GE FOUNDATION INVESTING $300,000 IN LOCAL
UNITED WAY INITIATIVES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS

BRIDGEPORT, CT - (March 15, 2004) The General Electric Foundation recently contributed $300,000 to United Way of Eastern Fairfield County to help support its partnerships and community impact initiatives. According to GE Foundation President, Robert Corcoran, the escalating partnerships between United Way and GE volunteers, as well as United Way initiatives touching more GE employees, justified the significant corporate gift.

"No other community-based entity involves as many GE people in local services as United Way," Corcoran said. "And this involvement is often hands-on."

Corcoran went on to recognize the impact of the United Way / GE partnerships nationwide, saying the regional United Way Campaign is, "…among the 200 United States efforts located in communities large and small, that the GE Foundation is supporting with gifts of nearly $8 million."

Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., President and Chief Professional Officer of United Way of Eastern Fairfield County, said the $300,000 GE gift will be targeted locally, helping the agency focus on what matters in the communities of Bridgeport, Stratford, Trumbull, Fairfield, Monroe and Easton.

"Employees of GE have consistently been among the most generous in our region, sharing both their resources and volunteer time" Berke-Schlessel said. "Since the inception of our local Day of Caring, GE employees have the highest participation of any group with more than 3,600 volunteers."

She said with GE's help, United Way is improving the lives of many of the region's most vulnerable populations including children, families and the elderly. According to Berke-Schlessel, significant corporate gifts from GE have helped the agency support two of its most significant community impact initiatives, the Community Compass project, which generated the data to prompt United Way's launch of the highly-acclaimed 'Success By 6' initiative to support a comprehensive community-based approach early childhood development.

Success By 6 initiative is part of the largest public-private community partnership in North America, engaging policy-makers and stakeholders at federal, state and local levels to collaborate on building this childhood system of physical, emotional, cultural and academic development.

For further information, please contact: Andrea Kovacs, Sr. VP, Marketing and Community Relations at United Way, 334-5106, ext. 309 or via email (preferred) at akovacs@thewaytocare.org.

United Way focuses on what matters, and builds stronger communities by supporting nearly 80 health and human service programs that helped more than 180,000 people last year. United Way funded programs impact a range of critical services in its six town service area including Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull. A complete list of local United Way partners and initiatives, and a link to United Way's Virtual Volunteer Center can be found on the website, www.thewaytocare.org.

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