EVENT:  PNC Bank has teamed-up with Samaritan’s Feet (www.samaritansfeet.org) to bless nearly 1,000 children and families with a new pair of shoes and socks to pre-identified children from the metro Detroit area. Each child will have their feet washed and a message of hope will be shared with them. 

 “By working with Samaritans Feet, we have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of more than 900 children and adults,” said David Boyle, Michigan regional president for PNC.  “We see it as our civic duty to give back to the Detroit community.”

WHEN:          Saturday, March 13, 2010

                        Distribution from 11:00am-3:00pm

WHERE:       Second Ebenezer Church

14601 Dequindre Street

Detroit, MI 48212 

DETAILS:

Employees from PNC Bank, Samaritan’s Feet, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau and members of Second Ebenezer Church will be volunteering during the event. This event is the 5^th time in the last 13 months, that Samaritan’s Feet will visit Detroit to distribute shoes to families in need. Cintas, Little Caesars, and the Greenfield Inn are also supporting Samaritan’s Feet to help provide the 1,000 pairs of shoes and socks. 

" We are excited to be going back to Detroit,” said Manny Ohonme, Founder of Samaritan’s Feet. “This has become home away from home. There are many families in Detroit that are struggling, but yet they are so grateful for what we give them. In tough economic times, many Detroit companies and volunteers are stepping up to help struggling families. I think it’s an honor to serve these children and families and show them God’s love.”

PNC Bank and Foundation

Through executive leadership, strategic investments and employee volunteerism, PNC is helping to build strong communities and create financial opportunities for individuals, families and businesses. Every year, the combined company invests millions of dollars in communities across the 14 states and the District of Columbia in which it operates to encourage home ownership, economic development, partnerships with community-based organizations and support early childhood education.

About Samaritan's Feet
There are over 300 million children who go without shoes every day.  It's their only mode of transportation.  That's why Samaritan's Feet (www.samaritansfeet.org) was started. Samaritan's Feet is a humanitarian relief organization based in Charlotte, NC that puts shoes on the feet of children all around the world.  Our goal is to provide-10 million pairs of shoes for 10 million impoverished people in 10 years.  To date, nearly three million pairs of shoes for children around the world have been collected. 

Samaritan’s Feet was started in 2003 by President and Founder, Manny Ohonme.  Manny received his first pair of shoes at the age of 9 from a missionary.  He started playing basketball with this new pair of shoes. Upon graduating high school, he was offered a scholarship to play basketball at University of North Dakota (Lake Region). He later received his Bachelor's and Master's Degree and pursued a career in supply chain and software marketing.