Citi Joins Youth Off The Streets To Help Teens In Need

CITI JOINS YOUTH OFF THE STREETS TO HELP TEENS IN NEED


Sydney, 14 December 2009: Citi Australia is banking on the fact that education is one of the most effective ways to break the cycles of abuse and poverty by launching a new program to help arm disadvantaged young people with better life skills.

Citi joined forces with Youth Off The Streets today to launch its `Smart Money' program a partnership which both believes will make a difference to youth in crisis.

"More than 1000 of our young people are sleeping rough on any given night in metropolitan Sydney," said Roy Gori, CEO of Citibank Australia.

"That's a statistic which Citi Australia is passionate about reversing. We feel one of the best ways a bank can do that is through supporting trained educators with grass roots life education programs like Smart Money which will help empower our youth to climb out of financial difficulty and suppressive cycles."

The program aimed at 13-18 year olds will be taught by teachers at Youth Off The Streets' four school campuses around the state starting next year, and is championed by charity founder Father Chris Riley.

"Financial management is a life skill that is learnt either in the home, or at school. Most of the young people we work with have been disengaged from education and do not have positive parental role models in their lives, so the Smart Money program will be the first opportunity they have to learn to be financially responsible," said Father Chris Riley.

"By teaching young people the ability to save, to run a household budget, to understand contracts and conditions and to avoid disreputable lenders, the Smart Money program will give our kids a better chance at breaking the cycle of poverty."

The program will cover off life skills such as budgeting, how to get out of debt, identifying employment opportunities, how to open a bank account, understanding mobile phone plans and payments, scams and financial dangers, a practical guide to renting and knowing who can help if they're in trouble.

These are followed by one-on-one sessions which focus on the individual's financial needs, home situation and life goals, with a view to creating a personal step-by-step plan to move their life forward longer term.

Citi announced Smart Money at a graduation ceremony today for nine School Certificate students from Key College in Sydney's Surry Hills. They're part of a record number of Year 10 graduates at Youth Off The Streets' four education campuses across New South Wales this year.

Youth Off The Streets event details:

Please join us to see nine students graduate from Key College with their School Certificates at Surry Hills at 10am, Monday 14 December.

Father Chris Riley will be available for interview, along with Roy Gori, CEO of Citibank Australia, graduating and former students who say Key College turned their lives around.

Date: Monday, 14 December
Location: Key College, 82 Albion St, Surry Hills
Time: 10.00am 11.30am with refreshments afterwards
Contact: Erin Campbell Citibank PR 0438 285 152 [email protected]
Ina Mullin YOTS PR 0412 377 217 [email protected]

About Citi

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management.

Citi's major brand names include Citibank. Additional information may be found at www.citi.com.au


About Youth Off The Streets

Youth Off The Streets is a non-denominational community organisation working for young people who are homeless, drug dependent and recovering from abuse. We support these young people as they work to turn their lives around and overcome immense personal traumas such as neglect and physical, psychological and emotional abuse.

Since opening in 1991, Youth Off The Streets has grown from a single food van delivering meals to young homeless people on the streets of Kings Cross to a major youth specific agency providing a wide range of services offering a full continuum of care.

It is our goal that these young people will leave our care drug free, with a high school education, living skills and a full or part time job in hand. To donate to Youth Off The Streets, please call:

1800 06 22 88 or
visit: www.youthoffthestreets.com.au

SOURCE: Citi Australia, Youth Off The Streets