![The need at the [Rhode Island Community] Food Bank has increased, so we increased our donations. /](https://assets.pbn.com/uploads/2008/06/09eeb88f1d4108d.jpg "The need at the [Rhode Island Community] Food Bank has increased, so we increased our donations. /")
Amie A. Picard has been promoted to vice president of public relations at Citizens Bank. Her responsibilities will include strategically using sponsorships to leverage partnerships and customers in the local community with the Citizens Bank Foundation, the bank’s philanthropic arm.
Picard has a B.A. in communications and sociology from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA in global business leadership and marketing from Johnson & Wales University.
PBN: What kinds of community outreach and events will you help facilitate for Citizens Bank in the coming year?
PICARD: The three core programs – Champions in Action, Tools for School and Striking Out Hunger – are the pivotal initiatives within the New England region that I will be responsible for. Champions in Action actually started here in Rhode Island in 2002. For this program, Citizens Bank Foundation selects one nonprofit organization per state, per quarter to award a monetary grant, public service announcements through our media partner NBC 10 and also volunteer time from Citizens employees.
The Tools for School program is a school-supply collection drive that utilizes branch locations to collect supplies within the communities. Citizens Bank then purchases backpacks for these supplies, they are stuffed full and then given to participating schools in the area. Last year Citizens purchased 12,000 backpacks!
Finally, the Striking Out Hunger Campaign is a partnership between the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Cox Communications and the Pawtucket Red Sox. Every time the PawSox register a strike, Citizens Bank Foundation donates $75 per strike, up to $75,000, to the Food Bank.
Last year, we managed the same campaign at $50 a strike, but the need at the Food Bank has increased, so we increased our donations.
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PBN: Providence is known as The Renaissance City, how will the arts play a role in community outreach and sponsorships?
PICARD: The arts, especially in Providence, are an incredible economic-development tool. I just joined the marketing and PR committee at the Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island.
Our Champions in Action program has always been supportive of arts organizations. In 2003, The Providence Black Repertory Theater was a Champion in Action and we continue to maintain open communication with them to execute their mission. •
