Home HeadQuarters, Inc., recently announced that Jaclinn Nudel joined the organization as a Resource Development Specialist. In this position, Ms. Nudel is responsible for coordinating and supporting resource development activities including individual giving and fundraising campaigns, annual fundraising events, quarterly communications and recognition efforts. Ms. Nudel will also manage Board activities including coordination of executive and committee meetings and Board development. Ms. Nudel is a recent graduate of Syracuse University with a B.A. in Policy Studies, a recipient of an Everett Public Service Fellowship and a member of the Leadership Greater Syracuse Class of 2006.

Home HeadQuarters, Inc. of Syracuse, N. Y. received the 2005 Jim and Patty Rouse Award and $5,000 November 10, 2005 at a The Enterprise Foundation’s Network Conference in Washington.

The Jim and Patty Rouse Award honors Enterprise’s co-founders for their leadership in bringing affordable housing and life opportunities to low-income families by recognizing community-based organizations for excellence in neighborhood revitalization.

Home HeadQuarters, a nonprofit organization established in 1996, is a partnership of residents, private business, government and other not-for-profits committed to enhancing the quality of life in Central New York. They provide services that help people become first-time homebuyers, homeowners increase the value of their homes, strengthen neighborhoods and fulfill financial, housing and community development needs not met by the private sector.

Home HeadQuarters has played a major role in neighborhood revitalization, fair housing and community and economic development. Some of their accomplishments include: 801 first-time homebuyers receiving down payment and closing cost assistance; assisting more than 600 families with minor home repairs; 1,435 customers receiving major home repair assistance; generating nearly $20 million in home rehabilitating contracts; and rehabilitating 54 formerly vacant homes for owner-occupants.

Home HeadQuarters also offers a comprehensive curriculum on all aspects of the home- buying process. Individual counseling helps course participants assess their readiness to purchase a home. Last year, more than 500 people graduated from the Homebuyer Education Course, and over 110 first-time homebuyers took advantage of Home HeadQuarters’ down payment and closing cost assistance. For more information, visit www.homehq.org.

“I commend Home HeadQuarters, Inc. for the work they are doing to assist those less fortunate who need help with making a positive change in their lives,” said Patty Rouse, who serves as a vice president and secretary for Enterprise. “Their dedicated commitment will allow people the opportunity to move up and out of poverty into the mainstream of life.”

The Jim and Patty Rouse Award is sponsored and funded by Enterprise’s Network Advisory Board (NAB). The NAB created the Jim and Patty Rouse Award in 2002 to recognize and share the outstanding work of community-based organizations engaged in comprehensive community revitalization, specifically developing affordable housing and life opportunities programs. Application information for the 2006 award will be available in January at www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources. Look under “Awards Programs.”

The Enterprise Foundation Network Conference is one of the largest yearly gatherings of community development professionals, with more than 1,200 elected officials and funders coming together for three days of learning and discussion of the latest strategies for affordable housing and community revitalization.

EAT! SHOP! FUNDRAISE!
Home HeadQuarters, Inc./People's Pottery Event
December 1, 2005, 7 - 9 p.m.
People's Pottery, Carousel Center (second level near Bon Ton)

Home HeadQuarters, Inc. and People's Pottery present an evening to EAT! SHOP! FUNDRAISE! Join Home HeadQuarters at People's Pottery in Carousel Center for a Wine & Cheese Open House on Thursday, December 1, 2005, from 7 - 9 p.m. Attendees will be eligible for door prizes and raffle drawings, and 20% of all purchases from the Open House will be donated to Home HeadQuarters. Call People's Pottery at (315) 422-2880 with questions, or contact Jaclinn Nudel at Home HeadQuarters at (315) 474-1939 x223.

This Fall, Home HeadQuarters, Inc. has kicked off a new and exciting salvage campaign. Home HeadQuarters staff search through distressed properties before they are demolished to save precious antiques. These items have a long standing history and beauty and include antique mantels, brass door knobs, chandeliers and even some valuable tiles manufactured through the prominent A.E. Tile Company have been discovered.

Home HeadQuarters is currently selling these items through eBay's Giving Works program. All proceeds assist Home HeadQuarters in achieving its mission of strengthening neighborhoods throughout Central New York. Contact Jaclinn Nudel at Home HeadQuarters at (315) 474-1939 x223 for more information or look for Home HeadQuarters on eBay to see what items are currently listed.

Home HeadQuarters, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building better neighborhoods through homeownership, home lending, education and renovation, is celebrating National NeighborWorks Week, June 5th - June 12th, with a series of events and activities open to the public. NeighborWorks Week, now in its 22nd year, is a celebration of the accomplishments of the more than 225 not-for-profit housing organizations located throughout the nation that make up the NeighborWorks network. Home HeadQuarters is one of the top 20 National homeownership producers in the NeighborWorks Network. During NeighborWorks Week, residents, business people, government officials and other volunteers work side by side to complete projects or take part in activities that help improve their communities. In 2004, the NeighborWorks Network generated more than $2.3 billion in total direct investment and helped more than 90,000 low- to moderate-income families purchase, improve and maintain their homes.

Home HeadQuarters, Inc., a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Syracuse area neighborhoods, has received a $30,000 contribution from KeyBank NA to support its Construction Apprentice Training Program, announced Kerry Quaglia, Home HeadQuarters' Executive Director.

"These funds will be used to support Home HeadQuarters Construction Apprentice Training Program in which inner-city youth, many at-risk, are provided hands-on training in all areas of residential construction - from new home construction to the full or partial renovation of older homes," said Quaglia.

The KeyBank grant, which will be paid over three years, will support construction management and supplies and class materials for the 12-18 month-long training program which, in addition to focusing on the building trades, also provides job skills training. Youth participants receive guided instruction on job interviewing skills, professional mentorship opportunities and counseling.

"Key is committed to helping people and communities achieve economic self-sufficiency by supporting workforce development and financial education initiatives that foster diversity and inclusion," said Stephen D. Fournier, KeyBank's Central New York district president. "Investment in a well-educated, skilled and inclusive workforce is essential for economic development and neighborhood revitalization."

Home HeadQuarters, Inc., is the largest housing and neighborhood revitalization organization in Central New York. Since 1996, Home HeadQuarters has assisted more than 1,500 Syracuse residents with major home repair totaling $17.7 million and provided counseling and/or financial assistance to more than 4,000 prospective homebuyers helping to generate more than $63 million in home purchase mortgage financing in the Syracuse area.

Syracuse, NY - Home HeadQuarters, Inc., recently announced that Joanne Demaree joined the organization as Controller. In this position, Ms. Demaree is responsible for managing all Home HeadQuarters' financial and accounting practices including grant management, annual audits, cash flow, account receivables and payables and accounting staff. Prior to this position, Ms. Demaree was an Associate at Kane, Bowles and Moore CPA's. Ms. Demaree is a Certified Public Accountant and has been in the accounting field for close to 25 years.

Kelly Besaw has also joined Home HeadQuarters, Inc., as the Foreclosure Prevention Coordinator. Ms. Besaw is responsible for coordinating this City of Syracuse-funded program that helps assist City homeowners avoid foreclosure. Before joining Home HeadQuarters, Ms. Besaw worked at Syracuse United Neighbors (SUN) as the Banking Organizer helping to improve lending practices by area financial institutions on the city's South and near West sides.

Home HeadQuarters is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing and stabilizing neighborhoods in Syracuse and Onondaga County. Established in 1996, Home HeadQuarters offers "one-stop shopping" at its HomeOwnership Center for first-time homebuyers and homeowners who are in need of assistance. Home HeadQuarters provides a variety of services to individuals and families including: certified Homebuyer Education Courses, homeownership and credit counseling, down payment and closing cost assistance, the Home Value Protection Program, the Foreclosure Prevention Program, the Home Improvement Loan Program including the FlexFund Loan, Syracuse Weed and Seed Community Partnership, the Landlord Training Program and the NYSERDA Home Energy Loan Program.

Deborah Roberts, ABC News correspondent, "20/20," will visit The Dunbar Center on Syracuse's southside as part of her tour of Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative projects and targeted neighborhoods prior to her role as Emcee for the "Rebuilding Upstate New York" Symposium dinner honoring Congressman James Walsh Monday, May 2, 2005.

The Dunbar Center, one of the country's longest continuously-run African-American not-for-profit organizations and the first settlement house in Syracuse, will provide Ms. Roberts with a tour of the facility and a chance to meet the children and families who participate in their after-school and adoption training programs. Ms. Roberts will be joined in the tour by teenage brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar who make up the New York City violin duo of "Nuttin But Stringz," the entertainment for the Symposium Dinner event.

Deborah Roberts joined the ABC newsmagazine "20/20" in June 1995. Since then she has served as a substitute anchor on "World News Weekend" and "Good Morning America." Prior to joining ABC News, Ms. Roberts was a correspondent for NBC News' "Dateline NBC" from the program's inception, and also served as a substitute anchor on the network news. This past season, Ms. Roberts won an Emmy award for her report chronicling one woman's journey to Ethiopia to find her mother.

Syracuse, NY - Citizens Bank's operations in New York (Citizens) today announced a $6.4 million, three-year program to support homeownership, economic development, and financial literacy and counseling services in the Syracuse area. Citizens Bank is partnering with Home HeadQuarters, Inc. and its member agencies to help their constituencies take advantage of the bank's new initiative.

Richard J. Shirtz, Syracuse district president for Citizens Bank, told area officials and community leaders meeting at Home HeadQuarters in Syracuse that the Citizens Bank Neighborhood Revitalization Program will support improvements in:

• Home Improvement - To encourage the rehabilitation of existing housing in Syracuse-area neighborhoods.
• Affordable Housing - To spur home ownership among low- and moderate-income individuals.
• Financial Fitness - To provide funding for homebuyer education classes to include pre- and post-purchase counseling.

"My Citizens Bank colleagues and I are excited about this expansion of services and programs to the neighborhoods we serve," said Shirtz. "Citizens Bank focuses its community investments in areas of need and in programs that have a direct bearing on the local economy and local quality of life. By partnering with Home HeadQuarters, we are confident that each of these programs will make a meaningful difference in the quality of life for hundreds of families in and around Syracuse."

"We're pleased about these aggressive incentives for development and revitalization of our neighborhoods," said Kerry Quaglia, executive director of Home HeadQuarters. "This package of programs says something very positive about Citizens Bank and what kind of partner it is going to be in our community."

"This program is remarkable in its vision and scope," said Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro, on hand for the announcement. "Citizens' commitment to neighborhood revitalization has been demonstrated time and again in other territories it serves, and we are happy to welcome its involvement here in greater Syracuse."

The specific components of Citizens Bank's Neighborhood Revitalization Program are:

Flex Fund Loan Program - Provides up to $2 million in funding to the home improvement loan pool administered by Home HeadQuarters for credit-worthy families lacking sufficient equity in their homes to qualify for traditional home equity loan products.

Not-For-Profit Capacity Building Lending Fund - Provides up to $1 million to supplement lending products that Home HeadQuarters will offer to qualifying not-for-profit organizations for development of affordable housing options.

EZ Home Improvement Loans - Up to $500,000 in financing of loans for home improvement projects for low- and moderate-income families. Loans of $1,000 or less are available at 1% fixed APR, with loans of greater than $1,000 and up to $10,000 available at 6% fixed APR. Citizens Bank will make its EZ Home Improvement Loans available in mid-May.

Residential Mortgage Loans - Up to $2.8 million for residential mortgage loans offered at below-market interest rates, targeted at low- and moderate-income census tracts. Citizens Bank will make these loans available through its Destination Home and Neighborhood Plus mortgage products. The Neighborhood Plus product will be available in mid-summer.

Financial Fitness and Program Support - A $60,000 grant from Citizens Bank Foundation to Home HeadQuarters and its HomeOwnership Center for support of its certified Homebuyer Education Courses, pre- and post-purchase counseling, and pre-development work and technical support for special projects. In addition to the $60,000 grant, Citizens Bank colleagues will provide technical assistance by conducting homeownership classes, and volunteering to help in rehabilitation and landscaping projects funded by these programs.

"Wherever Citizens does business, we invest 1% of our pre-tax earnings in our communities, especially where we can provide an extra leg up to families and businesses that tend to be underserved by conventional banking products," said Shirtz. "As we complete the integration of Charter One Bank with Citizens, this program reflects the character Syracuse can expect from our products, services, and people for years to come."

Citizens, currently doing business in New York under the Charter One Bank name, has more than 200 branches across the state.

About Charter One Bank, N.A.
Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $51 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York and Vermont. It has more than 700 branches and 1,060 ATMs. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $137 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 2,800 ATMs and approximately 26,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and non-branch offices in more than 30 states. Citizens is the eighth largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). The Charter One Web site is www.charterone.com.

About Home HeadQuarters, Inc.
Home HeadQuarters is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing and stabilizing neighborhoods in Syracuse and Onondaga County. Established in 1996, Home HeadQuarters offers "one-stop shopping" at its HomeOwnership Center for first-time homebuyers and homeowners who are in need of assistance. Home HeadQuarters provides a variety of services to individuals and families including: certified Homebuyer Education Courses, homeownership and credit counseling, down payment and closing cost assistance, the Home Value Protection Program, the Foreclosure Prevention Program, the Home Improvement Loan Program, Syracuse Weed and Seed Community Partnership and the Landlord Training Program.

Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative (SNI), a public/private/non-profit collaboration that works to revitalize neighborhoods in Syracuse, has received a $20,000 contribution from M&T Bank to support programs implemented through Home HeadQuarters, Inc., announced Marilyn Higgins, Co-chair of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative and Vice President, Community Development, Niagara Mohawk.

"The partnership with M&T Bank is one that will continue the success of the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative," said Higgins. "We are very appreciative of their long-running support. We hope their gift inspires other companies in the Syracuse area to step up to the plate and match Congressman Walsh's extraordinary efforts to improve Syracuse neighborhoods."

The M&T Bank gift will help support Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative and Home HeadQuarters' programs such as housing rehabilitation projects, purchase rehabilitation incentives, and other city neighborhood revitalization programs.

M&T Bank Corporation is the nation's 18th largest bank holding company, with pro forma assets of over 50 billion. Customers can bank at more than 700 branches throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, and West Virginia. M&T is recognized for its financial strength and sound management. This strength, along with entrepreneurial philosophy, has made it possible for the bank to pursue a course of well-managed growth.

Home HeadQuarters, Inc., is the largest housing and neighborhood revitalization organization in Central New York. Since 1996, Home HeadQuarters has assisted more than 1,500 Syracuse residents with major home repair totaling $17.7 million and provided counseling and/or financial assistance to more than 4,000 prospective homebuyers helping to generate more than $63 million in home purchase mortgage financing in the Syracuse area.

For more information on the Syracuse Neighborhood Initiative, contact Linda Henley at (315) 474-1939 ext. 807.