MEDIA CONTACT: CORPCOMM@KINECTA.ORG

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. December 1, 2008 – Nix Check Cashing and Kinecta Federal Credit Union co-hosted the 35th Annual Nix Check Cashing Holiday Food Drive on Sunday, November 23, in Los Angeles, distributing food and grocery store gift cards to 1,200 families. More than $110,000 was raised for the effort, primarily from Nix customers, Kinecta members, and local businesses.

"I had the opportunity to participate in the Food Drive for the first time last year, and experienced the good feelings this event fosters," said Kinecta President and CEO Simone Lagomarsino. "This year, Kinecta introduced the Nix Food Drive to our members, and we encouraged them to contribute to help make this day a special one for as many people as possible. It truly is heart-warming to see the spirit of generosity in our communities when we come together to help one another during difficult times."

Nix Check Cashing President Ed Resendez welcomed the crowd in English and Spanish.
"We understand it can be a struggle to make ends meet, and we want you to know that Kinecta and Nix will be here for you during these challenging times," Resendez said. "We are proud to say we raised a record amount this year. Thank you for coming out today, and we would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a happy and prosperous new year!"

Each year, the Nix Check Cashing Community Outreach Foundation partners with local community organizations, community groups, and churches to identify families who will benefit from the food drive. This year, nearly three dozen community organizations were involved in selecting the families to be served and distributing the food packages at the Athens Park in Los Angeles. Dozens of employees from Nix and Kinecta volunteered during the weekend to prepare the packages on Saturday and distribute them on Sunday.

Each family received bags of traditional Thanksgiving meal items: rice, stuffing, vegetables, beans, other donated items, and a $75 gift card to local grocery stores to use toward the purchase of other food items, such as a Thanksgiving turkey. In addition, children received bags of activity books and other fun items.

The event, one of the largest holiday food drives in Los Angeles, drew television cameras and news crews from the CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and UPN affiliates in Los Angeles. Nationally recognized community activist "Sweet" Alice Harris, founder and Executive Director of Parents of Watts, one of the organizations involved in the event, was a guest speaker and was featured in several of the interviews.

Kinecta Federal Credit Union is one of the nation’s largest credit unions, with more than $4 billion in assets as of September 30, 2008; 25 branches; and more than 220,000 members nationwide. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Kinecta offers its members a full range of financial products through the Credit Union and its subsidiaries, Kinecta Financial & Insurance Services, Apollo Agencies, and Kinecta Alternative Financial Solutions, dba Nix Check Cashing. Kinecta Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, financial cooperative that is owned by its members, and exists to provide a safe and convenient place for member/owners to conduct their financial business. Our earnings are returned to our members in the form of lower loan rates, higher interest on deposits and lower fees. For more information about Kinecta, visit www.kinecta.org. For more information about Nix Check Cashing, visit www.nixcheckcashing.com.

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