04/14/2011

Farm Fresh Rhode Island named Champion in Action in food and nutrition category

Nonprofit agency receives unrestricted $25,000 grant, PR and volunteer support

Providence, R.I. (April 14, 2011) Citizens Bank and NBC 10 named Farm Fresh Rhode Island in Providence as the second quarter Champion in Action® in the food and nutrition category. Farm Fresh Rhode Island will receive a $25,000 unrestricted grant, media coverage and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding work.

The grant will be used to help grow its Bonus Bucks program, strengthen its collaboration with local farmers and build its Harvest Kitchen Program. 

“Citizens Bank is pleased to name Farm Fresh Rhode Island as the newest Champion in Action in the food and nutrition category,” said Ned Handy, President, Citizens Bank, Rhode Island. “Accessibility to fresh and nutritious food improves the health and quality of life for communities in our state. This award will help Farm Fresh Rhode Island continue to provide healthy choices to all Rhode Islanders including those limited by both cost and proximity to fresh food.”

“NBC 10 is proud to recognize Farm Fresh Rhode Island for its collaboration with local farmers to distribute fresh produce, dairy and meat to local schools, grocers, hospitals and restaurants state-wide. This organization has become a statewide leader by promoting healthy eating through its nutrition education programs especially those families with limited income. We are pleased to name it a Champion in Action,” said Lisa Churchville, President and General Manager of NBC 10.

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. A new Champion in Action is selected each quarter among a range of social service topics.

Farm Fresh Rhode Island provides a wide-array of programs including:

  • A 15-week Harvest Kitchen training program for at-risk youth with the Division of Juvenile Corrections to teach food safety, culinary and job skills.
  • Managing eight urban farmers markets state-wide to provide fresh food year round.
  • Its Bonus Bucks program where SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients receive extra dollars to spend on fresh foods at farmers markets.

As a Champion in Action, Farm Fresh Rhode Island will receive:

  • A $25,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens Bank.
  • Media coverage from NBC 10, including public service announcements and television profiles.
  • Volunteer support from Citizens and NBC 10 employees.
  • Extensive public relations support.
  • Promotional support, highlighting the Champion in Action in all Citizens Bank branches and on its ATMs.
  • Exposure on both Citizens Bank and NBC 10 Web sites.

“It is a tremendous honor for our organization to be selected as a Champion in Action,” said Noah Fulmer, Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island. “Our mission is to create a local food system that values the environment and the quality of life of all Rhode Islanders. Eating local food strengthens our farms and the health of our communities.”

Applications for the fourth quarter 2011 Champion in Action in the homelessness category are due Friday, July 1, 2011 at 5 p.m. The winner will be announced in October 2011. Online applications can be obtained at www.citizensbank.com/community/champions.

Prior Rhode Island Champions in Action include: Bayside Family Healthcare in North Kingstown, the House of Hope in Warwick, The Providence Black Repertory Company in Providence, the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation in Woonsocket, McAuley House in Providence, TechACCESS in Warwick, Sojourner House in Providence, Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation in Pawtucket, Rhode Island Free Clinic in Providence, The Genesis Center in Providence, the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, New Urban Arts in Providence, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation in Providence, Tides Family Services located throughout the state, Community MusicWorks in Providence, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, Welcome House of South County in South Kingstown’s Peace Dale neighborhood, Franklin Court Independent Living in Bristol, RiverzEdge Arts Project in Woonsocket, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in Providence, The Institute for the Study and Practice for Nonviolence in Providence, Church Community Housing Corporation in Newport, Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island in Providence, Youth in Action in Providence, Molar Express in Cranston, Everett Dance Theatre in Providence, Olneyville Housing Corporation in Providence, the ASPIRE Program at the RI Foster Parents Association in East Providence, the Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center in Warwick, Amos House in Providence, Connecting for Children and Families in Woonsocket, Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, Kids First in Providence and Social Ventures Partners Rhode Island.

To learn more about how to contribute through donations or volunteerism to Farm Fresh Rhode Island call

401-312-4250.

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 82 branches and 195 ATMs in Rhode Island.

RBS Citizens, N.A. is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $130 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). 

About NBC 10

WJAR-TV/DT is the most watched television station in the Providence-New Bedford television 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. RTV (MyRetroTV) Channel 10.2 is WJAR’s digital tier station and was first launched in the summer of 2009.  RTV showcases classic television shows as well as locally produced programming from WJAR.

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.