Dress for Success Pittsburgh Named Champion in Action for Strengthening Communities through Workforce Development

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From left to right: Mónica Méndez, PhD, Executive Director, Dress for Success Pittsburgh; Jennifer Tis, Esq., Board Chair, Dress for Success Pittsburgh; Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens Bank in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware; and Brittny McGraw, News Anchor, WPXI-TV.

PITTSBURGH – Citizens Bank, WPXI-TV, Trib Total Media and Pittsburgh Cares announced today that Dress for Success Pittsburgh is the latest nonprofit to be named a Champion in Action®.

Dress for Success received the Champion in Action award for its work providing a gateway for women to obtain meaningful employment and build financially secure futures for themselves and their families. As a Champion in Action, the nonprofit will receive a $35,000 contribution from Citizens Bank, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support.

“Dress for Success Pittsburgh is a model for what being a champion for change looks like,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President of Citizens Bank for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. “This organization promotes the economic independence of women in the Pittsburgh area by helping them gain employment through its successful workforce development programs.”

Launched in 2002, Champions in Action is a joint initiative of Citizens Bank, WPXI-TV, Trib Total Media and Pittsburgh Cares that provides various forms of support to small nonprofit organizations in recognition of their contributions to communities throughout the Pittsburgh area. 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.

“WPXI-TV is pleased to recognize Dress for Success Pittsburgh as our first Champion in Action for 2016,” said Ray Carter, General Manager of WPXI-TV. “Since its inception a decade ago, Dress for Success Pittsburgh has provided professional attire to more than 17,500 women, collaborated with more than 150 referral agencies in Southwest Pennsylvania, and has helped thousands of women obtain financial education, technical skills and soft skills to use on the job and in their day to day lives.”

“Trib Total Media recognizes the tremendous work Dress for Success Pittsburgh is doing to help women succeed in returning to the workforce the Pittsburgh region,” said Jennifer Bertetto, Trib Total Media President and CEO. “Through its three core programs – the Professional Suiting Program, Career Development Workshops and the Women’s Professional Group – the nonprofit provides a strong foundation as well as a continuum of support and opportunities for women to compete, advance and support themselves and their families.”

Citizens Bank officials, along with representatives from WPXI-TV, made the announcement earlier today at the offices of Dress for Success Pittsburgh.

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“We are delighted to be chosen as a Champion in Action,” said Dr. Monica Mendez, Executive Director of Dress for Success Pittsburgh. “Women and girls walk out with more than professional attire; they walk out with a new sense of confidence and empowerment. This award will help us continue to provide the tools and assistance needed for success.”

As a Champion in Action, Dress for Success Pittsburgh will receive:

• $35,000 in unrestricted funds from Citizens Bank;
• News coverage and public service announcements from Trib Total Media and WPXI;
• Volunteer support from Citizens Bank, WPXI-TV, Trib Total Media and Pittsburgh Cares;
• Executive mentoring opportunities; and
• Public relations and promotional support.

For more information about the Champions in Action program and to apply, visit www.citizensbank.com/community.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $135.4 billion in assets as of September 30, 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.

About WPXI-TV

WPXI is the Cox Media Group TV station in the Pittsburgh television market. Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. Additionally, CMG owns and operates Valpak, one of North America’s leading direct marketing companies. The company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. CMG operates in more than 30 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including 30 million TV viewers, more than 4 million print and online newspaper readers, and 18 million radio listeners. WPXI-TV’s website is wpxi.com.

About Trib Total Media

Trib Total Media delivers news, information and advertising to portions of Allegheny, Westmoreland, Armstrong and Butler counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. We strive to meet the needs of our subscribers, advertisers, partners, and employees by delivering the news where, when, and how our readers would like to receive it. By offering a multimedia suite of products and services including daily and weekly newspapers and weekly shoppers along with digital services, commercial printing, direct mail, promotional products and media planning, we are the single source solution for all of your advertising needs. Visit tribtotalmedia.com for more information.

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About Pittsburgh Cares

Founded in 1992, the mission of Pittsburgh Cares is to maximize the impact of our nonprofit partners and to advance a culture of volunteerism and civic engagement in the Pittsburgh region. Firmly believing that the collective efforts of volunteers can transform an entire city, we provide opportunities for adults, youth, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to connect and serve together to address pressing social needs. As the largest volunteer agency in the Pittsburgh region, Pittsburgh Cares offers more than 20,000 volunteer positions each year. We offer a free public resource that connects the general public to hundreds of one-time and skills-based service projects per month. We also constantly strive to offer programs that strategically maximize volunteer time and provide high-quality service experiences, moving Pittsburgh closer to the day when everyone is inspired and equipped to be the change they wish to see in the world.