Media Advisory - PNC BANK AND KIDS IN NEED FOUNDATION PROVIDE SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO LOCAL STUDENTS THROUGH HALFTIME INITIATIVE

PNC Bank and Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) will come together to deliver school supplies to teachers and students at Cherokee Heights Elementary School on Wednesday, Jan.15 at 9:00 a.m. CT. Minnesota Gopher Women's Hockey players Ella Huber and Madison Kaiser will join in delivering supplies and leading a story time with students.

The event highlights the fourth year of the ongoing collaboration between PNC Bank and KINF through the HALFTIME Initiative, which provides essential school supplies and support to under-resourced teachers and students, addressing the critical supply gap for the second half of the school year.

“The HALFTIME initiative reflects PNC’s commitment to helping children get a strong start in life,” said Kelly McQueen, PNC regional president for Minnesota. “This program will impact teachers’ ability to help more students reach their full potential and, subsequently, strengthen the communities we serve.”

Since 1995, KINF has provided the school supplies and learning resources needed to level the playing field in underserved communities. KINF is the only national nonprofit to focus its efforts on the country's most underserved schools - those with a student enrollment of 70 percent or more eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

WHO: PNC Regional President: Kelly McQueen

PNC Client & Community Relations Director: Deb Rohloff

Cherokee Heights Elementary School Principal: Gina Hass

20+ joyful PreK students along with their teacher

Minnesota Gopher Hockey Players: Ella Huber & Madison Kaiser

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 15 • 9am - 10am CT 

WHERE: Cherokee Heights Elementary School, 694 Charlton Street, St. Paul, MN  55107

WHY: In the schools served by Kids In Need Foundation, nine out of 10 teachers report not having the resources they need to begin the second semester, and more than two out of three students have run out of essential supplies. This program works to fill the gap and provide students and teachers with the tools they need to succeed in the second half of the school year.

For more information on how to support equitable learning environments through Kids In Need Foundation, visit www.kinf.org.

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) helps create equitable learning spaces through the distribution of supplies and resources, investing in teachers and students in underserved schools. We focus on supporting teachers and students where 70% or more of the students qualify for free or reduced-cost meals. In 2023, KINF supported nearly 4 million students and 200,000 teachers across 13,000 schools, distributing over $42 million in free supplies and resources. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: @KidsInNeed.