Guaranteed Rate Foundation Broadens Outreach; Welcomes White Sox Fans to Apply for Assistance on Behalf of Those in Need

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - March 28, 2017) - The Guaranteed Rate Foundation, created in 2012 to positively impact the lives of Guaranteed Rate employees, their families and their communities in times of need, is expanding its outreach to include White Sox fans as the team kicks off its first season at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Foundation has also revamped its online presence and streamlined the application process to reach a wider audience and help more people.

"The goal of the Guaranteed Rate Foundation is to provide relief for people facing dire circumstances where we can make a huge impact in helping them recover or get back on their feet," says Guaranteed Rate Founder & Chief Executive Officer Victor Ciardelli. "We want to ensure the White Sox community is aware of the Foundation and knows that we are here as a resource. Every single penny donated goes to assist someone in desperate need of help. Guaranteed Rate covers 100 percent of all of the Foundation's expenses."

Since its founding five years ago, the Guaranteed Rate Foundation has provided assistance to hundreds of people, including:

• A teen mother who survived sex trafficking as a foster child. At 19, she was pregnant with her second child and needed assistance as she worked part-time and went to high school to earn her high school diploma. The Foundation provided six months of rent, household necessities and childcare supplies for a total of $10,200.

• A single father raising three children, two of whom attempted suicide and required extensive mental health care, resulting in medical bills and reduced income due to time off from work. The Foundation covered six months of mortgage payments, car payments and utilities and also paid outstanding medical bills and supplied groceries for a total of $25,087.67.

• A mother and her four children who escaped an abusive situation in another state and relocated to Chicago. The Foundation connected with the family via a local food pantry and provided the necessities to get them settled into their new home including bedding, clothes, groceries, car seats and childcare supplies for a total of $10,945.68.

"I reached out to Guaranteed Rate to refinance our home so we could make renovations to the house for my 12-year-old son, Liam, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair," says Kerry McNicholas. "To my complete surprise, I was put in touch with the Guaranteed Rate Foundation which offered to pay for the $15,000 worth of modifications needed to give Liam access to a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor. The Foundation has absolutely changed the quality of our lives and we're so grateful. Liam is a huge Chicago sports fan so the partnership between Guaranteed Rate and the White Sox makes this gift even more special to him."

Foundation recipient Cynthia Lewis, whose youngest son underwent several heart surgeries by the age of three, notes that the Foundation gave her family more than just financial assistance by covering their rent for a year, it restored their hope. "It's not just a financial thing but also to know someone else cares and they empathize with what you're going through," she said. "The Foundation provided light at the end of the tunnel; Guaranteed Rate gave us hope again."

"The White Sox have a strong commitment to giving back as does our partner Guaranteed Rate," says Brooks Boyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing. "We share Guaranteed Rate's passion for making Chicago a better place to live, work and play. This is a wonderful way to stretch our collective impact of doing good in the community to more people in Chicago."

For more information on the Guaranteed Rate Foundation or to apply for assistance, visit Rate.com/Foundation.

About the Guaranteed Rate Foundation:

The Guaranteed Rate Foundation was established with one simple objective: Impact the lives of Guaranteed Rate employees, their families and their communities in times of desperate need in a meaningful and positive way. Since our founding in 2012, the Foundation has helped over 800 individuals who have experienced unforeseen hardships. Requests range from providing food, clothing and shelter following a natural disaster to assisting with housing, transportation and outstanding bills as a result of a job loss or medical emergency. The Guaranteed Rate Foundation is funded by Guaranteed Rate Inc. and its employees in addition to private sponsors. To ensure every dollar donated is allocated to those in need, Guaranteed Rate Inc. underwrites all Foundation expenses. Special thanks to the Foundation's Gold Level Sponsors for their support: CBCInnovis, DataVerify, Radian and Write-Green.

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