/PRNewswire/ - Citizens Bank and the Phillies today announced the launch of Phans Feeding Families, a summer initiative to raise money and collect food to feed the 900,000 people in the Delaware Valley who are at risk of hunger each year.

"With the recent economic downturn, the face of our clients has changed from primarily the chronically poor to the middle-class and working-poor as well," said Bill Clark, Philabundance President and Executive Director. "As partners in the fight against hunger, we can provide our neighbors with the nourishment they need."

To jump-start the program, the Citizens Bank Foundation is donating $133,000 to provide hunger relief and nutrition assistance to agencies serving eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. $50,000 of this commitment will support Philabundance, the area's largest hunger relief organization and main beneficiary of Phans Feeding Families.

"Citizens Bank is a proud Phillies partner, and by combining our resources we can make a tremendous impact on the region's hunger problem," said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Citizens Bank President & CEO for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. "The Citizens Bank Foundation support will help Philabundance and other local hunger relief agencies feed more families this summer."

Phans Feeding Families, which begins today and culminates during the Sunday, July 31 Phillies vs. Pirates game, is designed to bring together the Phillies community in support of hunger relief. Among the many highlights, Phillies pitcher and Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay will be featured in a Phans Feeding Families public service announcement viewable at http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=16416201.

"By joining together with our corporate partners, it is the Phillies' hope that hundreds of thousands of local residents will no longer have to fear about where their next meal will come from or how they will feed their families," said David Montgomery, Phillies President.

PHANS FEEDING FAMILIES: HOW TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE

All proceeds will benefit Philabundance and hunger relief in the Delaware Valley:

• Pre-order and purchase a limited-edition Phans Feeding Families pin at www.philabundance.org/feedingfamilies and starting Friday, July 8 at the Majestic Clubhouse Store and Phillies NewsStands at Citizens Bank Park.
  
• Visit www.phillies.com/feedingfamilies or call the Phillies' Colleen Mogee at 215-218-5103 to purchase a package to attend the Sunday, July 31 Phans Feeding Families pre-game fundraiser at Citizens Bank Park.
  
• Bring a donation of non-perishable food to the Sunday, July 31 Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park or SEPTA's AT&T Station. Recommended items include plastic jars of peanut butter and jelly, canned tuna, pasta or ravioli.
  
• Take part in several other Phillies partner food drives at Citizens Bank Park, including the ShopRite Partners in Caring Food Drive on Sunday, July 10 and the Goya Latino Family Celebration & Food Drive on Wednesday, September 7.
  
• Bid on exclusive merchandise and VIP experiences through a silent auction during the Sunday, July 31 Phillies vs. Pirates game at Citizens Bank Park.
  
• Visit www.philabundance.org/feedingfamilies to make a monetary donation, hold a food drive or volunteer. Starting July 8, monetary donations can also be made at www.phillies.com/feedingfamilies.

In addition to the $50,000 grant to Philabundance, this year the Citizens Bank Foundation is providing grants to numerous agencies across Pennsylvania and Delaware that provide hunger relief and nutrition assistance, including: Urban Tree Connection, Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, Greater Berks Food Bank, Commission on Economic Opportunity, Community Health and Education Outreach and Weaver's Way.

MORE HUNGER RELIEF OPPORTUNITIES

Many of the Phillies partners also share in the commitment to fight hunger, in particular Coca-Cola, Toyota, ShopRite, Hatfield, Goya Foods, ARAMARK and SEPTA. Here are a few more ways fans can get involved in helping the cause:

• ShopRite Partners In Caring: This year-round, community-based, hunger-fighting initiative works with more than 50 food industry manufacturers to provide more than $2 million annually to qualified charitable agencies in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. For more information or to learn how you can help, please visit www.shopritepartnersincaring.org.
  
• The Tri-State Toyota dealers have made a commitment to reduce hunger in the Delaware Valley through initiatives such as the Toyota Tundra Food Drive, an annual holiday season food drive which has collected over 48,000 pounds of food for Philabundance and its network of local distribution centers. The Tri-State Toyota dealers have also partnered with Goya Foods to provide logistical support for the annual Goya Latino Family Celebration and Food Drive at Citizens Bank Park. For more information, please visit www.tristatetoyota.com.
  
• Goya Foods is committed in helping needy families in our region. One of Goya's many initiatives includes the Goya Latino Family Celebration & Food Drive at Citizens Bank Park, where each year, Goya donates a minimum of 5,000 pounds of food to match the collected food products during the Phillies game. For more information, please visit www.goya.com.

About the Citizens Bank Foundation
Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation's support is focused on housing, community development and basic human needs. CFG's website is citizensbank.com.

About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has 386 branches and 977 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 13 retail branches and 106 ATMs in southern New Jersey and a commercial loan office in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $132 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,500 branches, approximately 3,800 ATMs and more than 21,100 employees. 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.

About Philabundance
Philabundance reduces hunger and food insecurity in the Delaware Valley by providing food access to people in need in partnership with organizations and individuals. Philabundance provides a full plate of services to close to 500 member agencies in 9 counties, who serve approximately 65,000 people per week at an aggregate cost of 50 cents per meal. There are more than 900,000 people in the Delaware Valley who are at risk for chronic hunger and malnutrition. In 2010, Philabundance distributed 21 million pounds of food. For more information about Philabundance, visit www.philabundance.org or call 215-339-0900.

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