First Niagara Awards $100,000 to Eight Non-Profits Meeting the Need to Mentor Today’s Youth in Rochester

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Buffalo, New York, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) October 26, 2011 -- Rochester youth received a big boost for their opportunity to be mentored today when First Niagara announced that eight area organizations have been selected as grant recipients of the bank’s fifth annual Mentoring Matters(SM) program. During a news conference held at the First Niagara Regional Headquarters, a total of $100,000 was awarded to support organized mentoring efforts in the Rochester community.

Mentoring Matters is First Niagara’s charitable giving program that provides critical financial and volunteer support for mentoring efforts conducted throughout the Northeast. This year Mentoring Matters tops the $2.5 million total grant mark in Upstate New York – positively impacting more than 46,000 youth in more than 200 organized mentoring programs.

The 2011 Rochester grant winners are:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester
• Compeer Rochester, Inc.
• Hope Hall
• St. John Fisher
• University of Rochester
• The Community Place of Greater Rochester
• The Academy for Career Development
• Junior Achievement of Rochester

“Through our Mentoring Matters program we are able to reinforce the importance and showcase the positive impact mentoring has on the lives of today’s youth and why it is so needed in our communities today,” said Suzanne Nasipak-Chapman, Rochester Market Executive for First Niagara. “Mentoring is a strong factor that so often leads to positive changes in the professional, academic, social, emotional, and cognitive growth of young adults.”

According to a survey of past Mentoring Matters grant recipients the benefits of mentoring include significant improvements in academic grades and school attendance. The survey also found a high percentage of acknowledgement of the effectiveness of mentoring in elevating self-esteem, communication skills, learning to relate well to others, setting career goals and adopting new, positive behaviors.

In total, First Niagara has provided more than $3.25 million to support mentoring initiatives conducted throughout its Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and New England service areas.

About First Niagara: First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank that currently has $31 billion in assets, $19 billion in deposits, 346 branches and 5,000 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information visit www.fnfg.com.

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