DATE: October 8, 2007                                                           

FiSCA Recognizes Eight Industry Leaders for Their Support of Programs to Improve Local Communities

Phoenix, AZ – During its 19th Annual National Conference & Exposition, the Financial Services Centers of America (FiSCA) announced the 2007 winners of its Activa Awards. Each year FiSCA honors member companies for outstanding community service, civic improvement and charitable donation programs designed to positively impact the neighborhoods in which these members do business. This year, eight member companies were recognized for their achievements during the past year.

In making the awards, Gary Dachis, FiSCA chairman, said, “FiSCA launched the Activa Awards program in 1999 to help recognize the outstanding contributions which our members make every year to the communities where they live and work. Over the years, the industry response has been incredibly positive. As each year passes, the awards bring greater distinction to and a better understanding of our industry.” This year’s recipients and the causes they supported include:

• ACE Cash Express – Irving, TX
  March of Dimes “Give a Little Campaign” involving employees and customers
  
  
• Amscot Financial – Tampa, FL
  “Just a dollar” campaign to support local education foundations
  
  
• Check Agencies of California (Check Center) – Oakland, CA
  Rady Children Hospital Foundation, Community Matters Safe School Ambassadors, and Okizu Foundation
  
  
• Check City of Utah – Salt Lake City, UT
  United Way’s Homefront Response Program helping families of soldiers and sailors serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  
  
• Checksmart (Buckeye Check Cashing, Inc.) – Dublin, OH
  Checksmart Champions, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Children’s Hospital Foundation Circle of Friends
  
  
• Moneytree, Inc. – Seattle, WA
  Programs at the Nevada Partners Wealth Building Center to help individuals develop financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills
  
  
• PLS Financial Services – Chicago, IL
  Back-to-school donation programs in seven states where it operates stores
  
  
• Valued Services
  MLK Charter School in New Orleans, national Black and Hispanic Caucus organizations
  

“The Activa Awards demonstrate to regulators, legislators, the media and local neighborhoods that FiSCA members are highly active and play vital roles in making our communities better places to live,” continued Dachis. “All of this year’s Activa Award recipients have demonstrated the importance of, and perhaps more importantly, the value of proactive participation in their local communities.”
FiSCA, founded in 1987, is the national trade association for more than 6,000 individual financial service centers across the United States. FiSCA members provide a wide variety of financial services and products to their communities, including check cashing, money orders, money transfers, and electronic bill payment services, automatic teller machine access, government benefit and payroll payments, payday advances, electronic tax preparation, prepaid debit cards, deposit acceptance services, public transportation fare and token sales, motor vehicle license plate and title distribution, postage stamp sales and numerous other services. For more information, please visit www.fisca.org.

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