BRAINTREE, Mass., Dec. 19 (2005)—Nellie Mae, a leading national student loan provider based in Braintree, Mass., along with The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, today announced that they have raised $26,000 this year for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. As part of the annual fundraising campaign, Nellie Mae employees pledged nearly $13,000 in donations to the United Way. Through its employee contribution program, The Sallie Mae Fund will match every dollar contributed by employees, effectively doubling the contribution. Nellie Mae has been supporting the United Way of Massachusetts Bay for more than a dozen years through employee fundraising efforts.
"Nellie Mae is committed to doing its part to strengthen the community where we live and work," said John Marcus, president of Nellie Mae. "By partnering with the United Way and local community organizations, Nellie Mae employees are able to act as good neighbors and make a positive difference in the lives of local children and families."
In addition to raising money for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, 26 Nellie Mae employees volunteered for three-hour shifts at a local United Way-sponsored agency, the Quincy, Mass.-based organization Cradles to Crayons. The mission of Cradles to Crayons is to put new and gently used children's essentials—such as strollers, books, clothing, school supplies, and arts and crafts materials—into the hands of local-area low-income or homeless children.
Cradles to Crayons opened its doors in the spring of 2002. In 2005, the Cradles to Crayons service estimates that it will reach 25,000 children, up from 16,000 children in 2004. Nellie Mae staff provided 78 hours of labor sorting through donated items—keeping only those that met the Cradles to Crayons quality standards—then grouping them by age-appropriateness, and bagging a combination of items for individual children.
For more information about Nellie Mae, please visit www.nelliemae.com. To find a local United Way organization in your area, go to http://national.unitedway.org.
About Nellie Mae Since 1982, Nellie Mae has focused exclusively on providing education financing for undergraduate and graduate students and families. Programs include Federal Stafford, PLUS and Consolidation Loans, as well as private loans. Online services include loan pre-approval, a loan information center, and debt-management tools to help students before and after college. Visit www.nelliemae.com for more information. Located in Braintree, Mass., Nellie Mae is a wholly owned affiliate of Sallie Mae, the nation's largest provider of education funding. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States.
The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission—to increase access to a post secondary education for America's children—by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information, visit www.salliemaefund.org.