Meals On Wheels Warmest Wishes Campaign Gets Major Boost from Bank of America

Program Kicks-off September 30, 2010

Rochester, NY, Sept. 28, 2010 – Bank of America will engage employees and customers at each of its 16 Monroe County branches to help boost donations to this year’s Visiting Nurse Meals On Wheels (MOW) Warmest Wishes Campaign. The official kick-off is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 30, 2010, at the American Red Cross, 50 Prince St.

The Warmest Wishes Campaign was created in 2004 to brighten the lives of meal recipients around the holidays. Clients receive a holiday bag containing a variety of items, including slippers, blankets, gloves, hats, hard candy, small decorations and a variety of toiletries. The first year the program was in place, a dozen Warmest Wishes gift bags were distributed to MOW recipients. In 2009, 400 gift bags were filled and delivered to MOW recipients and VNS long-term home healthcare patients.

“The Warmest Wishes Campaign is one more example of the impact Meals On Wheels has on area seniors, many of whom may not have family around this holiday season,” said John Pitton, Bank of America Rochester market president. “Our partnership will help build awareness of the organization and their mission, and spread a little cheer to hundreds of their clients.”

In addition to officially beginning the 2010 Warmest Wishes Campaign, Bank of America will also present a check in the amount of $7,500 to MOW, part of a larger grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to the Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA).

The money will allow MOW to restore approximately 2,475 meals, which were cut because of the current economic climate.

“Thanks to the Bank of America Charitable Foundation/MOWAA Emergent Meal Grant Program, we can feed more seniors in need,” said Phil Shippers, director, MOW. “This money comes at a critical time as the need to help homebound and hungry seniors continues to grow.”

Over the past year, many Meals On Wheels programs were forced to change or reduce their services. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has come forward to help restore those meals. The foundation has provided a $500,000 grant to MOWAA, half of which is helping Meals On Wheels programs across the U.S. bring back meal services that were cut.

“With this support, we hope to set in motion opportunities to help individuals, families and entire neighborhoods thrive while helping end senior hunger,” said Pitton.

About Visiting Nurse Meals On Wheels

Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester and Monroe County, Inc. established the Meals On Wheels program, the third oldest in the United States, in 1958 and has since served 10 million meals throughout Monroe County. In 2009, VN MOW provided 327,000 meals throughout Monroe County and the eight-county Rochester region, and serves annually on average 2,000 recipients. For more information on receiving meals or volunteering, please call 787-8397 or visit www.vnsnet.com.

Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy

Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities it serves, last year Bank of America embarked on a new, 10-year goal to donate $2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health and vitality of their neighborhoods. Funded by Bank of America, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation gave more than $200 million in 2009, making the bank one of the largest corporate cash donors in the United States. Bank of America approaches investing through a national strategy under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Reaffirming a commitment to develop and sustain a culture of service, the bank announced the “Million Hour Challenge,” a pledge by the company’s associates around the world to donate 1 million volunteer hours by the end of 2010. In 2009, bank associate volunteers contributed more than 800,000 hours to enhance the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.