HTHR Hawthorne Finl (MM)

Hawthorne Savings Offers Free Income Tax Assistance EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hawthorne Savings, F.S.B. ("Hawthorne"), a subsidiary of Hawthorne Financial Corporation , will be offering free income tax assistance for low and limited income families during this tax season. Sessions will be held each Thursday, from March 4th through April 15th, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Estelle Van Meter Center, 606 East 76th Street, Los Angeles. Full-day seminars will be held on Wednesday, March 24th and Wednesday, April 7th at Inglewood Neighborhood Housing Services, 335 East Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90301. Topics will include the earned income tax credit and child tax credit. Employee volunteers, from various departmentsin the bank's corporate offices and branches, will be staffing the program. Hawthorne conducted an onsite training program for employee volunteers in early January, facilitated by IRS representatives. The 2-day seminar taught the volunteers how to prepare taxes and how to use software for preparing online tax returns as well as basics in tax law. Hawthorne Savings strives to make a positive impact on the lives of those people that live and work in the communities surrounding its branches by creating a friendly and customer-service-based atmosphere and by partnering with many community-enrichment programs and non-profit organizations. Integral to these relationships, the Bank encourages employees to volunteer at community events around Southern California. Hawthorne has a special 3-year relationship with the Estelle Van Meter Multipurpose Center and Youth Opportunities Unlimited, and maintains other long-term partnerships including Operation HOPE, Inglewood Neighborhood Housing Services, St. Margaret's Center and the Richstone Family Center. Hawthorne also sponsors a special honor roll program, scholarships and a summer reading program for children. About Hawthorne Savings Hawthorne Savings, F.S.B., an El Segundo, California-based financial institution, and federally chartered savings bank, was incorporated in 1950 and commenced operations on May 11, 1951. The Bank's 15 full-service retail branches are located in the coastal communities of Southern California, from Westlake Village to Mission Bay in San Diego, with its newest branches located in Baldwin Hills and Irvine. Hawthorne Savings maintains a strong presence in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County and was voted 'Best Bank in the South Bay' for three of the last four years. Hawthorne also offers construction and permanent fixed and adjustable rate loan programs for single- family, multi-family, income and commercial properties in Southern California. For more information, please call 888-TRUE-411 or visit the bank online at http://www.hawthornesavings.com/ . About the Estelle Van Meter Multipurpose Center (EVM) Estelle Van Meter Multipurpose Center, founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving its local community honorably, selflessly and courageously. EVM is a senior community center serving low-income, disabled and homeless elders in South Los Angeles and assists over 12,000 families annually - 58% Black and 40% Hispanic. The Van Meter Center is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and relies on private donations and government grants for financial support. For more information, please call the Center's Executive Director, Ethel Gorrell, at (323) 778-9733. About Inglewood Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) Inglewood Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) is a non-profit corporation committed to developing opportunities to build healthy communities through homeownership lending, economic development, homeownership, education and leadership. Inglewood NHS serves the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, which has a large concentration of persons making below 80% of the median income. Development and lending services include homebuyer education classes, counseling, first-time homebuyer mortgage lending, Financial Fitness workshops, rehabilitation lending and community improvement activities. Since the inception of its homeownership programs in 1995, Inglewood NHS has closed over $23 million in mortgage loans, providing homeownership opportunities to 160+ low-income families. For more information, please call (310) 674-3756. DATASOURCE: Hawthorne Savings, F.S.B. CONTACT: Michelle Menna, Marketing Liaison of Hawthorne Savings, F.S.B., +1-310-725-1866

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