Strong, Smart and Bold Women Honored for Service to Community

The three honorees for this year have influenced the lives of many young women and embody the mission of Girls Incorporated.  Girls Inc. is proud to recognize Pamela Browner-Crawley, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs – Citizens Bank; Marciene S. Mattleman, President, ASAP/After School Activities Partnership & Education Reporter for KYW Newsradio;  and Nilda I. Ruiz, President and CEO, Asociación Puertorriqueños En Marcha, Inc. 

“Each of these women has shown great strength, perseverance, and dedication to reaching their goals.  They are women who the girls of Girls Inc. can strive to emulate,” said Jan Figueira, Chief Executive Officer.  “Our girls blossom in the legacy of women like these honorees.”

The Strong, Smart and Bold Award is presented annually by Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that provides education, mentoring and counseling services to girls and their families, primarily those in “at-risk” situations.  The award’s name is drawn from the Girls Inc. mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold.

The Sixth Annual Founders’ Strong Smart and Bold Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12^th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA.  Registration will begin at 7:30 AM and will be followed by the program at 8:00 AM.  Gwen Owens, News Anchor on CN8, The Comcast Network, will serve as emcee. The event is one of Girls Inc.’s most important annual fundraisers and is a primary source of funding for the group’s exclusive and nationally-researched programs.   

Information about the Breakfast can be found at the event’s dedicated website, at www.foundersbreakfast.org, or by emailing info@foundersbreakfast.org.  Interviews with the Strong, Smart and Bold Award recipients are available upon request. 

About Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey

Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey is the regional chapter of Girls Incorporated, the national nonprofit youth organization located in New York City.  Girls Inc. provides in-home counseling, community and school based education programs, group mentoring and youth development activities and includes the programs: Services to Children in Their Own Homes; The Center Based Program; Saturday Sisters; Summer Sisters Day Camp; Love & Limits: Strengthening Families Program; and In-school programming that offers six Girls Inc. National Identity Programs.

About Girls Incorporated ®

Girls Incorporated ® is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold ^{SM .}  With local roots dating to 1864 and national status since 1945, Girls Inc. has responded to the changing needs of girls through research-based programs and public education efforts that empower girls to understand, value and assert their rights. 

More information about Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern Jersey can be found at www.girlsincpa-nj.org or by contacting the office at 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 1400, Philadelphia, PA 19107; (215) 735-7775.

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