07/01/2015
AHEAD named Champion in Action in Veterans Support category
Citizens Bank and New Hampshire Union Leader provide $35,000 funding, PR, and volunteer support
MANCHESTER – Citizens Bank and New Hampshire Union Leader today announced Affordable Housing, Education and Development (AHEAD) as a 2015 Champion in Action® in the category of strengthening communities through veterans support. AHEAD will receive $35,000 in unrestricted funding, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding work.
AHEAD seeks to develop and provide quality affordable rental housing, financial education, and home ownership opportunities that strengthen the families and communities of Northern New Hampshire. The $35,000 contribution will be used to support the organization’s new efforts to provide affordable housing services and products to Veterans of the North Country.
“AHEAD provides essential low-income housing, while also assisting residents on a range of issues including financial literacy education,” said Joe Carelli, president, Citizens Bank, New Hampshire “We applaud their work as they provide local residents with homes and help them on an array of financial matters. It is a privilege to be collaborating with them.”
Champions in Action is part of Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities, the bank’s program designed to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities. It provides support for small nonprofit organizations to recognize their contributions to communities throughout New Hampshire.
“For a quarter century, AHEAD has been helping low-income families in the North Country find housing, and we salute their mission, especially their efforts assisting returning veterans and their families,” said Joe McQuaid, President and Publisher, New Hampshire Union Leader. “The organization does a great deal to assist some of New Hampshire's neediest residents, and we are proud to support them.”
To date, the program has awarded 44 nonprofits more than $1.2 million in grants and promotional support in New Hampshire.
"AHEAD is pleased to be named a Champion in Action by Citizens Bank and the Union Leader as part of our ongoing work supporting low income New Hampshire families," said Michael Claflin, AHEAD Executive Director. “In particular, we are honored to be recognized by both organizations, as it will enable us to continue our outreach to returning military veterans.”
As a Champion in Action, Circle Program will receive:
- A $35,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens Bank;
- Media coverage from the Union Leader, including feature articles, as well as advertisements
- Volunteer support from Citizens’ and Union Leader’s colleagues;
- The opportunity for the organization’s executive director to participate in a “President-to-President” mentorship with Joe Carelli
- Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action on all Citizens Bank branch DCN screens and on its ATMs;
- Exposure on both Citizens Bank and Union Leader websites.
Applications for the first 2016 Champion in Action in the Workforce Development category are being accepted from July 6 through July 24, 2015. The winner will be announced in January of 2016. Eligible nonprofits should apply online at www.citizensbank.com/community/champions.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $136.5 billion in assets as of March 31, 2015. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates through its subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.
