ARCADE, N.Y., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The holiday season is a time of giving but for Western New York-based receivables management company Pioneer Credit Recovery, giving back has become a year-round tradition. The Sallie Mae subsidiary today celebrated five years of philanthropy, topping $1 million in contributions from the company, its employees and The Sallie Mae Fund to charitable organizations since 2002.

Pioneer employees contribute monthly to local and national causes at the company's facilities in Western New York and New Jersey, designating a charity of the month to receive funds raised. This year, Pioneer employees contributed more than $250,000 to local Western New York, New Jersey and national charitable organizations through Pioneer's charity of the month program and the company's sixth annual charity golf tournament. The Sallie Mae Fund -- a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae -- donated an additional $45,000 to local charities.

"When it comes to being good corporate citizens there is no one better than Pioneer Credit Recovery and The Sallie Mae Fund," said Jim Pierce, executive director, Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce. "Their generosity in giving to community outreach programs and their charity of the month program has greatly contributed to improving the quality of life in Wyoming County. Pioneer Credit Recovery has contributed in countless ways to the vitality of our local economy and the betterment of the community. We are very fortunate and proud to have them in our region." Pioneer employees and The Sallie Mae Fund supported the following local organizations and charities in 2007:

Almost Home Animal Rescue
The American Cancer Society
Angel Action
Arcade Volunteer Fire Department
Batavia Hospital
Beaver Meadows
Camden Animal Shelter
Court Appointed Special Advocates
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Directions in Independent Living
Genesee Community College Foundation
Gilda's Club
Guiding Eyes for the Blind
Iroquois Trail
Katie's Star
Make A Wish Foundation
The March of Dimes
Matthew Foster Foundation
National Hemophilia Foundation (Rochester Chapter)
National Kidney Foundation
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Peers Helping Peers
Perry Sea Serpent Festival
Police Benevolent Association
Samaritan Hospice of New Jersey
Southern Tier Environments for Living
Suburban Adult Services
Ten Lives Club
Wyoming County Hospital Foundation
Wyoming County Community Action
Youth Together Organization
YMCA

"Giving back to the communities where our employees live and work has always been a key mission at Pioneer," said Harold Wickline, president, Pioneer Credit Recovery. "We are proud to reach this milestone along with The Sallie Mae Fund and thank our employees for their generosity in volunteering their time and money to worthy causes."

Pioneer is one the largest private-sector employers in Wyoming County and has received numerous awards, including the Business First Best Places to Work in Western New York Award, the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics and the Wyoming County Business of the Year by the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming (GLOW) Workforce Investment Board.

Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving- and paying-for-college company, acquired Pioneer in January 2002. Pioneer is a subsidiary of Sallie Mae's Asset Performance Group-one of the nation's leading providers of debt management services offering default prevention and debt recovery on state and federal levels.

Pioneer Credit Recovery: Founded in 1980, Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc. is a national leader in the collection industry, providing collection services on defaulted debt. Headquartered in Western New York and employing nearly 1,400 people, Pioneer partners with multiple state and federal clients, including the U.S. Department of Education, and is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. In continuously surpassing the competition, Pioneer provides clients with quality results, experience, leadership and technology, including state-of-the art infrastructure, telecommunications and collections systems. Pioneer Credit Recovery is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sallie Mae, the nation's leading provider of education funding. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States.

The Sallie Mae Fund is a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae. The Fund achieves its mission-to increase access to a post-secondary education for America's students-by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information, visit www.salliemaefund.org.

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