INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW HQ AND LAUNCH OF WAITT FAMILY FOUNDATION POWERUP SITE

U.S. REP. RANDY "DUKE" CUNNINGHAM TO JOIN LOCAL DIGNATARIES TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS OF INTERFAITH COMMUNITY SERVICES

Escondido, CA - August 22, 2001 - Interfaith Community Services celebrated today the grand opening of its new headquarters in Escondido, California. In addition to doubling the size of its facility in order to meet community needs, Interfaith also added a state-of-the-art PowerUP technology center sponsored by the Waitt Family Foundation.

" As a result of our many generous sponsors, including the Waitt Family Foundation, we now have the tools to not only meet the needs of our community, we have a way of helping our young people bridge the digital divide and become productive members of the information age," said Suzanne Steward Pohlman, Interfaith executive director. "This new headquarters and technology center will help us continue our mission of a hand up, not a hand out."

The Interfaith PowerUP site is one of 17 centers the Waitt Family Foundation is sponsoring in San Diego County. Along with their commitment to open PowerUP centers in San Diego County, the Waitt Family Foundation, organized by Gateway founder Ted Waitt and his wife Joan, has also committed to providing up to 50,000 Gateway computers over a three-year period to PowerUP centers nationwide.

"The mission of the Waitt Family Foundation is to help good people do great things," said John Heubusch, president of the Waitt Family Foundation. "Today, we are proud to stand with Interfaith, knowing that this new facility and the PowerUP center will do just that. There is nothing more important in the world than the development of our children, and they truly represent our future."

U.S. Rep. Randy Cunningham praised Interfaith for more than 20 years of dedicated service to people and families in North County. "Interfaith is proof that a helping hand and a moral compass are true keys to helping people help themselves. I am especially grateful for the support Interfaith has provided to our Veterans in need over the years."

State Sen. Bill Morrow also praised Interfaith. "As a community, we are grateful for the work Suzanne and her talented team of employees and volunteers provide. Together, they shelter the homeless, feed the hungry, and provide needed training and career counseling to those looking for self-improvement. We are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals in our community."

About Interfaith Community Services
Interfaith Community Services is a non-profit organization that partners with 275 diverse faith centers in north San Diego County. Interfaith was formed in 1979 by a small group of North County Faith Communities to address the growing issues of poverty and homelessness. Today, Interfaith has developed an effective community model approach that propels individuals in need to their highest level of self-sufficiency and optimum health. Thanks to the more than 1,200 volunteers and contributors, Interfaith now provides an impressive array of services to those in need.

About PowerUP
PowerUP is comprised of dozens of non-profit organizations, major corporations and state and federal government agencies that have joined together to ensure that America's underserved youth acquires the skills, experiences and resources they need to succeed in the digital age. In less than two years, thanks to sponsors like The Waitt Family Foundation, PowerUP has opened more than 350 community-based technology centers, installing computer labs in schools, public housing complexes, youth serving facilities, and community centers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.