RSVP named Ohio Champion in Action for commitment to older adults
Charter One Bank and WJW FOX 8 to provide $25,000 grant, public relations and volunteer support in recognition of excellence in elder support CLEVELAND (January 19, 2007) - Charter One Bank and WJW FOX 8 named RSVP of Greater Cleveland their 2007 first quarter Champion in Action winner in Ohio. As part of this award, RSVP will receive a $25,000 grant, public relations and volunteer support in recognition of its outstanding commitment to elder support in northeast Ohio.
The Champions in Action program was launched in late 2005 by Charter One and WJW FOX 8 to honor and provide support to the area’s unsung community heroes – non-profit organizations working to address the needs of northeast Ohio.
RSVP is a non-profit organization that offers volunteer opportunities to adults 55 years of age and older. RSVP was chosen as a Champion in Action for its exemplary work in assisting older adults and the community by:
• Harnessing the talents of older adults to meet the needs of the community by delivering meals to homebound residents, leading museum tours, tutoring children and adults, comforting patients at hospitals, distributing food at hunger centers and much more
• Mobilizing more than 3,200 volunteers to serve more than 230 local non-profit organizations annually
• Providing more than 400,000 hours of service annually and an economic benefit of $7 million to the greater Cleveland community.
"RSVP enriches the lives of older adults by giving them meaningful opportunities to give back to their community and help people in need," said Ned Handy, president and CEO of Charter One Bank, Ohio. "By giving of their time and talents to help others, RSVP volunteers are filling critical needs in the community."
Handy and Mike Renda, vice president and general manager of WJW FOX 8, surprised RSVP and its volunteers, community supporters and staff with a check for an unrestricted $25,000 grant.
"We applaud RSVP’s work serving as a one-stop shop for individuals looking to contribute to the well-being of the community,” said Renda. “The RSVP program mobilizes older adults and directs their talent and skills toward critical projects.”
As the Champion in Action, RSVP will receive:
A $25,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Charter One Bank.
Media coverage from WJW FOX 8, including public service announcements and news stories.
Volunteer support from Charter One and WJW FOX 8 employees.
Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action in Charter One branches and on its ATMs.
Exposure on both Charter One’s and WJW FOX 8’s Web sites.
"Being named Champion in Action will help RSVP expand its outreach to the community and help thousands of our fellow citizens," said Joy Banish, executive director of RSVP. "Northeast Ohio’s older adults are a vital - and sometimes underutilized - resource. We thank Charter One and FOX 8 for this opportunity to highlight our volunteer work in the community."
A group of community leaders and representatives of WJW FOX 8 and Charter One comprise a committee which selects a Champion in Action each quarter for its work on a particular social issue. The remaining categories for 2007 are youth programming, community arts 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 167 branches and 213 ATMs in Ohio. 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).
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