Company Continues Its Philanthropic Commitment to help close the
achievement gap
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 5, 2012--
Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) employees with the support of the Pitney Bowes
Foundation, will help children improve their literacy skills and narrow
the achievement gap in schools, as part of the company’s annual Global
Volunteer Month program.
Global Volunteer Month Overview
Pitney Bowes employee volunteers will use one of three Share the
Message: READ! materials developed by Reading Is Fundamental (www.rif.org)
with funding from the Pitney Bowes Foundation. Communications-themed
guides on Animal
Communications, Languages
of the World, and Communicating
through the Arts feature a children’s book and related arts and
crafts activities that are appropriate for students in grades K-5.
Pitney Bowes encourages its employees to use the guides to bring the
program to in-school or after-school literacy activities. Employees are
provided with toolkits that include everything needed for a successful
volunteer experience. Volunteers in over 15 U.S. cities are
participating, and are provided with materials and supplies made
possible by grants from the Pitney Bowes Foundation.
“Employees can make a meaningful difference in a child’s life in a very
short time,” states Mike Monahan, chief financial officer, Pitney Bowes,
who is also a Reading Is Fundamental board member. “Our employees have
fun while they deliver this effective and engaging learning experience
to children.”
Reading Is Fundamental has been a proud partner of Pitney Bowes since
2004,” states Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of RIF. “With the
support of PB and its foundation, we've trained early childcare
providers, hosted family reading celebrations, and created volunteer
resources to inspire children to be lifelong readers. There is only one
book for every 300 kids living in poverty in this country. Initiatives
like Share the Message: READ! are essential tools in fulfilling
RIF’s mission to get books and literacy resources to the kids who need
them most.”
Employees in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India will
implement the program in their countries. Outside of the U.S., employee
volunteers work with local charity partners to source the materials and
supplies and age-appropriate books, the costs of which will be covered
by Team Volunteer Grants from the Pitney Bowes Foundation.
Global Volunteer Month Kick-Off Event
The month of volunteering will be kicked off with a Family Literacy
Night this evening at Stepping
Stones Children’s Museum in Norwalk, CT from 5:00
p.m.-8:00 p.m. (EST). Through this event, Pitney Bowes employees
will read to hundreds of Fairfield County students, assist them with
related fun crafts, and help them as they choose their very own book to
take home.
The event is part of the Museum’s Open Arms program. Through this
program, Stepping Stones opens its doors free of charge to ensure that
everyone in our community can benefit from the fantastic enrichment
opportunities regardless of any financial, language or special needs
barriers.
Attendees will have an opportunity to visit the new Pitney
Bowes Foundation Family and Teacher Resource Center at Stepping
Stones. This bright new space is overflowing with interactive kits,
books, puzzles, multimedia games and other resources. The Center
provides parents, caregivers and teachers with access to the latest and
best information about learning through play, early literacy, and 21st
century learning skills, and the developmental needs of young children,
helping them to facilitate a child’s learning – at home or at school.
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.
About Stepping Stones Museum:
Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, CT., is an
award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed
to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located
on five acres in Mathews Park, the recently expanded LEED Gold certified
museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, a state-of-the-art
multimedia theater, a Family and Teacher Resource Center, café and
retail store. Stepping Stones also offers onsite educational events and
workshops, school and group programs and traveling resources for
schools, libraries and youth-serving organizations. For more
information, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.
Source: Pitney Bowes Inc.
Pitney Bowes
Angel D. Peoples,
203-351-6475
External Communications
angel.peoples@pb.com
