01/29/2013

Groundwork Providence named Champion in Action in strengthening communities category

Citizens Bank and NBC 10 provide $35,000 grant, PR and volunteer support

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (January 29, 2013) – Earlier today, Citizens Bank and NBC 10 named Groundwork Providence as the first 2013 Champion in Action® in the category of strengthening communities. Groundwork Providence will receive a $35,000 unrestricted grant, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding work.

Groundwork Providence began as Keep Providence Beautiful in 1983. In 2000, the organization joined the Groundwork USA network to develop and utilize the latest techniques in new urbanism to revitalize neighborhoods experiencing joblessness and lack of green space. The grant will be used to complete an outdoor eco-laboratory and teaching facility at its community garden and create jobs in a growing green economy through teaching and educational programs for trainees, students and residents.

“This award will help Groundwork Providence continue to revitalize urban areas into healthier and cleaner neighborhoods by improving green space throughout the city,” said Ned Handy, President, Citizens Bank, Rhode Island. “For 30 years, Groundwork Providence has engaged residents and businesses in helping to beautify and maintain local neighborhoods as a way to preserve the environment, develop community-based partnerships that stimulate the economy and promote a sense of pride among participants who serve as stewards for their neighborhood.”

“NBC 10 is proud to recognize Groundwork Providence for its efforts to restore and make green urban neighborhoods,” said Vic Vetters, Vice President and General Manager of NBC 10. “This organization promotes collaboration with community organizations and we are pleased to name it a Champion in Action.”

Launched in 2002, Champions in Action is a joint initiative of Citizens Bank and NBC 10 to recognize and support nonprofit organizations for their contributions to Rhode Island communities. To date, the program has awarded 40 nonprofits more than $1 million in grants and promotional support in Rhode Island.

Groundwork provides a wide array of programs, including:

  • Groundcorps, its job-training social venture program;
  • A summer youth program, Green Teams, that fosters citizenship and civic participation; and
  • Remediation of urban space to eliminate blight and promote environmental stewardship.

    • As a Champion in Action, Groundwork Providence will receive:

  • A $35,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from the Citizens Charitable Foundation;
  • Media coverage from NBC 10, including public service announcements and television profiles over the course of six months;
  • Volunteer support from Citizens and NBC 10 colleagues;
  • The opportunity for the organization’s executive director to participate in a “President-to-President” mentorship with Citizens Bank Rhode Island President Ned Handy;
  • Extensive public relations support;
  • Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action on all Citizens Bank branch DCN screens and on its ATMs;
  • Exposure on both Citizens Bank and NBC 10 websites.

    • “We are thrilled to be selected as a Champion in Action,” said Gary Cloutier, Executive Director of Groundwork Providence. “This award will help us continue our mission of changing lives, greening neighborhoods and cultivating pride and a sense of place for Rhode Islanders.”

    Applications for the 2013 Champions in Action arts and culture category are due Friday, March 8, at 5 p.m. The winner will be announced in July. Eligible nonprofits should apply online at www.citizensbank.com/community/champions.

    Prior Rhode Island Champions in Action include:

    Bristol
    Franklin Court Independent Living

    Cranston
    Molar Express

    East Providence
    ASPIRE Program at the RI Foster Parents Association

    Middletown
    Norman Bird Sanctuary
    Lucy’s Hearth

    Newport

    Pawtucket
    Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation · Church Community Housing Corporation

    North Kingstown
    Bayside Family Healthcare

    Pawtucket
    Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation · Farm Fresh Rhode Island

    Providence
    Providence Black Repertory Company · McAuley House · Sojourner House · Rhode Island Free Clinic · Genesis Center · New Urban Arts · West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation · Community MusicWorks · Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council · Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence · Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island · Youth in Action · Everett Dance Theatre · Olneyville Housing Corporation · Amos House · Southside Community Land Trust · Kids First · Social Ventures Partners Rhode Island · SWAP · Community Boating Center

    South Kingstown
    Welcome House of South County (Peace Dale neighborhood)

    Warwick
    House of Hope · TechACCESS · Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center

    Woonsocket
    RiverzEdge Arts Project · Connecting for Children and Families · NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley

    Statewide
    Tides Family Services

    For more information about the Citizens Bank / NBC 10 Champions in Action program, visit www.citizensbank.com/community/champions or www.turnto10.com. To learn more about how to contribute to Groundwork Providence through donations or volunteerism, call 401.351.6440.

    About Citizens Bank
    Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 83 branches and 192 ATMs in Rhode Island.

    RBS Citizens, N.A., is a subsidiary of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $132 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and through its subsidiaries has more than 1,400 branches, approximately 3,600 ATMs and approximately 18,950 colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-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, Michigan and Ohio. RBSCFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. RBSCFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com.

    About NBC 10
    WJAR-TV/DT is the most-watched television station in the Providence-New Bedford market, and NBC 10 News is southern New England’s leading news station. WJAR was first launched as a radio station in 1922 and then became the market’s first television station in 1949. WJAR-TV/DT is owned by Media General, Inc.p>

    About Media General
    Media General is a multimedia company operating leading newspapers, television stations and online enterprises primarily in the Southeastern United States. The company’s publishing assets include three metropolitan newspapers, The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal; 22 daily community newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina; and more than 150 weekly newspapers and other publications. The company’s broadcasting assets currently include 30 network-affiliated television stations that reach more than 33 percent of the television households in the Southeast and more than 10 percent of those in the United States. The company’s interactive media assets include more than 75 online enterprises that are associated with its newspapers and television stations. Media General also owns a 33 percent interest in SP Newsprint Company, a manufacturer of recycled newsprint.p>