Contact: 
Carrie Carpenter, Charter One Bank
(216) 277-0868

Charter One Bank and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley are
Carving Out Hunger this holiday season with distribution of nearly 6,000 chickens

YOUNGSTOWN(November 13, 2006) – With the holiday season approaching, Charter One Bank will launch Carving Out Hunger, its annual hunger awareness initiative, to help feed some of the region’s families in need. The Charter One Foundation has pledged $10,000 to provide 5,886 chickens to 160 agencies in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties including faith-based pantries, shelters and adult and child day care facilities. This initiative will provide more than 17,500 meals for men, women and children right here in our community.

At 2 p.m., November 14, Charter One volunteers will sort and repackage food and unload poultry at the Food Bank. The donation will take place at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley, 2805 Salt Springs Road.

“Charter One is a good friend to the Food Bank and we greatly appreciate their support year-round but certainly at this time of year when the need is so great”, said Michael Iberis, executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley. “Many struggling families will sit down together for a good meal this holiday season because of them.“
  
The holiday season is the Food Bank’s busiest time of year, often distributing close to 30,000 pounds of food a day.

“Charter One Bank is proud to support the Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley as we strongly believe in their effort to relieve hunger and increase awareness throughout their community,” said Ned Handy, President and CEO of Charter One Bank, Ohio. “Through our support of this initiative, we hope to help alleviate hunger in the tri-county area – and at the very least, provide the less fortunate with a warm, nutritious meal this holiday season.”

Charter One Bank also donated an additional $97,000 for holiday food programs to other Second Harvest Food Banks across Ohio including the Cleveland Foodbank, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Freestore Foodbank and Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank. 

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley serves as a clearinghouse for surplus food to Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. It provides food and critical nonfood products to member agencies serving hungry families. In 2005, the Food Bank distributed roughly 4.5 million pounds of food to agencies that feed working poor families, seniors, battered women and their children, homeless shelters and the critically ill. To support the Food Bank, call 330-792-5522 or visit www.mahoningvalleysecondharvest.com.

About the Charter One Foundation

Charter One Foundation is a charitable contributions vehicle of Charter One Bank. The foundation’s support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs. Charter One’s Web site is charterone.com.