Comcast Foundation Awards Grant to Catholic Charities’ My Sister’s Place Women’s Center to Support Adult Literacy Program

Comcast Foundation Grant to establish adult literacy program for homeless women

January 29, 2009

Renee Johnson,
Director of Media and Public Relations
(410) 547-5436, cell (410) 816-6152
rjohnson@cc-md.org

The Comcast Foundation has awarded a $23,000 grant to Catholic Charities’ My Sister’s Place Women’s Center for creation of an adult literacy and GED (General Equivalency Diploma) program at the resource center for homeless women and their children.

“Education is the key to employment and stability for the women we assist,” says program coordinator Charleen Thomas-Christon. “When women who head households show that they value education, their children are more likely to follow their example,” says Thomas-Christon. The grant will play a major role in helping women secure the skills they need to improve their lives.”

My Sister’s Place Women’s Center opened November 2008 at 17 West Franklin Street. The day shelter provides women with three daily meals, laundry and showering facilities, bus tokens and clothing to address immediate needs. Case management assists clients in setting goals to achieve independence. Participants are given opportunities to increase their income, health and housing options through financial coaching, volunteering, referrals and self-development. As participants progress through the program, strategies to obtain sustainable housing and employment preparation are presented. After completing literacy and skills training, women begin an employment search through career services at Catholic Charities’ Our Daily Bread Employment Center.

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Comcast Foundation Awards Grant to Catholic Charities’ My Sister’s Place Women’s Center to Support Adult Literacy Program, continued page 2 of 2

About the Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is Maryland’s largest private provider of human services with more than 80 programs, giving assistance to children and families, the elderly, the poor and the developmentally disabled—without regard to religion, race or other circumstances.

About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 and is the company’s chief source of charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs that work to create a positive, sustainable impact within our communities in the areas of volunteerism, literacy and youth leadership development. Since its inception, The Comcast Foundation has donated more than $43 million to organizations in the communities where Comcast serves. More information about The Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com – click on “About,” then “In the Community.”

About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.4 million cable customers, 14.7 million high-speed Internet customers, and 6.1 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast’s Eastern Division serves six million residential and business customers across Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC. The Eastern Division is based in Oaks, Pennsylvania and employs more than 20,000 people.

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