FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 6, 2007

Don Russell BrandME Marketing 207-699-2933 don@brandme.net

Pine Tree Networks makes two year commitment to help Ruth's Reusable Resources relocate and continue to provide free supplies to teachers and schools in need.

NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine — Pine Tree Networks, a Maine-based telecom company, announced today a new partnership between itself and Ruth’s Reusable Resources, a not for profit that provides teachers and schools with valuable classroom supplies free of cost.

Ruth’s is currently in the process of moving from Bessey School in Scarborough to a new location in Portland on Blueberry Drive near UNUM; Pine Tree Networks, which specializes in business and residential communications services, has fully donated four local phone lines, complete high-speed Internet service and a variety of special features to Ruth’s, all valued at over $625 per month.

“Pine Tree Networks came to us, and the customer service has just been awesome. Getting all these systems set-up can sometimes be a really painful process, but it’s been incredibly easy thanks to Pine Tree Networks,” said Ruth Libby, executive director of Ruth’s Reusable Resources. “What’s really made the experience great is the people — they are all very friendly and the customer service has been outstanding.”

Pine Tree Networks is a Maine-based company that provides reliable and affordable telephone and Internet services to homes, businesses, and service providers throughout New England from their headquarters in New Gloucester, Maine. With roots that go back to 1889, Pine Tree Networks is committed to bringing cutting edge technology to Greater Portland and outlying communities such as Lewiston/Auburn, Gray, New Gloucester, Buxton, Hollis, and Waterboro; providing highly attentive, local customer service that Mainers expect.

Pine Tree Networks is also a leader in community development, well-known for providing telecom services to such organizations as the Portland Pirates, the Portland Sea Dogs, Grahamtastic Connection, which provides laptops to gravely ill children, and the Maine Children’s Cancer Foundation.

According to Gib Davis, the new relationship with Ruth’s Reusable Resources was a perfect fit for Pine Tree Networks.

“Pine Tree Networks is committed to making sure that Maine kids get all the help they need for a proper, well-rounded education. The people at Ruth’s are doing that by providing teachers with the tools they need to ensure that kind of education,” said Davis. “When we learned that Ruth’s was expanding to better serve their customers, we saw that as a perfect opportunity to donate whatever services we can to help optimize their work flow and communications.”

Ruth's Reusable Resources works with businesses and industries that donate their excess supplies so that school teachers, students and nonprofit organizations have access to practical and creative materials they would not have been able to find or afford elsewhere. Now into its eleventh year, Ruth’s has benefited more than 70,000 students and 7,500 teachers in Maine with resources that have been donated from over 300 companies.

According to Libby, schools pay a membership fee to enable their teachers to “go shopping for free” at Ruth’s. Ruth’s even hosts “Show and Tell” lunches for teachers where they serve lunch, host a Q&A, and then send teachers on their way. Libby says that the new, larger ground floor location and warehouse off Outer Congress Street in Portland will make it easier for teachers to shop, and for businesses to donate goods.

“Having Pine Tree Networks donate services was huge for us,” said Libby. “At an important time for us, in the middle of a move, it probably would have been just as easy for us to use our cell phones than have a whole network. But, to not have to worry about these critical communication needs for two years is just amazing.”

For more information about Ruth's Reusable Resources, visit Ruths.org

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