Community Telephone Donates Nearly $12,000 in Revenues to 380 Nonprofit Organizations.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 19, 1998--Community Telephone said today that it has given grants totaling approximately $12,000 to 380 nonprofit organizations in its latest Community Partnership Program contributions.

Community Telephone is the residential brand of Community NetWorks, a leading competitive telecommunications and information services provider with residential and business customers.

The Community Partnership Program enables Community Telephone customers to choose nonprofit organizations to receive regular contributions representing 2-1/2 percent of their long-distance spending. The newly announced grants bring total donations during Community's two-year history to about $17,000.

"We believe that a company should share its success with the communities it serves, and the Community Partnership Program lets our customers decide where we reinvest the revenues they generate," said Vern Kennedy, president and chief executive officer of Community NetWorks. "We're delighted that our business growth has allowed us to expand the program to reach larger numbers of organizations and people."

Grant recipients range from schools to houses of worship to civic, cultural, recreational, and health and human services organizations. Direct beneficiaries include children, senior citizens, people with illnesses, homeless individuals and entire neighborhoods.

Organization leaders say the donations make a meaningful difference.

"Your support is much needed and greatly appreciated," Tsuh Yang Chen, grants manager for the Brooklyn AIDS Task Force, wrote in a letter. "Kindness such as this enables us to continue to provide programs for people living with AIDS and HIV in these challenging times."

"We're deeply grateful for Community Telephone's abiding friendship, which underscores the healing love that transforms the lives of our children," said Sandro Tejada, development officer for Hale House Center in Manhattan. "This support has helped us purchase baby items, such as clothing and diapers."

"We greatly appreciate the support of Community Telephone and its customers," said Diane Amarosa, executive director of the Suffolk County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which has applied its funding toward disaster relief and other services.

Community NetWorks, based in New York City, is a leading integrated communications provider (ICP) serving residential customers and small and medium-sized businesses in the Northeast. The company offers an array of telecommunications, data and Internet services at lower rates and with better customer service than the local phone monopoly. Community provides simple, integrated billing and cutting-edge technology, and it donates a portion of its revenues to customer-selected community organizations.