First Niagara Awards $150,000 to 18 Non-Profits Helping the need for Mentors in Eastern New York

Oct. 25, 2011 - PRLog -- ALBANY, N.Y.— Eastern New York young adults received a big boost for their opportunity to be mentored today when First Niagara announced that 18 area organizations have been selected as grant recipients of the company’s fifth annual Mentoring MattersSM program. During a news conference held at the First Niagara Regional Headquarters, a total of $150,000 was awarded to support organized mentoring efforts in the Eastern 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 Eastern New York grant winners are:

•   Albany Police Athletic League, Inc.
•   Albany Symphony Orchestra
•   The Arts Center of the Capital Region
•   Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region
•   Capital District YMCA
•   Equinox, Inc.
•   Family Resource Centers of Columbia County
•   Girls Inc.
•   Hudson Dollars for Scholars
•   Junior Achievement of Northeastern New York, Inc.
•   Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, Inc.
•   Northeast Parent and Child Society
•   NYSARC, Inc.-Columbia County Chapter (COARC)
•   Samaritan Shelters, Inc.
•   STRIDE, Inc.
•   Vanderheyden Foundation, Inc.
•   Wildwood Programs
•   Workshop, 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 Peter Cosgrove, Upstate New York Regional President 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 that mentoring programs are effective 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.