Banco Popular Commits Nationally to Make a Difference Day for Ninth Straight Year

Popular, Inc. (Nasdaq: BPOP), the holding company of Banco Popular North America (BPNA) and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (BPPR) announced that hundreds of employees across its regions, Puerto Rico, Caribbean, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey and New York, gave their time and resources to many organizations and their initiatives on Make a Difference Day, October 23, 2010.

Popular employees invest thousands of hours of community service in local and national initiatives each year. Since 2001, Popular has celebrated Make a Difference Day, the largest community service effort in the United States, uniting corporations, government leaders, charitable organizations and individuals to help their communities.

In Puerto Rico, Popular participated with over 2,000 BPPR employees and family members working together to make a difference at 55 community projects throughout the island. Volunteers offered their time and effort at projects ranging from improving, painting and beautifying spaces, to serving meals at local food banks, cleaning beach areas, and bringing support to a diverse number of community organizations.

"We remain committed more than ever to giving to the communities we serve and delivering hands on support to local organizations that are vital to economic development and social services,” said Richard, L. Carrión, Chairman and CEO of Popular. "Providing service and lending a helping hand is at the heart of our 117-year organization. We are proud to partner with these local organizations to further their mission and make a difference in the lives of many people."

In California, BPNA employees prepared bags of food for different shelters and organizations for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, an organization that fights hunger in the community. Volunteers also helped organize and sort through the shipment of 1,600 books for the CHOC Reading Program. Other BPNA team members also helped the Sky Rose Chapel Foundation with the Día de los Muertos Cultural Festival focusing on the Children’s and Artist’s Exhibit area. The OC Walk to Remember had BPNA employees helping with registration and at the finish line. The mission of the walk is to raise money for local organizations that support parents who have experienced infant or pregnancy loss.

South Florida BPNA team members once again partnered with The Hope Center, which provides a safe, nurturing environment for emotionally and developmentally handicapped adults. They also brought donated toiletries and provided entertainment for the Palmetto Sub-Acute Center, a home dedicated to the elderly. BPNA employees also conducted a fundraising event for Adopt A Stray. In Central Florida, volunteers supported the Christian Sharing Center by refurbishing certain center areas. The Christian Sharing Center has helped families with urgent needs during financial crisis caused by job loss and health issues. The Rescue Outreach Mission benefited from volunteers gardening, pressure washing walls and cleaning other public areas. Mending Hearts Charities, an organization that provides low income families with the opportunity to become self-sufficient, had volunteers help with a home renovation. Volunteers also lent a hand to Ronald McDonald House-Orlando.

Over 225 BPNA team members in Illinois volunteered for 13 organizations dedicated to serving families, local youth, the elderly and homeless. They assisted Santa Maria Addolorata Church in cleaning the church property, worked with Aspire of Broadway for their fall cleanup, and St. Philip Lutheran to assist with setting up video feeds in the preschool classroom and gym, installing a drinking fountain and facility cleaning. Volunteers also helped St. James Church Hiltza in landscaping the church's property. Other organizations included Healthcare Alternative Systems, New Moms, Temple Paradise, Mayslake Peabody Estate, The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Humboldt Park Social Services, Jennings Terrace, Northern Illinois Food Bank and McCormick Tribune YMCA.

Volunteers in New York Metro assisted Publicolor for the third year in a row, providing mentoring and painting a local public school. Project Sunshine enjoyed the support of team members for the 5th year in a row as they created Craft Kits and greeting cards for hospitalized children. Team members worked extensively with Housing & Services, Inc. assisting in the organization’s efforts to provide a housing program for formerly homeless adults through the year as well as during the Holidays. Through the Puerto Rican Family Institute’s Metamorphosis program, volunteers were able to further the program’s mission to reduce the high rates of suicide among Latina Teens. Over 200 volunteers participated this year.

In New Jersey, for the third straight year, BPNA volunteers assisted The Salvation Army of Perth Amboy. Drives for food and toiletries were conducted. Others supported the Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation (PERC), which for over a quarter century, have helped thousands of men, women and children living in poverty, providing education, shelter, food, employment, and access to mainstream services.

Note: Photographs of select events are available.

About Popular, Inc.

Founded in 1893, Popular, Inc. [Nasdaq: BPOP] is the leading banking institution by both assets and deposits in Puerto Rico and ranks 33rd by assets among U.S. banks. In the United States, Popular has established a community-banking franchise providing a broad range of financial services and products with branches in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida and California.

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