named Elder Law of Michigan, Inc. as the 2007 Champions in Action winner in Michigan in the area of elder support. As part of this award, Elder Law of Michigan will receive a $25,000 grant, public relations and volunteer support in recognition of its outstanding commitment to empowering older persons.

The Champions in Action program was launched in November 2005 by Charter One and WXYZ-TV 7 to recognize and support unsung community heroes – non-profit organizations working to address the needs of southeast Michigan.

Elder Law of Michigan was chosen as a Champion in Action for promoting and protecting the rights, health and economic well-being of aging people by providing information, advocacy and legal advice. Its hallmark programs offer critical services that empower older persons to live with dignity and security – regardless of age or circumstance. All services are available free of charge.

The Legal Hotline – Michigan’s only state-wide legal hotline for seniors – provides answers to issues related to Social Security, Medicare, housing or health care decisions. The Pension Rights Project works to find lost pensions, resolve benefit issues, and secure retirement income for hundreds of pensioners throughout the state. And the Michigan Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCAFE) is helping older adults apply for food stamps, Medicaid and provide other support to improve their health and well-being.

“Elder Law of Michigan provides critical services to older persons that secure financial stability,” said Sandra Pierce, President and CEO of Charter One Bank, Michigan. "We are pleased to partner with WXYZ-TV 7 to recognize the important work of Elder Law of Michigan and we are delighted to help provide it with the resources to advance its efforts and reach.”

"WXYZ-TV 7 is proud to partner with Charter One Bank to recognize the extraordinary commitment of Elder Law of Michigan," said Grace Gilchrist, Vice President and General Manager, WXYZ-TV 7. "We applaud its work and look forward to doing our part to help raise awareness of its important services both to older persons and their caregivers."

As the fourth-quarter Champion in Action, Elder Law of Michigan will receive:
• A $25,000 grant in unrestricted funds from the Charter One Foundation;
• Media coverage from WXYZ-TV 7, including public service announcements and news stories;
• Volunteer support from Charter One and WXYZ-TV 7 employees;
• Promotional support in all Charter One branches and on its ATMs throughout Michigan; and
• Exposure on both Charter One’s and WXYZ-TV 7’s Web sites.

"Being named a Champion in Action will help Elder Law of Michigan raise awareness of our services and expand our outreach to the community,” Kate Birnbryer White, executive director of Elder Law of Michigan, Inc. "Our tremendous staff and corps of volunteers are thankful to Charter One Bank and WXYZ-TV/7 for this opportunity to highlight our work for such an important segment of our population."

A group of community leaders and representatives of WXYZ-TV/7 and Charter One comprise a committee which selects a Champion in Action each quarter for its work on a particular social issue. 2007 categories include: Elder Support; Youth Programming; Job Training & Placement; and Violence Prevention.

About Charter One Bank, N.A.

Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $46 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has 474 branches and more than 800 ATMs. It has 120 branches and 135 ATMs in Michigan. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $164 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,200 ATMs and 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 and ninth in assets as of March 31, 2006. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).