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"Southern Californians are in dire need of immediate and longer term aid,and this grant helps support those needs as quickly as possible," said JanetLamkin, President of Bank of America California. "As one of region's topprivate sector employers, Bank of America is making its resources available tohelp restore strength and stability to our local communities."

Bank of America is also working directly with leaders in Orange, LosAngeles and Santa Barbara counties to determine additional resource needs, andwill make its Team Bank of America Volunteer Network, consisting of thousandsof associates in Southern California, available to help fire victims.

Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy

Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities itserves, Bank of America will embark in 2009 on a new, ten-year goal to donate$2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health andvitality of their neighborhoods. Funded by Bank of America, the Bank ofAmerica Charitable Foundation gave more than $200 million in 2007, making thebank the most generous financial institution in the world and the secondlargest donor of all U.S. corporations in cash contributions. Bank of Americaapproaches giving through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence"under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressingneeds of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associatevolunteers contributed more than 650,000 hours in 2007 to enhance the qualityof life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank ofAmerica Corporate Philanthropy, please visithttp://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation .

SOURCE Bank of America