FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grant Helps Homeless Families with Children Rebuild Lives
MADISON, Wis., Feb. 28, 2006 – More homeless families with children in Dane County will be given an opportunity to rebuild their lives, thanks to a $35,000 grant to Interfaith Hospitality Network of the Madison Area from U.S. Cellular. The grant will be used to help Interfaith Hospitality Network provide overnight shelter, three meals per day, and evening activities for homeless families 365 days a year (in collaboration with more than 45 churches and synagogues and more than 1,500 volunteers).
Interfaith Hospitality Network Executive Director Rachel Krinsky thanked U.S. Cellular for its commitment to helping families in need. In addition, she said, “Since 1999, Interfaith Hospitality Network has had a commitment to help families improve their lives. This grant from U.S. Cellular goes a long way in helping us give these families a chance for a better life. This grant will help us serve 34 families over the course of the year.”
Chuck Watson, area sales manager for U.S. Cellular in Madison, presented the check to Krinsky. He said, “U.S. Cellular takes pride in giving back to the communities it serves. It is a pleasure for U.S. Cellular to be able to help Interfaith Hospitality Network of the Madison Area in an effort to create a better life for homeless families.”
Since the inception of U.S. Cellular’s charitable program in 2002, the company has donated more than $550,000 in charitable grants to organizations in the state of Wisconsin, with almost $200,000 to organizations in Madison.
In addition to the check donation on Feb. 14, U.S. Cellular also offered a free phone calling program for the families seeking assistance from Interfaith Hospitality Network. Families were given a chance to make free phone calls to their families and friends in celebration of Valentine’s Day. U.S. Cellular associates brought wireless phones to assist the families in placing free local and long distance phone calls to anyone in the continental United States.
Interfaith Hospitality Network of the Madison Area is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 to serve homeless families with children. The organization is committed to the empowerment and long-term success of children and families, to serving each family with dignity and respect, and
to achieving results in helping families improve their lives. Interfaith Hospitality Network seeks to address the root causes of homelessness and is a leader in the effort to include homeless community members in the search for new solutions. For more information, visit www.madison.com/communities/ihn.
As of Sept. 30, U.S. Cellular, the nation’s sixth-largest wireless service carrier, provided wireless service to 5.3 million customers in 25 states. The Chicago-based company operates on a customer satisfaction strategy, meeting customer needs by providing a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, superior customer support and a high-quality network.
Contact:
Susie Falk
Office: 414-291-7620
sfalk@bluehorseinc.com
Abigail Harris, U.S. Cellular
Cell: 773-557-9537
Abigail.Harris@uscellular.com
