JANUARY 24, 2005

PEOPLE'S, CASEY FAMILY SERVICES PARTNER TO PROVIDE FREE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - A new partnership between Casey Family Services' Bridgeport division and People's Bank will provide low-income Bridgeport area residents with free tax form preparation assistance every Tuesday and Wednesday evening throughout the tax season, beginning January 18. Casey Family Services, a nonprofit child welfare agency with offices throughout Connecticut, New England and Baltimore, and People's Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the state, have come together to help families in need navigate complex tax forms, and introduce them to the world of financial literacy. These will be the first volunteer income tax assistance sites to open in Bridgeport this year, and People's Bank will be the only financial institution hosting a site.

Lamond Daniels, community liaison for Casey Family Services in Bridgeport, says the program assists families who might otherwise have to pay a tax preparer, and identifies those people who are eligible to receive an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refund. ''Any individual who earned less than $34,458, or married couple who earned less than $35,458, in 2004 may qualify for an EITC refund of up to $4,000,'' explains Daniels. ''That is a significant amount of money for many families in this community. The trained volunteers in our program work with each individual to help them use the money wisely, to get out of debt, buy their first home or meet another financial goal.''

''People's is pleased to partner with Casey Family Services to provide a place for members of the community to receive assistance with their taxes,'' said Barbara Johnson, senior vice president, Corporate Community Relations at People's. ''Last year, our customer service manager at North and Park volunteered her services as a tax preparer at Casey Family Services and was so impressed by the need for this type of assistance in the community that this year we will be opening our doors at North and Park to be able to help even more people,'' said Johnson.

Daniels says people who come to the tax assistance centers at the Casey Bridgeport division office or People's Bank North and Park branch in Bridgeport will learn about a variety of additional workshops and financial services that are available to them at no cost. ''Most people come to our centers to find out if they qualify for the EITC refund,'' says Daniels, ''but that is just the first step for them. Our hope is that many of our clients will want to continue to learn about budgeting, homeownership, savings plans and ways to repair their credit records, so they can improve their situations and meet their long-term financial goals.''

Financial counselors from People's Bank will assist in leading workshops throughout the year. People who do not have a savings account will be able to open one while at the tax preparation assistance site at the People's North and Park branch, so they can receive their refunds more quickly as a direct deposit.

The multilingual tax preparation assistance, and registration for additional financial training workshops, will be available every Tuesday at the People's Bank North and Park branch at 1728 Park Avenue from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m., and at the Casey Family Services Bridgeport division, 789 Reservoir Avenue, every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. through April 13, 2005. For more information on the tax preparation assistance program, call (203) 372-5133.

About Casey Family Services
Casey Family Services (caseyfamilyservices.org) has been helping children and families in need in the Bridgeport area for nearly 30 years. As the direct service arm of the national Annie E. Casey Foundation, started by United Parcel Service founder Jim Casey, Casey Family Services assists vulnerable families and communities throughout New England and Baltimore.

About People's Bank
Founded in 1842, People's Bank (peoples.com) is one of Connecticut's largest banks with assets of $11 billion, more than 240 ATMs and 155 branches, 66 of which offer convenient seven-day banking in Super Stop & Shop locations across the state. A diversified financial services company, People's Bank provides consumer, commercial, insurance, retail investment and trust services to personal and business banking customers. People's Bank is the official banking partner of the University of Connecticut Division of Athletics. For more information about People's, its products and services, please call 800-772-1090, visit peoples.com or any of People's branches.