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Summer Edition 2007

	U.S. Treasury Recognizes Go Direct Champions Go Direct Kicks Off Year Three Go Direct empowers people with disabilities In the Media

U.S. Treasury Recognizes Go Direct Champions

As part of its national Go Direct campaign, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is recognizing nine financial institutions for their exceptional results in helping people switch their Social Security benefits from paper checks to direct deposit. The winners will be recognized today as Go Direct Champions at a ceremony at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C.

A total of 133 financial institutions – representing more than 25,000 branches nationwide – participated in the Go Direct Champions program, which tracked participants' increases in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ACH payments over a six-month period ending June 30, 2007. Participating banks and credit unions were grouped in three tiers according to size – small, medium and large – and the top three performers in each of the tiers are being recognized as Champions. More than 700 financial institutions are involved in the Go Direct campaign to inform federal benefit recipients about the benefits of direct deposit and to help them sign up for it.

We would like to thank all participating partners for their involvement in making Go Direct Champions a success!

To read the press release detailing the Go Direct Champions winners, please click here.

Stay tuned for news of the next Champions competition...Coming soon!

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Go Direct Kicks Off Year Three

With one million conversions and counting – and more than 1,000 partners – Go Direct is excited to announce the campaign is marking the start of its third year this summer.

The campaign is gearing up for major activities for the months ahead, including:

• Partner coalition meetings in many cities (September)
• Major media and partner activity focused on senior safety during National Crime Prevention Month (October)
• Go Direct Champions kick-off (October)

And don't forget to mark your calendars for February – National Go Direct Month!

We'd like to offer our partner groups a sincere word of thanks for your participation in the campaign. If you would like to become a Go Direct partner, please call (952) 346-6055 or email GoDirect@webershandwick.com.

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Go Direct empowers people with disabilities

Whether they receive their federal benefit payments directly or through a caregiver, many Americans with disabilities still receive their monthly payments in the form of a paper check. Paper checks are vulnerable to check fraud and forgery; switching to direct deposit gives people a safer, easier way to receive their Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) federal benefits.

Go Direct partners with organizations throughout the country to empower people with disabilities to receive their benefits through direct deposit. Here's a look at what a few of our partners are doing to promote Go Direct:

• The Jewish Guild for the Blind agreed to include information about Go Direct on its Internet radio reading service, InTouch Networks. The station reaches approximately 3,000 people in New York City homes and hospitals, and millions more through its 60+ nationwide affiliate stations in urban centers.
• The Bronx, NY, Chapter of the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC) is distributing 120 partner kits to its case workers and directors, each of whom serves 25 to 200 New York area families. Additionally, AHRC will distribute English and Spanish brochures to area senior citizens through their adjacent Aging in America Program. This partner also asked for unassembled partner kits to provide work for people with disabilities that use their program.
• Easter Seals included a Go Direct article in its electronic newsletter that reaches all Easter Seals board members and more than 13,000 staff members across the country. The article highlighted Easter Seals as a national Go Direct partner and encouraged its nationwide network of 550 Easter Seals centers to motivate the many people with disabilities they serve to switch to direct deposit.

If your organization would like to promote Go Direct as part of your outreach to people with disabilities, call (952) 346-6055 to speak to a campaign representative. Click here to access the Individuals with Disabilities and Caregivers tool kit.

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In the Media

• To highlight Go Direct's one millionth enrollment, a news release was distributed in June, which generated the following media coverage:
  • The Credit Union National Association ran an article in its electronic newsletter, News Now.
  • The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) ran an article in ICBA NewsWatch Today, its daily electronic newsletter.
  • Credit Union Times recently ran an article highlighting the one million enrollments.
• The National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) ran a bylined article from Alvina McHale, director of legislative and public affairs for the Treasury's Financial Management Service, in the May/June issue of its magazine, The Federal Credit Union. The article talks about Go Direct and the benefits of direct deposit, as well as NAFCU's partnership with Go Direct.

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