10/04/2011

Citizens Bank names Operation Hope of Fairfield its newest Champion in Action

NEW LONDON, CONN. - Citizens Bank has named Operation Hope of Fairfield a Champion in Action® for the fourth quarter of 2011 in the homelessness category. The award, which was announced during a newscast on News 8 WTNH today, includes a $25,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation.

"It is hard not to be impressed and inspired by the work of Operation Hope," said Ned Handy, president of Citizens Bank in Connecticut and Rhode Island. "By supporting those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, Operation Hope is providing essential services to the most vulnerable in our society. This organization is making an enormous impact in our community, and we are proud to support the work they do so well."

Through its shelter, affordable housing and intervention programs, in the past year alone Operation Hope gave 350 men, women and children a safe place to live and provided individualized attention and encouragement to move clients toward a healthier, more stable future. As a leading member of the Bridgeport Housing First Collaboration, Operation Hope served an additional 125 homeless individuals and families, with 49 being housed within six months. The organization's Community Kitchen provides more than 32,000 meals annually, and the Operation Hope Food Pantry serves more than 200 households each month.

"What makes Operation Hope so remarkable is that the community supports our efforts to help those struggling with hunger, homelessness and other complex issues," said Carla Miklos, executive director of Operation Hope. "They recognize that together we can provide the opportunity for transformative change."

Champions in Action is a partnership between Citizens Bank and News 8 to provide financial support and public awareness to the nonprofit organizations that work every day to champion change in our communities. The program was launched in 2002.

Each quarter, a nonprofit organization from among a range of social service providers in Connecticut is recognized as a Champion in Action. Each champion receives the following support in addition to the $25,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation:

  • Media coverage from News 8/MyTV9, including public service announcements
  • Volunteer support from Citizens Bank and News 8 WTNH/MyTV9
  • Public relations and promotional support through visibility at Citizen Bank branches and citizensbank.com

 

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 51 branches and 131 ATMs in Connecticut.

RBS Citizens, N.A. is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $132 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 more than 30 states. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). CFG's website is citizensbank.com.