07/07/2015

Operation Stand Down Rhode Island named Champion in Action in Veterans Support category

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

PROVIDENCE – Citizens Bank and NBC 10 today announced Operation Stand Down Rhode Island as a 2015 Champion in Action® in the category of strengthening communities through veterans support. Operation Stand Down Rhode Island will receive $35,000 in unrestricted funding, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding work.

Operation Stand Down Rhode Island (OSDRI) strives to combat homelessness among veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces by providing housing, education and employment services, financial assistance, as well as connections to vital resources. Each year, the organization serves more than 2,000 veterans and their families, directing clients to supportive social services, as well as developing, operating and servicing transitional and permanent housing throughout the state. In addition, OSDRI is well-known for their annual, three-day Stand Down weekend, which provides on-site medical, legal, housing and counseling services.

The organization will use the Champions in Action award to renovate and expand the organization’s Veteran Service Center in Johnston, RI, which will provide additional space for intake counselors to work privately with clients, as well as meeting space for programs and training.

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 Rhode Island.

“Operation Stand Down Rhode Island has made an enormous impact in our state and in the lives of veterans and their families. By providing access to safe housing and a network of support services, Operation Stand Down ensures that veterans have the resources they need to rebuild their civilian lives,” said Barbara Cottam, RI Market Executive, Citizens Bank. “We are proud to embrace our next Champion in Action, Operation Stand Down, as they expand their services and outreach to support more deserving veterans in Rhode Island.”

 “NBC 10 is honored to be presenting this award to the Operation Stand Down Rhode Island with Citizens Bank,” said Vic Vetters, Vice President and General Manager of NBC 10. “We are thrilled to lend our support to their work providing comprehensive care to veterans.”

To date, the Champions in Action program has awarded 45 nonprofits more than $1.2 million in grants and promotional support in Rhode Island. 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. 

“We are grateful to Citizens and NBC 10 for their generous support of our mission,” said Erik Wallin, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island Executive Director & General Counsel. “Their Champions in Action recognition is a critical endorsement of our work and we thank them for their partnership which will ultimately benefit thousands of veterans throughout the area.”

As a Champion in Action, Operation Stand Down will receive:

  • A $35,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens Bank;
  • 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’s colleagues;
  • The opportunity for the organization’s executive director to participate in a “Executive-to-Executive” mentorship with Citizens Bank’s RI Market Executive, Barbara Cottam;
  • 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.

For more information about the Citizens Bank and NBC 10 Champions in Action program, visit 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.