01/26/2011
Citizens Bank’s Leigha Mann named Community Service Sabbatical recipient in New Hampshire
Working three months at YMCA of Greater Manchester
Manchester, N.H. (January 27, 2011) - Leigha Mann, an assistant branch manager at Citizens Bank, has been awarded a Citizens Bank Community Service Sabbatical. Mann has taken a three-month, paid leave of absence to perform volunteer work at the YMCA of Greater Manchester. Mann started her sabbatical with the Y on January 3 and is working a full-time schedule supporting the YMCA’s teen programs including STRIVE, a support program for students who have been suspended or expelled and the Y’s teen center.
“We are so pleased to have an individual like Leigha joining us,” said Hal Jordan, the Y’s CEO. “Leigha’s background, her ability to act as a role model for at-risk youth, and her enthusiastic attitude will add an important dimension to our Y-STRIVE program over the next few months. The Y is honored to have been selected by Leigha and Citizens Bank as the organization that benefits from this unique sabbatical program.”
STRIVE operates daily at the YMCA offering academic support, life skills and community service programs. Classroom activities utilize one-to-one academic tutoring to get students back on grade level and an asset-building approach using life skills lessons to help students build social and interpersonal skills. Community service is also a part of the program.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Education, Manchester has the sixth-
highest dropout rate in the state and 18 percent of the total number of dropouts.
“Reducing these numbers is a priority in Manchester, and the Y has several programs in place to help achieve that,” said Jordan. “The Y-STRIVE program is the only program in Manchester for suspended and expelled students and Leigha’s participation in this will increase our ability to reach out to kids in need.”
Mann will provide one-on-one tutoring, and assist with the Teen Center after-school and special event activities. She will also provide support for other community outreach programs.
“I am very honored to be selected as this year’s Community Service Sabbatical recipient from New Hampshire,” said Mann. “My experience at the Y will allow me to serve in a very active and hands-on role in helping to at-risk teens. I believe the experience will not only be rewarding and fulfilling, but also inspiring.”
Mann has been an active volunteer in the community on behalf of Citizens Bank serving as a member of the bank’s colleague-driven volunteer council, planning and participating in a wide array of volunteer activities, such as delivering groceries to elderly with The Caregivers, the United Way Day of Caring and as a Banking Buddy in the Manchester School district. She is a resident of Manchester.
The Citizens Bank sabbatical program, which began in 1994, enables a bank employee with three or more years of service to work full-time in the community for three months and bring back to the workplace a greater appreciation of the social needs and challenges in the community at-large.
“At Citizens Bank, we believe in taking the time to make a real difference in the communities where we live and work,” said Cathleen Schmidt, President of Citizens Bank, New Hampshire. “We think our sabbatical program is of particular value to our communities. Our recipients have come back to work with a better understanding of local needs and a commitment to public service that has inspired their colleagues and strengthened our company.”
Citizens Bank has awarded more than 89 sabbaticals since the program started. In past years, Citizens’ New Hampshire employees have worked at a variety of community organizations including The Whole Village Family Resource Center in Plymouth, The Mayhew Program in Bristol; The Upper Room in Derry; Child and Family Services; St. Joseph’s Community Services; Southern New Hampshire Services; the Nashua Pastoral Care Center; and Families in Transition in Manchester.
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 199 ATMs in New Hampshire.
RBS Citizens, N.A. is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $136 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. CFG’s 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. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
