|
|
CFG donates $300,000 to LISC to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees settle and rebuild their lives
Donation sponsors community-based programs serving more than 725 families in New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Gulf Coast regions PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 29, 2006) - The Citizens Charitable Foundation announced today that it is donating $300,000 to Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees settle and rebuild their lives. LISC will distribute Citizens’ donation to support locally-driven programs for more than 725 families now living in New England, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Gulf Coast regions. Citizens’ donation comes from funds saved by scaling back Employee Appreciation Week celebrations in September for hurricane relief efforts.
“Citizens Financial Group is pleased that our national contribution to LISC will support local evacuees in communities where Citizens and Charter One operate, as well as the recovery efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi,” said Lawrence K. Fish, Chairman & CEO of Citizens Financial Group. “With LISC’s partnership, we look forward to making real, positive differences in the lives of hundreds of families establishing new roots.”
LISC will distribute Citizens’ $300,000 by providing $50,000 to each of the following initiatives:
New England
- Boston LISC will partner with the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Inc. and establish a revolving fund for evacuees who continue to benefit from FEMA’s Katrina Rental Assistance for Families in Transition. The initiative provides rental payments in three-month increments to those who meet FEMA’s eligibility guidelines. The initiative will support 140 families.
- Rhode Island LISC in Providence will partner with the Church Community Housing Corporation and the Rhode Island Housing Resource Commission to establish a fund for evacuees who continue to live at the Anchorage housing development in Middletown, R.I. The State of Rhode Island provided Anchorage as a housing site for evacuees. The initiative will support 100 families.
Midwest
- In Chicago, The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) will use $30,000 to work with the remaining evacuees residing in a temporary housing facility in suburban Tinley Park. TWO will continue to assist evacuees in their transition to more permanent housing and economic stabilization in the Chicago community. The initiative will support 50 families. AndSt. Sabina, a congregation on Chicago’s South Side, will use $20,000 to subsidize rents on 22 apartments occupied by evacuees until court-ordered FEMA support is available.
- The Community Development Associates of Detroit (CDAD) will support housing assistance for evacuated families now living in Detroit, where evacuees were housed in hotels for temporary shelter. CDAD convened a meeting with public, private and non-profit sectors to devise a plan to better assist evacuees. The plan included providing an inventory of available single homes and multi-unit dwellings that could be used for long-term or permanent housing – an effort that helped place more than a dozen families. Citizens’ funding will help families find available housing, link families to appropriate government service and provide funds for deposits and rent. The initiative will support 35 families.
Mid-Atlantic
- Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia will provide case management, education, training and employment services to evacuees receiving temporary housing through the City Office of Housing and Community Development with FEMA paying rent through October 2006. To help them prepare for self sufficiency, Project H.O.M.E.’s services will include employment training and assistance with housing placement through the organization’s Occupational Services and the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology program. The initiative will support 25 men and women.
GulfCoast
- While projects in LISC and Citizens’ shared communities respond to problems of evacuees from the Gulf Coast region, they are also committed to recovery efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi. LISC has developed a one-year program to bring AmeriCorps members into the region and provide home ownership counseling, financial counseling, referral services and administrative support to nonprofits working in the area. With Citizens’ sponsorship, LISC will support 400 families through this initiative.
“While the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina has receded from the public eye, the needs of people displaced by the storm remain real and acute,” said Michael Rubinger, LISC’s president and CEO. “These grants from Citizens will go a long way in helping them forge new lives in cities and communities across the country. We’re grateful for this support.”
”Citizens Bank, Charter One and LISC share a deep commitment to supporting community-based initiatives that help deliver innovative responses to basic human needs,” said Heather P. Campion, Group Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Citizens Financial Group. “Through the generosity of our employees, we are proud to build upon our longstanding partnerships with many local LISC offices and support LISC’s national hurricane relief efforts.”
Citizens, with support of its employees, decided to scale back its week-long celebration in September and instead donate the savings to hurricane relief efforts. Employee Appreciation Week is a yearly event which recognizes and honors the hard work and dedication of Citizens colleagues through picnics, games, contests and prizes.
About the Citizens Charitable Foundation
Citizens Charitable Foundation is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Financial Group, Citizens Bank and Charter One Bank, N.A. The foundation’s support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs.
|