Detroit Area Banks and Credit Unions Join With Gleaners Community Food Bank to Fight Area Hunger

Financial Institutions Put Aside Rivalries in Spirit of Holidays to Help with Donation Shortfall

TROY, Mich., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 'Tis the season for normally competitive area banks and credit unions to join together and help Gleaners Community Food Bank overcome a shortfall in donations. By working in unison, local financial institutions are offering area residents a convenient network of more than 226 branches where donations to Gleaners can be made.

Gleaners provides food for more than 400 pantries, shelters, churches, soup kitchens and other distributors of emergency food in Southeastern Michigan. Improved efficiency on the part of food companies, the replacement of crops for ethanol and the economic issues in Michigan have resulted in an increase in families in need of food and a shortage of donations. In fact, in Michigan, one in 10 people are using emergency food programs because they don't have enough to eat.

That's why 14 area banks and credit unions have made their 226 area branches available during the month of December with the goal of raising $500,000 to help their hungry neighbors in southeastern Michigan.

"People in our community are asking for help, many for the first time." says Gleaners vice president for Development Gerry Brisson, "Thanks to the drive to Cure Hunger Here by the banks and credit unions of southeastern Michigan, we can feed the seniors, children, newly unemployed, and working poor families who need us now more than ever."

"We in the financial community have branches in every neighborhood, making it easy and convenient for consumers to give to the campaign," said Huntington President Rebecca Smith, who has been reaching out to other financial institutions since the fall asking them to join the campaign. "While we compete in the business arena, nothing is more important to all of us than the health and well-being of the residents in this area."

    The complete list of competing banks and credit unions includes:

    -- Bi County PTC Federal Credit Union
    -- Detroit Edison Credit Union
    -- 1st National Bank
    -- FME Federal Credit Union
    -- Franklin Bank
    -- Huntington Bank
    -- Lakes Community Credit Union
    -- Michigan Catholic Credit Union
    -- Oakland Catholic Credit Union
    -- National City
    -- Northwood Credit Union
    -- Oakland County Credit Union
    -- Peoples Trust Credit Union
    -- The PrivateBank

For more information or do donate call Gleaners at (866) GLEANER or (866) 453-2637 or you can donate at www.gcfb.org.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $55 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Huntington has more than 141 years of serving the financial needs of its customers. Huntington's banking subsidiary, The Huntington National Bank, provides innovative retail and commercial financial products and services through over 600 regional banking offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Huntington also offers retail and commercial financial services online at huntington.com; through its technologically advanced, 24-hour telephone bank; and through its network of over 1,400 ATMs. Selected financial service activities are also conducted in other states including: Dealer Sales offices in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; Private Financial and Capital Markets Group offices in Florida; and Mortgage Banking offices in Maryland and New Jersey. Sky Insurance offers retail and commercial insurance agency services, through offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia. International banking services are available through the headquarters office in Columbus, a limited purpose office located in both the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong.

SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated

Released December 10, 2007