CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust Awards $40,000 Dollars to Four Non-Profi

WOONSOCKET, R.I., March 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust, the private foundation managed by CVS Corporation , announced today that it has awarded $40,000 in grants to four non-profit organizations in Pennsylvania.

"We are pleased to support these very worthy charities that are working hard in our communities to improve people's lives," said Eileen Howard Dunn, Vice President of the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust. "A CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust grant is an effective way for us to give back to the communities where we do business," stated Howard Dunn.

Grants were awarded to organizations dedicated to healthcare, education and community engagement. "The foundation focuses on those projects that clearly demonstrate they are meeting a need within the community, and where collaborative efforts and measurement tools are in place to track success. We are confident that each of the non-profits we chose to work with in the coming year will create positive change and influence in the communities we serve together," said Howard Dunn.

In many cases, CVS/pharmacy associates become involved with grantees by providing volunteer assistance, participating in other fund-raisers and assisting in outreach and education services.

Pennsylvania based organizations that received a grant from the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust are:

CARE for Children

Description of grant: The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust grant will support the telemedicine clinic outreach clinic, bridging the gap for specialized pediatric orthopedic services via a partnership with the Shriners Hospital for Children. CARE for Children provides children in rural areas of PA and Western NY access to free and specialized orthopedic health care, treatment and prevention of disabilities. Link to website: http://www.careforchildren.info/ Contact name at organization: Ann Feightner (814) 362-4621

The Carl & Emily Weller Center for Health Education

Description of grant: Trust will fund 8 days of mobile outreach preventive health education programs for up to 4,800 students in grades Pre-K through 12 in underserved school districts in Eastern PA and NJ. Link to website: http://www.wellercenter.org/ Contact name at organization: Melissa Lee (610) 258-8500 ext. 20

Maternity Care Coalition

Description of grant: The grant from the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust will support Maternity Care Coalition's Cribs for Kids program. Maternity Care Coalition works to reduce the number of babies dying of SIDS and accidental suffocation by assuring that families have a safe sleep environment for their infants in the Philadelphia area. Organization distributes safe, portable cribs to families in need and provides them with culturally sensitive education about ensuring safe sleep for their babies. Link to website: http://www.momobile.org/ Contact name at organization: JoAnne Fischer (215) 972-0700

Women's Center of Montgomery County

Description of grant: Funding from the CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust will assist Women's Center of Montgomery County in its efforts to end domestic violence in particular, elder abuse. Women's Center of Montgomery County focuses on the growing need for specialized services for victims of elder abuse. While elder abuse mirrors aspects of domestic violence, it is made more complex by issues relating to caretakers, failing health, the inability and/or unwillingness of sr. citizens to relocate to safety, and limited access to services and resources specifically allocated to seniors. Link to website: http://www.wcmontco.org/ Contact name at organization: Maria Macaluso (215) 885-0696

The CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust will be accepting applications for 2005 grants from May 1 to June 15, 2005.

For additional information, go to http://www.cvs.com/corpInfo/community/charitable_mission.html.

The CVS Charitable Trust, Inc. is a private foundation managed by CVS Corporation, which operates more than 5,000 CVS/pharmacy stores in 36 states. The Trust's mission is to provide funding for health care, education and community involvement initiatives in communities where CVS stores are located. General information about CVS is available through the Investor Relations portion of the Company's website at http://investor.cvs.com/, or through the website's press room at http://www.cvs.com/pressroom.

CONTACT: Mike DeAngelis CVS Corporation 401-770-2645