June 3, 2003

PEOPLE'S BANK TO TRAIN MOHEGAN SUN EMPLOYEES IN SENSITIVITY TOWARD SENIORS' NEEDS

BBRIDGEPORT, CONN. - Angela DeLeon, coordinator of People's Bank Masters Program, who has provided hundreds of Connecticut law enforcement officers with senior sensitivity training, will share her expertise with the food service staff at Mohegan Sun this week.

DeLeon will instruct the casino's employees about the challenges facing seniors and how to best serve their customers' needs. Training includes exercises that help employees understand what it's like to be a senior citizen with challenges like limited vision or flexibility. Employees will don special glasses to see what it's like to live with cataracts. They will have their mobility constrained to understand what it's like to have arthritis and try to handle money or open a milk container. They also will learn about alcohol, prescription medications and the elderly - a new element of the program. The training will take place in three full-day sessions on Wed., Thurs. and Fri.

"Presently one out of eight people in the U.S. are over 65 years old;that number will double by the year 2020," DeLeon said. "By providing the services of People's Masters Program to our commercial customers, we can assist them in preparing for the ageing of America by helping them help their customers to enjoy activities throughout their retirement years."

People's Masters Program was founded in 1997 and is recognized nationally for its leadership in initiating crime prevention and awareness programs for senior citizens. People's Bank is the only financial services organization in the country to provide crime prevention and awareness training to seniors across the state.

"Seniors form a significant portion of our customer base at Mohegan Sun and we strive constantly to provide them with the best possible experience at our facilities," said Gary Crowder, senior vice president Food and Beverage Group. "That ranges from our casino to our restaurants to our hotels and by partnering with People's Bank, which brings so much expertise to the table, we ensure that we meet our customers' needs."

DeLeon joined Attorney General Richard Blumenthal;John DeMattia, Supervisory Assistant Chief State's Attorney;and Lisa Bull of the Federal Bureau of Investigation at a Consumer University hosted by Mohegan Sun last November to teach senior citizens across Connecticut about protecting themselves and their money. DeLeon is a member of the board of directors of the Crime Prevention Association of Connecticut (CPAC). She is the only person in Connecticut certified to teach senior sensitivity and senior crime prevention to police officers. She also trains throughout the country for the U.S. Department of Justice.

People's (peoples.com) is a diversified financial services company providing commercial, consumer, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with assets of $12 billion, 155 branches and 230 ATMs. People's is a leader in consumer and commercial banking, residential lending, insurance sales, supermarket banking and is the nation's 19th-largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People's subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing, and insurance services.