PNC president reads to children
at Cecil’s Family Education Center 05-04-09

PNC Regional President Raymond “Chick” Hamm participates in the PNC Grow Up Great Executive Reader Program by reading to children at Cecil College’s Family Education Center in Elkton.

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ELKTON, Md. – PNC Regional President Raymond “Chick” Hamm recently kicked off the PNC Grow Up Great Executive Reader Program by reading to children at Cecil College’s Family Education Center in Elkton. Established in 2004, PNC Grow Up Great is a 10-year, $100 million investment to help improve the school readiness of children from birth to age 5. Part of this initiative includes a commitment to contribute 1 million volunteer hours in support of early childhood education. Since the program’s arrival in greater Maryland a year ago, PNC employees have logged nearly 7,500 hours and earned more than $17,000 in grants for their “adopted” centers.

To continue the momentum, executives and senior managers were invited to participate in the PNC Grow Up Great Executive Reader Program. This involves reading stories to children at the centers in their region on a regular basis. Participation in the Executive Reader Program advances awareness of Grow Up Great and the benefits that can be derived from volunteering.

The goal of the Family Education Center is to strengthen and empower families to lead productive, self-sufficient lives and to raise healthy, well-rounded children who enter school with the readiness skills needed to succeed. In the 2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30, the center served 101 children and 95 families.

Services at the Family Education Center are provided through Early Head Start, the Judy Hoyer Center Partnership, and private pay childcare. The Early Head Start program is the first early childhood education program in Cecil County that is fully accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education.