FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Focus America and Prudential Financial, Inc.
Volunteers Provide Food for Children on the Green

April 2, 2003-CONVENT STATION, NJ: Employees engaged in Prudential Financial, Inc.’s Community Volunteer Council (CVC), for its Roseland and Livingston offices, teamed together to collect 22 boxes of food for donation to Children on the Green, in conjunction with Focus America, a NJ Non-Profit Corporation.
Children on the Green, a developmentally appropriate early care and learning center serving working families of all incomes, provides child care for children in area shelter programs. While the tuition for these children is subsidized by private donations and grants, the day care center must provide lunches and snacks for the children.

“ Most of our volunteers are local college students,” states Shelly Zimmerman, President and Founder of Focus America. “So it was truly exciting when we were approached by a member of the CVC at Prudential to help on this massive food drive. Prudential associates Tiffany Regan and Janet Saulter-Hemmer were instrumental in organizing the Prudential team of volunteers and creating an aura of enthusiasm.”

During the first two weeks of February, Prudential employees rallied to collect unopened lunch/snack foods to benefit at-risk children, participating in programs offered by Children on the Green, whose mothers are temporarily staying at shelters or are in the process of transitioning to independent living.

“ The Prudential Financial CVC volunteers are able to organize a variety of service projects throughout the year because of the company’s support of employee-driven efforts,” explains CVC Roseland/Livingston leader Janet Saulter-Hemmer.

“With Children on the Green normally covering the cost of lunches and snacks for the children, our employees’ much-needed donation allows the center to reallocate funds to cover other necessities.”

Prudential Financial companies, with approximately $556 billion in total assets under management and administration as of December 31, 2002, serve individual and institutional customers worldwide and include The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, New Jersey one of the largest life insurance companies in the U.S. These companies offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, property and casualty insurance, mutual funds, annuities, pension and retirement related services and administration, asset management, securities brokerage, banking and trust services, real estate brokerage franchises and relocation services. In addition to donating thousands of employee volunteer hours each year, Prudential, through The Prudential Foundation, supports a wide variety of non-profit programs benefiting local communities across the United States and beyond. For more information, visit www.prudential.com.

Focus America works specifically with destitute and underserved communities in Morris County, NJ as well as several other communities throughout the USA. Their volunteer organization focuses on addressing basic needs (shelter, food, and clothing) then introducing educational programs to help the communities achieve self-sufficiency. Their ultimate goal is to help eliminate poverty in these underdeveloped communities. For more information about Focus America, contact Shelly Zimmerman at szimmerman@focusamerica.org or visit their website at www.focusamerica.org.

CONTACT: Shelly Zimmerman, President and Founder
PO Box 267
Convent Station, NJ 07961
862-812-0648 (cell) or 973-993-8639 (home)
szimmerman@focusamerica.org