First Niagara Awards $100,000 to Nine Non-Profits Meeting the Need to Mentor Today’s Youth in Central New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 27, 2011 -- SYRACUSE, N.Y.— Central New York youth received a big boost for their opportunity to be mentored today when First Niagara announced that nine area organizations have been selected as grant recipients of the bank’s fifth annual Mentoring MattersSM 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 Central New York 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 Central New York grant winners are:

• Champions for Life Sports Center
• Access to Independence of Cortland County, Inc.
• Upstate Cerebral Palsy
• People's Equal Action and Community Effort, Inc.
• H.O.M.E., Inc.
• Father Champlin's Guardian Angel Society
• On Point for College, Inc.
• Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y.
• InterFaith Works of Central New York, Inc.

“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 David Kavney, Central New York 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.

first niagara bank     first niagara financial group     mentoring     mentoring matters     syracuse