LOS ANGELES, Sept. 1, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City National Bank today announced that through its Reading is The way up® literacy program it has donated $10,000 to the Children's Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) Urban Lights Freedom Schools® program. This donation will provide much needed support for CDF-CA's after school enrichment program for students in the Watts, Lynwood and Compton areas on the Southside of Los Angeles.
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The CDF grew out of the Civil Rights Movement under the leadership of Marian Wright Edelman, who was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar. In 1968, she moved to Washington, D.C., as counsel for the Poor People's Campaign that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began organizing before his death. In 1969, Edelman began the Washington Research Project, a public interest law firm that monitored federal programs for low-income families, and out of this initiative she founded CDF in 1973.
The CDF Freedom Schools program provides summer and after school enrichment that helps children develop a love of reading, increases the self-esteem, and generates more positive attitudes toward learning. Children are taught using a model curriculum that supports children and families around five essential components: high quality academic enrichment; parent and family involvement; civic engagement and social action; intergenerational leadership development; nutrition, health and mental health.
"City National's generous support of the Urban Lights CDF Freedom Schools program will help us reach a greater number of students and families who could benefit from our after school enrichment program," said Kim Brettschneider, California State Coordinator for CDF-CA. "With all of the cutbacks in private, state and federal funding, support from companies like City National is paramount to the success of our programs moving forward."
Since its inception, CDF has challenged the United States to raise its standards by improving policies and programs for children. Over the past 35 years, CDF has become known for careful research on children's survival, protection, and development in all racial and income groups and for independent analyses of how federal and state policies affect children, their families and their communities.
"We are very proud of our public-private partnerships and the opportunity to join with the Children's Defense Fund in support of their wonderful Urban Lights CDF Freedom Schools program," said Carolyn Rodriguez, vice president and manager of Reading is The way up for City National. "Education and literacy are essential ingredients to the success of our children's future and our Reading is The way up literacy program is a perfect fit for CDF's after school enrichment programs."
Over 90,000 students have participated in CDF's Freedom Schools program since it began in 1995. The program works very hard to ensure that every child is equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in life. For more information about this summer and after school enrichment program, go to www.cdfca.org.
City National contributes financial, in-kind and volunteer assistance to nonprofit institutions and organizations that enhance the quality of life and promote public interest where the company conducts its business. The four main areas of the bank's philanthropic outreach include education, health and human services, community development, and arts and culture.
About Reading is The way up®
Originally established to help improve the education of California's future leaders, City National in April 2002 launched the multi-faceted Reading is The way up initiative to restock the state's school library system. The program was expanded into Nevada following the 2007 completion of City National's merger with Business Bank of Nevada.
To date, the bank has:
- Contributed over $2 million to support education programs throughout the bank.
- Donated more than 80,000 books to California, Nevada and New York school libraries.
- Awarded nearly $500,000 to teachers in elementary, middle and high schools in California, Nevada and New York for creative literacy projects.
- Received the 2005 President's Volunteer Service Award, the 2005 Corporate Philanthropy Award from the Los Angeles Public Library, the 2006 Corporate Award from the Getty House Foundation, and honored as the 2007 Corporate Visionary Partner by The Wonder of Reading, and the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Corporate Citizen Award.
The bank also has created the Reading is The way up Fund, a 501(c)(3) administered by the California Community Foundation, as a funding resource to purchase books for school libraries in California, Nevada and New York. For more information, visit www.readingisthewayup.org.
About City National
City National Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of City National Corporation (NYSE: CYN). It is backed by $22.5 billion in total assets, and provides banking, investment and trust services through 79 offices, including 16 full-service regional centers, in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City and Nashville, Tenn. The company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $58.5 billion in client investment assets, including more than $36 billion under direct management.
City National has 10 branch offices in Nevada, including six in Las Vegas and one each in North Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City and Minden. The bank also has a loan production office at Stateline in South Lake Tahoe.
For more information about City National, visit the company's Website at cnb.com.
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