Global company and its employees support children in underserved
schools districts around the world
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 31, 2012--
Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI), in partnership with the national nonprofit
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and employee volunteers, has completed
another successful year in providing children in underserved school
districts with free books and meaningful literacy and education
programming.
For the second consecutive year, Pitney Bowes has provided Share the
Message: Read! program, designed by Reading is Fundamental to
inspire young students to become lifelong learners through highly
engaging literacy activities. The partnership underscores Pitney Bowes’
longstanding commitment to literacy and education and the power of its
employee volunteers, and their efforts to build future leaders of
tomorrow.
Since the program’s inception, Pitney Bowes volunteers have contributed
a total of 1,100 volunteer hours, with books being distributed to more
than 5,800 children around the world. The impact and success of the
program has also prompted, Pitney Bowes to increase its annual
participation by 42% this year, with 10 new cities like Louisville, KY,
Seattle, WA, and Troy, NY being added as part of the global initiative.
”Through the Share the Message: Read! program, employees
experience the joy of reading with children and gain a deeper
appreciation of how important it is to engage students in the early
grades through reading, which is a win-win for both the children and
community overall,” states Kathleen Ryan-Mufson, director, corporate
citizenship & philanthropy and president of the Pitney Bowes Foundation.
“We increased our commitment this year, and, more importantly, are
showing the tremendous difference that our employee volunteers can make
in the lives of children through fun and dynamic learning activities. “
For many years, Pitney Bows and the Pitney Bowes Foundation have been
committed to supporting education programs that address the academic
achievement gap and build stronger communities in the neighborhoods in
which we operate.
While National Volunteer Month is over, the Share the Message: Read!
Program continues. When completed, this year’s program will have
included 19 U.S. cities, as well as international communities in
Australia, Canada, India, and the Republic of Ireland. More information
on the program can be found at www.rif.org/pb
About Pitney Bowes: Delivering more than 90 years of innovation,
Pitney Bowes provides software,
hardware
and services
that integrate physical and digital communications channels. Long known
for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly
helping other companies grow their business through advanced customer
communications management. Pitney Bowes is a $5.3 billion company with
29,000 employees worldwide. Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new
opportunity™. www.pb.com
About the Pitney Bowes Foundation: The Pitney Bowes Foundation is
a private entity with a mission to support education, literacy and the
diverse community interests of Pitney Bowes employees. We commit our
resources to closing the achievement gap and preparing the workforce of
tomorrow. For information about these programs and other Pitney Bowes
Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy initiatives, please visit pb.com/community.
About Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF): Founded in 1966, RIF
motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and
community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday
life. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth
to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S.
territory, RIF provided 4 million children with 15 million new, free
books and literacy resources last year. For more information and to
access reading resources, visit RIF’s website at www.rif.org.
Source: Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes
Angel D. Peoples, 203-351-6475
External
Communications
angel.peoples@pb.com
