DATE: October 19, 2008

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

Las Vegas, NV –  During its 20th Annual National Conference & Exposition, the Financial Services Centers of America (FiSCA) announced the 2008 winners of its Activa Awards. Each year FiSCA honors member companies for creating and implementing exemplary community service programs.  These diverse efforts include civic improvement, charitable donation and many other types of programs all 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, Joe Coleman, 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
  • Greater Washington, D.C. Urban League
    
    
• Amscot Financial – Tampa, FL
  • 100 Black Men of Orlando
    
    
• Check Center (Check Agencies of California) – Oakland, CA
  • American Diabetes Association and Check Center’s “Child Safety Day” program
    
    
• Check City of Utah – Provo, UT
  • United Cerebral Palsy of Utah
    
    
• Checksmart – Dublin, OH
  • Local charitable organizations in OH, KY, IN, MI, VA, FL, KS, MO, AZ, UT and CA
    
    
• Community Currency Exchange Association of Illinois – Des Plaines, IL
  • YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
    
    
• Moneytree, Inc. – Seattle, WA
  • Sea Mar Community Health Center
    
    
• PLS Financial Services – Chicago, IL
  • Public schools in AL, AZ, CA, IL, IN, MS, NY, TX and WI
    

 “The Activa Awards demonstrate to regulators, legislators, community leaders and the media that FiSCA members are highly active and play vital roles in making our communities better places to live,” continued Coleman. “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.”

About FiSCA
FiSCA, founded in 1987, is the national trade association for more than 7,000 individual financial service centers across the United States. FiSCA member locations are used by more than 15 million customers each year to conduct wide variety of financial services including check cashing, money orders, money transfers, and electronic bill payment services, automatic teller machine access, government benefit and payroll payments, small dollar short-term loans, 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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