Neighborhood Link
Raymond Robinson
303-830-0123 x111
pr@neighborhoodlink.com
www.neighborhoodlink.com
BANK ONE, TIME WARNER, FANNIE MAE AND UNITED WAY TEAM UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD LINK TO HELP BRING FREE NEIGHBORHOOD WEB SITES TO GREATER COLUMBUS
DENVER & COLUMBUS, September 13, 1999 - Neighborhood Link (www.neighborhoodlink.com), the Internet-based community network that enables metropolitan-area neighborhood associations to create their own free, interactive Web sites today announced that it has officially launched in the Columbus metropolitan area. Four prominent Columbus area corporations have signed on as sponsors to help bring this civic resource to the central Ohio community. They are: Bank One, Time Warner Communications, Fannie Mae (FNM/NYSE), and the Neighborhood Partnership Center of United Way.
“We’re very excited that we have been able to bring our one-of-a-kind civic service to the greater Columbus area,” said Ted Pinkowitz, CEO of Neighborhood Link. “And, having corporations like Bank One, Time Warner Communications, Fannie Mae and United Way that are as community focused as we are makes these sponsors an outstanding match for Neighborhood Link.”
By connecting neighborhoods with city government Web sites, such as Columbus Mayor Gregory S. Lashutka’s office and Columbus City Council members such as Charleta Tavares, Neighborhood Link is becoming central Ohio’s primary resource for civic communication and information. Neighborhood Link’s goal is to re-create civic communication in the United States through public and private partnerships with cities and corporations.
Neighborhood Link enables neighborhood associations and homeowners associations to establish and maintain their own Web sites quickly and easily by entering information into simple forms, which automatically and instantaneously create or modify Web pages. No knowledge of HTML or programming language is necessary.
Bank One Corporation, the nation’s fifth largest bank holding company was the first Columbus-area sponsor to sign on with Neighborhood Link to help bring the service to the metropolitan area. Bank One is a responsible, involved civic leader that cares about and strengthens the communities it serves. In the Columbus market, Bank One employs more than 10,000 people and has the largest employee volunteer network with nearly 2,000 employee volunteers.
Time Warner has served the central Ohio community for more than 25 years, leading the way in new technology, customer service and product value. Today, the company serves nearly 305,000 customers throughout 20 counties. In addition to cable television service, Time Warner offers high-speed internet access with Road Runner, the first service of its kind in central Ohio. Among Road Runner’s key features is local news and information, making a partnership with Neighborhood Link a natural fit.
Fannie Mae, the nation’s largest source of financing for home mortgages is also a sponsor of Neighborhood Link in the San Antonio metropolitan area. Fannie Mae’s Columbus sponsorship helps to make this service available at no charge to neighborhood associations in the Columbus area. The Fannie Mae banner on the site provides a link to Fannie Mae’s Web site, www.fanniemae.com, as well as Homepath.com. Beginning in October, Fannie Mae will also have a Fannie Mae Columbus link so it can provide information on local housing initiatives. This commitment is part of Fannie Mae’s HouseColumbus investment strategy, a five-year $1.5 billion plan to help 22,000 families on the path to homeownership.
The Neighborhood Partnership Center of United Way is the product of a unique collaboration of volunteers from private businesses, government, agencies, and neighborhood organizations. With a focus around assisting neighborhood residents as they tackle neighborhood problems, the Neighborhood Partnership Center is the designated “place” at United Way where residents, activists, and volunteers gather to exchange ideas, obtain information, secure technical guidance, and fashion innovative collaborations. The Neighborhood Partnership banners on the Neighborhood Link Web site link to additional information about the activities and programs offered through the Partnership Center.
About Neighborhood Link
Neighborhood Link (www.neighborhoodlink.com) is an Internet-based community network that enables neighborhoods in participating metropolitan areas to create their own free, interactive Web sites. Neighborhood Link, which launched in 1998, becomes fully integrated into communities through partnerships with local governments, neighborhood groups and community organizations, including public schools, libraries, police departments and community newspapers. Denver-based Neighborhood Link currently serves 24 U.S. metropolitan areas - Baltimore, Cincinnati, Colorado Springs, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles/Orange County, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland/Vancouver, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, Tampa and Tucson - and plans to be in more than 30 markets by December 1999. For more information about obtaining free neighborhood Web sites or about becoming a corporate sponsor, call toll-free 1-888-241-0123.
Bank One PR contact: Lisa Antolino - 614/248-9079
“Neighborhood Link puts valuable resources in the hands of local neighborhood associations and nonprofit organizations, greatly enhancing their abilities to communicate and mobilize constituencies. Sponsoring Neighborhood Link is a natural fit for Bank One because increasing an organization’s effectiveness and capacity is at the heart of Bank One’s work in the community,” agreed David P. Lauer, President of the Columbus market for Bank One, NA.
About Bank One
Bank One Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is the nation’s fifth largest bank holding company, with assets of more than $256 billion. Bank One offers a full range of financial services to commercial and business customers and consumers. It is the world’s largest VISA issuer, the third largest bank lender to small businesses, a leading national automotive lender, and one of the top 25 managers of mutual funds. A leader in the retail market, Bank One operates approximately 1,900 banking centers and a nationwide network of ATMs. In addition, it is a major commercial bank in the United States and in select international markets.
Time Warner PR contact: Judy Barbao - 614/481-5389
“Neighborhood Link is a great resource for area communities and non-profit organizations to share information and ideas. More and more people of all ages are turning to the Internet for information, and there’s nothing else like the resources on Neighborhood Link,” said Mary Jo Green, Time Warner Communications Vice President, Public Affairs. “Supporting Neighborhood Link was an easy decision for Time Warner because it’s the perfect complement to the free cable and Road Runner resources we provide to schools and libraries.”
About Time Warner Communications
Time Warner Communications serves nearly 305,000 customers in 290 communities. It is a division of Time Warner Cable, which owns and manages the world’s most advanced, best clustered cable television operations, with 80 percent of its 12 million customers in systems of 100,000 subscribers or more. Time Warner Cable is a division of Time Warner Entertainment.
Fannie Mae PR contact: Kerri McClimen - 312/368-6219
“Because homeownership and healthy neighborhoods go hand in hand, Fannie Mae is pleased to support Neighborhood Link in Columbus,” said Cindy Flaherty, Fannie Mae Columbus Partnership Office Director.
About Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae is a New York Stock Exchange company and the largest non-bank financial services company in the world. It operates pursuant to a federal charter and is the nation’s largest source of financing for home mortgages. Over the past 30 years, Fannie Mae has provided nearly $2.5 trillion of mortgage financing for over 30 million families. More information about Fannie Mae can be found on the Internet at http://www.fanniemae.com.
Fannie Mae’s Board of Directors has authorized the company to operate as “Fannie Mae,” and the company’s stock is now listed on the NYSE as “Fannie Mae.” In order to facilitate clarity and avoid confusion, news organizations are asked to refer to the company exclusively as “Fannie Mae.”
United Way PR contact: Fredericka Wallace Deena - 614/227-8704
About the Neighborhood Partnership Center of United Way
The United Way of Franklin County’s Neighborhood Partnership Center gives United Way a vehicle to work directly in partnership with the many different neighborhoods that make up Franklin County. The Center’s purpose is to respond to neighborhood priorities by linking neighborhood groups with the information, skills, and financial resources they need to address community priorities. Through the Neighborhood Partnership Center, United Way is providing critical linkages, bringing together people of the community to build stronger, healthier, and more sustainable neighborhoods. The Center’s four core activities include: the Neighborhood Training Academy, the William M. Bennett Neighborhood Library, the Neighborhood Grants Program, and the Corporate Matchmaking Program.
United Way Quote:
“Because United Way’s Neighborhood Partnership Center’s purpose is to respond to neighborhood priorities by linking neighborhood groups with the information, skills, and financial resources they need to address community priorities, Neighborhood Link is a perfect fit for us,” said Fredericka Wallace Deena, Director of Neighborhood Development. “We feel that we are working towards the same goal and are proud to be a sponsor in the Columbus area.”
