8.29.2007 - 10:00am ET

(CSRwire) SEATTLE - August 29, 2007 - Suzanne Richard, a UPS supervisor, grew up in an atmosphere of family violence and poverty. She had to learn to defend herself at a young age and left home at 17 in search of a better life. She later married, had a son and then a daughter who died during infancy. Her marriage failed as it became abusive and Suzanne and her son left for a better, safer life.

Settling in Ohio, Richard devoted more than 20 years of volunteer service to First Step, a shelter and full-service agency for families dealing with domestic violence. Then she did something unexpected: while continuing to work with First Step, she created a foundation to provide scholarships at Bowling Green State University.

"If you had told me 25 years ago I would be recognized as a philanthropist, I would not have believed it," Richard says now. "I always thought philanthropy was the pasttime of doctors, lawyers and entertainers."

Richard's unlikely role began when she created the Renaissance Foundation, which is dedicated to providing scholarships to women facing challenging situations or to women who are committed to educating those who face adversity. The Renaissance Foundation initially was funded solely through Richard’s company bonuses -- UPS stock. The UPS Foundation now matches her continuing contributions through the UPS Matching Gift Program.

"I didn't want other women to experience hardships like I did," said the 23-year UPSer. "I want to provide comfort, support and financial security."

Last night, Richard was honored for her volunteerism and financial generosity with UPS's Jim Casey Community Service Award, the company's highest honor for community service. More than 427,000 UPS employees are eligible to nominate their colleagues for the award. Chairman and CEO Mike Eskew presented the award here at the company's annual management meeting.

"Through her tireless efforts to assist domestic violence victims and provide a fresh start, Suzanne has made a real difference in her community," Eskew said. "Our founder, Jim Casey, is the namesake of this award because he was so dedicated to helping others. Suzanne truly exemplifies his spirit."

In addition to her Foundation and work with First Step, Richard serves on Bowling Green State University's Advocates Board, the school's chief volunteer organization.

UPS, which celebrated its 100th anniversary yesterday, is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. UPS's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange (UPS) and the company can be found on the Web at UPS.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.

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