a1560: Increasing outreach is goal of meeting (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Tue, Mar. 26, 2002

Increasing outreach is goal of meeting
BY CYD PENNY
cpenny@herald.com

Leaders of Miami's Haitian community sent a spirited message Monday night at
a community outreach meeting organized by Western Union at the Biscayne Bay
Marriott Hotel.

''We're not separated by color in Miami; we're separated by economics,''
said North Miami Mayor Josaphat Celestin.

``It's all about money. I want to know what Western Union can do for my
community, and I want it to be sizable.''

After some clapping and laughing, Western Union spokeswoman Sharon Holt
explained the new marketing concept being introduced by the company.

Two programs, the nonprofit First Data Western Union Foundation and
Scholarship and Western Union Helping Hands, provide grants from $1,000 to
$25,000 to communities to improve education and health services.

''Western Union doesn't say what you need,'' said Holt. ``The community
tells us itself.''

That dialogue is developed through Western Union sponsorship of music
festivals, town meetings and forums throughout South Florida and the
Caribbean.

''Allowing messages to be sent around the world was only the beginning,''
said Veniese Whittingham, Western Union assistant marketing manager. ``Today
we link people together through financial services.''

And along with financial services comes the muscle of money.

''I'm not above using economics to get what we need,'' said Celestin. ``If
you own a bank and you lay off the only Haitian American on your staff,
expect to get a call from me -- and expect me to withdraw my money.''

Western Union public relations specialist Ana Da Costa says this kind of
dialogue is what community meetings are all about.

''It's an exchange of ideas,'' said Da Costa. ``It's a way for people to
begin to define what their community thinks and what kind of services they
need.''

Such discussions are also planned for Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Tampa,
Orlando, Boston and New York.





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