Advance America's "Give Back to School Drives" Benefit over 1,300 Schools across the Nation

News provided by

Oct 30, 2014, 11:20 ET

SPARTANBURG, S.C., Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Advance America centers across the country held "Give Back to School Drives" to benefit local communities, collecting over 120,000 supplies and over 1,000 Box Tops to donate to over 1,300 schools. These "Give Back to School Drives" were a part of the company's unified effort to make a positive impact in the communities it serves.

"Advance America has a long-standing tradition of sharing our time and resources to help our neighbors," said Patrick O'Shaughnessy, president and CEO of Advance America, the country's leading provider of non-bank financial services. "We are proud to support schools throughout the nation, and applaud our employees for taking an active role in their community."

Advance America centers used creative measures to attract residents to donate items, including holding Customer Appreciation Days, hosting pizza parties and coloring contests for kids. The Company's centers also partnered with local businesses in the area to help promote the Give Back to School Drive. Community members who donated to the drives were also eligible to enter to win a backpack full of school supplies.

Advance America's "Give Back to School Drives" complement the company's robust community outreach program. The company works year-round with national foundations, including the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, and the National Urban League. Through these partnerships, the company promotes academic achievement, job training, financial literacy and involvement in the electoral process.

In local communities, Advance America partners with nonprofits to provide a number of community outreach services, including collecting clothing, food, and stuffed animals for children and families in need; holding blood drives that have saved hundreds of lives; and volunteering at soup kitchens during the holidays. After Hurricane Sandy devastated much of the east coast, Advance America and its partner, MoneyGram, donated to the American Red Cross $1 for every money transfer to recipients in New Jersey, southern New York, Connecticut and eastern Pennsylvania.

To learn more about Advance America's community programs, visit: Advance America's community outreach brochure and Facebook page and Twitter feed.

About Advance America Cash Advance
Founded in 1997, Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc. is the country's leading provider of non-bank financial services, with approximately 2,400 centers across the country. The Company is a founding member of the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA), whose mission is to promote laws that provide substantive consumer protections and to encourage responsible industry practices. Advance America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Elektra, one of the largest Latin American providers of banking services, consumer finance and specialty retailing. Please visit www.AdvanceAmerica.net for more information.

SOURCE Advance America