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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pioneer Services' volunteer time-off program recognized nationally for Corporate Social Responsibility
Company pays associates to volunteer in their communities

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Jan 13, 2010) A local company's effort to promote community service within its national workforce was recently recognized when the company was named a finalist for the "Corporate Social Responsibility Award for Workplace Innovation" by PR News. Pioneer Services, the Military Banking Division of MidCountry Bank, received the honor for creating and offering all of its associates a Volunteer Time-Off (VTO) benefit, providing each individual up to 16 hours of paid time off annually to volunteer in their communities.

To encourage additional participation in the VTO program, last year Pioneer Services initiated the Be the Difference campaign, an internal effort to increase usage of this unique benefit. The campaign included a Volunteer Fair at its Kansas City headquarters that featured 23 nonprofit organizations, the creation of a new volunteerism website, t-shirts, promotional posters, and other items—all of which was led by an associate-ran Volunteer Committee. The result was a 400 percent increase in VTO usage, and numerous individual recognition and awards for associates, both locally and nationally.

"Giving back to the community is a key component of our corporate culture," said Karen Von Der Bruegge, chief marketing officer of Pioneer Services. "We are proud to receive recognition for our social responsibility efforts, and must recognize the 300 Pioneer Services' associates around the country. Their efforts and willingness to give back have made the VTO program a great success."

Winners of the PR News Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards are announced Feb. 24, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Pioneer Services is joined as a finalist in the Workplace Innovation category by Pepsi, Deloitte, and Butterball, and finalists in other categories include Bank of America, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Coca Cola, GE, Oracle, and eBay.

Pioneer Services, the military banking division of MidCountry Bank, provides financial services and award-winning education to members of the Armed Forces. For more than 20 years, Pioneer Services has been a leader in military lending, offering military loans and award-winning financial education programs through a network of offices and on the Internet. Pioneer Services is proud to support military families and communities through a variety of partnerships, programs, and sponsorships.

For more information visit www.PioneerServices.com. For loan information, visit PioneerMilitaryLoans.com.

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Scott Cahill
Public Relations, Pioneer Services
media@pioneerservices.com
ph: 816-448-2300
fax: 816-561-9333

All loan applications subject to our credit policies. No official US military endorsement is implied. MidCountry Bank is a member FDIC.

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