Amscot Financial Contributes Mini-Grants to 17 Non-Profit Service Organizations

TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, has made mini-grants of $100 to $250 to 17 non-profit service organizations in its 15-county service area. The grants went to:

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• Hernando County YMCA, Spring Hill. The YMCA's Elementary Water Safety program provides a free 30-minute water safety program for every enrolled kindergarten student in Hernando County. Approximately 120 students participated in 2009.  

• Total Freedom Program, Ocoee. Total Freedom Program is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to restoring individuals and families whose lives have been destroyed by drug and alcohol addiction.

• Intervention Before Crisis, Gibsonton. This organization serves disadvantaged youth in south Hillsborough County. It offers tutoring, computer skills training and job skills training.  

• Junior League of Clearwater-Dunedin, Dunedin. This organization is holding its second annual Youth Summit and Life Skills event for foster youth on March 27.  The organization expects more than 100 foster youth to attend the event at the Clearwater campus of St. Petersburg College. The event encourages foster youth to visualize their future success and offers skills training to help them realize their dreams.

• March of Dimes, Tampa. The March of Dimes serves all women of child-bearing age. Its mission is to improve the health of babies by working to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. It carries out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy.

• East Pasco YMCA, Zephyrhills. The organization annually sends teenagers enrolled in its Teen Leaders program to a leadership school in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This annual summer program teaches participants leadership skills and helps prepare them to be successful adults.

• Troop 200, Boy Scouts of America, Orlando. As part of an Eagle Scout project, the troop created "Crime Bites," a program to raise $8,000 for the purchase of a trained K-9 dog for the Orange County Sheriff's Office.  

• St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Orlando.  The school is a small school whose students come from diverse family backgrounds from throughout greater metropolitan Orlando.

• Most Holy Redeemer Inter-Parochial School, Tampa. This K-8 school was founded 55 years ago to serve the educational needs of students in northern Hillsborough and southern Pasco counties. It was established with the premise that all children, regardless of race, religion or socioeconomic status, should have the opportunity of a quality education.

• Center for Autism and Related Disorders, University of South Florida, Tampa.  The CARD program at USF works with individuals affected by autism and related disorders. It provides free counseling, training, visual supports and additional resources to families and individuals affected by autism. It serves a 14-county area.

• Orange County Library System Summer Reading program, Orlando. The annual summer reading program is a free event series that creates educational and cultural opportunities for youth aged six to 18. The mission of the summer reading program is to make participants aware of the resources and opportunities available at their public library.

• B.I.K.E.R.S.C.A.P., Inc.,  Land 'o Lakes. This non-profit organization, made up of motorcycle enthusiasts, works to parlay a love of motorcycles into providing free computer systems for school-aged children. The group provided 43 computers to children in 2009.  

• Healthy Start Manatee, Bradenton. This non-profit organization held an HIV/AIDS awareness day on Feb. 6. About 300 people participated in this community awareness event.

• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, St. Petersburg. The JDRF's annual  Walk to Cure event in Pinellas County will take place on March 13 at Fort Desoto Park. The event seeks to raise money for research to cure Type 1 diabetes.  

• Muscular Dystrophy Association, Orlando. MDA is a voluntary health agency that works to defeat muscle-wasting diseases through research and education.  

• Molding Outcomes, Inc., Tampa. The mission of this non-profit organization is to reduce school drop-out rates by enhancing relationship among students, communities and families.

• Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Program. This program, organized by Apopka City Commissioner Kathy Till, brings together high school students to participate in six two-hour classes in business ethics, completing job resumes, managing money and interviewing skills. The classes are taught by volunteers. Students are offered scholarships if they cannot afford the $50 fee.  

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.amscotfinancial.com .

SOURCE Amscot Financial