Amscot Financial Contributes Mini-grants To 25 Non-profit Service Organizations

Tampa, FL – (May 20, 2011) –Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, has made mini-grants of $100 to $1,000 to 25 non-profit service organizations in its 15-county service area. The grants went to:

• Lealman and Asian Family Neighborhood Center, St. Petersburg. This neighborhood community center in northwest St. Petersburg offers before- and after-school care for children; English classes for speakers of other languages; a neighborhood food pantry and a computer lab. For more information, please visit http://lanfc.homestead.com/index.html

• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, Largo. The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast is to inspire and enable all young people living in Pinellas County to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The organization has five core program areas: Character and Leadership Development; Education and Career Development; Health and Life Skills; the Arts and Sports/Fitness/Recreation. For more information, please visit: www.bgcsun.com.

• Big Sis, Inc., Winter Garden. B.I.G.  S.I.S., Inc. is an acronym that stands for “Becoming Independent, Goal-Oriented & Self-Sufficient In Society. The group’s mission is to create opportunities for positive change in the lives of women and young girls. BIG SIS offers self-esteem-building and mentoring programs for teen girls and teenage mothers as well as reintegration, empowerment and self-sufficiency programs for adult women. For more information, please visit: www.bigsis.org.

• March of Dimes, Tampa. The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The group carries out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives.  For more information visit the website at www.marchofdimes.com.

• Latino Leadership, Orlando. On Aug. 12, the non-profit Latino Leadership organization will hold the third annual Southeast Regional Latino Family Conference at the University of Central Florida. Together with scholars, community, and business leaders, the organization will tackle the important issues affecting Latino families. For more information, please visit: http://www.latino-leadership.org.

• Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., St. Petersburg chapter, St. Petersburg. Top Ladies of Distinction is a national service organization with a major goal of developing teens through social and community service activities. The organization sponsors Top Teens of America, a program that mentors young women in good citizenship, public speaking and leadership. For more information, please visit www.tlodinc.org.

• National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Tampa. This organization provides mentoring for girls and awards scholarships to high school seniors entering college. For more information, please visit: nc100bwtampabay.org.

• Kids House of Seminole, Sanford. Founded in 2000, this non-profit service provider serves as the single point of contact for child abuse investigations in Florida. Every year, more that 2,500 children rely on the organization’s child-friendly facility to provide forensic interviewing and medical examinations, crisis intervention, advocacy and referral services as well as mental health therapy. For more information, please visit www.kidshouse.org.

• The National Marrow Donor Program – Be the Match, St. Petersburg. The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need, when they need it. The first step to becoming a bone marrow donor is to join the Be The Match Registry®. Doctors search the Be The Match Registry to find donors who match their patients. For more information, please visit www.BeTheMatch.org.

• Maternal Child Health Coalition, d.b.a. Bright Beginnings, Tampa. Bright Beginnings, formerly known as the Maternal Child Health Coalition, began providing services in 1989. Prevention of low birth weight, infant mortality and health promotion, through the first year of life, formed the cornerstone of its services and advocacy in Hillsborough County. Since 1998, Bright Beginnings has expanded its reach to help both children and their families.  Today, through dynamic community partnerships, Bright Beginnings offers: home visitation programs for pregnant and parenting women, including teens; self-sufficiency programs targeting school success for children, as well as job development and financial literacy courses for adults and Family Support and Resource Centers, located in Brandon and North Tampa, that provide developmental play groups for children, school readiness and success programs, and workshops for financial literacy and employability. For more information, please visit: http://www.brightbeginningshills.org.

• Easter Seals, Tampa: Easter Seals Florida’s mission is to provide exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities. Easter Seals provides programs and services within a collaborative community-based framework and is committed to providing program and services of the highest quality. For more information, please visit fl.easterseals.com.

• Melrose Elementary Center for Journalism and Multimedia Studies, St. Petersburg. A three-week journalism summer camp engages students in the photo and print journalism of their community, the south side of St. Petersburg. Their efforts are published in the school newspaper and posted in art centers around St. Petersburg.

• Mental Health Care, Inc., Tampa. More than 200 children and their families are served at any given time under four programs operated by this group. Many of these families have no transportation with which to bring their children to scheduled psychiatric appointments. The organization is raising funds to pay for a dedicated means of transportation. For more information, please visit www.mhcinc.org.

• The Rope Center, Hudson. Founder Jim Campbell and his wife were inspired to create a place to give people a leg up and not a hand out. They provide a transitional living center to help homeless people get back on their feet.  The center offers resources that help clients find jobs, food stamps, clothes and other aid. For more information, visit the website at www.theropecenter.com.

• God’s Hands Agency, Orlando. This non-profit group works to connect the hearing to the deaf community. It assists deaf youth in becoming self-advocates and helps them develop a sense of independence. For more information, please visit godshandorlando.com.

• Arthritis Foundation, Tampa. The Arthritis Walk at Al Lopez Park is an event for families living with juvenile arthritis to come together for support and to raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation. Funds raised from the event will go toward the organization’s mission to improve lives through research into the prevention and cure of arthritis. For more information, please visit: www.arthritis.org.

• Heather’s Hope Foundation, Lakeland. This group advocates against domestic violence in Polk and Hillsborough counties. It holds one major fundraiser each year, a Purple Ribbon 5K Run. Monies raised go toward programs in high schools focused on teen bullying.  For more information, please visit www.heathershope.net.

• READ Pinellas, Inc., Oldsmar. READ Pinellas is a Pinellas County literacy coalition organized to coordinate resources, increase awareness and involve the community in increasing adult literacy. Among its many activities, the group provides student scholarships for GED examination fees. In 2010, it provided assistance to 147 individuals who otherwise would not have been able to obtain a GED diploma.

• Operation 10-24, Largo. Operation 10-24 is an organization at Pinellas Park High School’s Criminal Justice Academy. The freshman class is trying to change the Florida law that bans new specialty license plates until 2014. The group is seeking a new specialty license plate that would raise money for the families of fallen law enforcement officers.

• Redland Christian Migrant Association, Plant City. , RCMA creates and fosters opportunities for the children of migrant and other low-income rural families to maximize the choices in their lives by: providing quality child care; providing children and their families with support services; providing educational opportunities and improving the health and general welfare of children and their families and increasing public awareness of the lifestyle of migrant and seasonal farm workers. For more information, please visit rcma.org.

• Family Support and Resource Centers, Tampa. The Family Support & Resource Centers are regionally located throughout Hillsborough County (Brandon, Central Tampa, North Tampa, South County and Town 'N Country) to meet the needs of families from all walks of life. All programs and services are at no cost to any family or individual. The philosophy of family support is part of a national movement which seeks to strengthen and empower families and communities so they can foster the best possible development of children, youth and adults. Broad community partnerships are at the heart of service and program delivery with an emphasis on child development, self sufficiency, and health and safety. The centers are a fun, inviting place for families to come on a day-to-day basis. In particular, individuals who have recently moved to the area have enjoyed the opportunity to meet new friends and gain support in re-establishing their families in Hillsborough County. For more information, please visit: http://www.familysupporthc.org.

• Intervention Before Crisis, Gibsonton. This non-profit group serves at-risk youth and their parents through GED preparation, computer classes, counseling services as well as educational field trips.

• KIDZKARE, Sanford.  This Seminole County organization provides childcare, tutoring, dance and sports classes.

• Touched by an Angel Ministries, Pinellas Park: This non-profit, interdenominational ministry operates a former motel in Pinellas County and offers shelter to homeless families, typically on an emergency or transitional basis.

• Kids With A Call, Inc., Tampa. Kids With A Call, Inc. is an artistically driven, year-round afterschool and  program that engages children and youth aged 5 to 15 in the Tampa Bay area, in enrichment activities in music, chorus, art, readers’ theater and martial arts. Curriculum lessons are designed to promote literacy and critical thinking skills, teach discipline, promote teamwork, camaraderie, responsibility, and patriotism , enhance racial and cultural understanding, and promote physical and spiritual strength. Planned field trips will promote careerism and performing before an audience will help to create a sense of value. For more information, please visit: http://kidswithacall.com.

About Amscot Financial
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Amscot Financial is a leading provider of income tax preparation and electronic filing services, refund anticipation loans, prepaid debit cards, check cashing services, cash advance services, bill payment services, money transfer services and money orders through its wholly owned division, Amscot International Money Order Company.  Amscot also offers the Amscot Card, a pre-paid debit card that allows owners to make purchases from any location that accepts MasterCard™. Amscot Financial currently operates 174 tax preparation offices and 174 retail financial service centers throughout Florida and employs more than 2,000 people. Amscot Financial has been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of Tampa Bay’s Best Places to Work for four consecutive years. For additional information, please visit the company’s Web site at www.amscot.com.