Norwalk-based First Niagara Foundation, the nonprofit charitable foundation established by First Niagara Bank, will give $50,000 in grants to support seven youth mentoring programs in the tristate region, including three in Fairfield County.
The three nonprofits in Fairfield County are the Bridgeport Public Education Fund to support the Mentoring for Academic Achievement and College Success program, the Human Services Council of Norwalk for the Norwalk Mentor program and the Stamford Public Education Foundation for the Stamford Mentoring program.
The grants were made as part of First Niagara”™s Mentoring Matters program, which launched in 2007 and to date has been responsible for $6.25 million in mentoring grants that have benefited 39,000 students, the bank said.
“Giving young people access to caring adult mentors and role models is a proven way to help guide them to make positive life decisions and develop into healthy, productive adult members of our community,” said First Niagara tristate President Cathie Schaffer. “This is why we have made mentoring a key focus area of our charitable giving program, and support organizations that provide quality mentoring programs in our markets.”
“First Niagara is wholly committed to supporting the communities we serve ”” both through financial support and through volunteer efforts,” said Elizabeth Gurney, executive director, First Niagara Foundation. “Our team members are equally as passionate about mentoring ”” volunteering their time and expertise to help youths across our footprint reach their true potential.”
