Manning Selvage & Lee Awards $100,000 of In-Kind Services to Samaritan House of Atlanta

Manning Selvage & Lee’s (MS&L) Atlanta office, one of the southeast’s leading integrated communications firms, today announced it has awarded its George Goodwin Grant for 2007-2008 to Samaritan House of Atlanta.  Samaritan House will receive $100,000 of pro bono public relations and marketing communications services from January 2007 to December 2008.

“Samaritan House of Atlanta has helped transform the lives hundreds of homeless men and women in the Atlanta area,” said Rob Baskin, managing director of MS&L’s Atlanta office. “It is a vital institution progressing the regional economy, and we are pleased to be a part of such an important effort.”

The prestigious George Goodwin Grant program was established in 1998 to continue the community service legacy of MS&L Atlanta founder George Goodwin, who has provided the city with more than 50 years of community service.  Its purpose is to provide an Atlanta-based non-profit agency with marketing communications guidance, planning and programs for two years.  Over 30 non-profits applied for this year’s coveted grant.

“MS&L is a well-respected PR agency and we are honored to be chosen for this grant,” said Sherrie Snipes-Williams, executive director of Samaritan House.  “Samaritan House relies on donations and volunteers to achieve our mission, and the expertise of MS&L’s staff will enable us to broaden our volunteer and donor base while continuing our successful programs for persons in need.”

Samaritan House of Atlanta will use the marketing services to support its various programs, including its employment readiness program, The EDGE (Earning Dignity…Gaining Employment); Café 458, its life-stabilization program; and Café 458 Weekend Brunch, which is open to the public and supports other Samaritan House programs.  In addition, the marketing services will support Atlanta Community Voicemail, a program that provides a 10-digit, dedicated voicemail to Samaritan House clients and other agencies who distribute voicemails to their clients.

Past recipients of the grant have included The Center for Puppetry Arts, the Southern Institute for Business and Professional Ethics, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) and Special Olympics Georgia.

MS&L Atlanta offers a full range of communications services for its clients, including public relations, workplace communications, investor relations and marketing communications services.  It has been one of the southeast's leading integrated communications firms for the past 42 years.  Its clients include Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Equifax, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Forestry Division, GourmetStation, The Home Depot, Philips Electronics and Randstad USA.

About Samaritan House of Atlanta

Samaritan House of Atlanta (www.samhouse.org) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform lives by helping homeless men and women gain self-sufficiency through personalized employment readiness and life-stabilization programs. Combined, our programs serve more than 600 homeless men and women each year. The EDGE, its employment readiness program, continues to help homeless men and women gain employment through access to e-mail, Community Voicemail, case management and training. Café 458 helps chronically homeless men and women stabilize their lives through case management, meals and supportive services. Samaritan House of Atlanta also owns and operates Café 458 Weekend Brunch, which is open to the general public each Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

About Manning Selvage & Lee

MS&L is one of the world's leading global public relations firms.  We achieve our mission - to be more important to our clients - by delivering world class media relations, acting as partners and advisors, powering clients' businesses with proven methods and tools for strategic planning, corporate and product branding, corporate reputation, crisis management, and stakeholder relations.  MS&L is the winner of the 2006 PRWeek PR Innovation of the Year and Best Use of the Internet awards.

MS&L is a member of the Publicis Groupe (Euronext Paris: 13057, NYSE: PUB), whose activities span 109 countries on six continents and include advertising, media counsel and buying, marketing services and specialized communications.  For more information, visit www.publicisgroupe.com.

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