First Niagara Financial : 07/07/16 First Niagara Announces $10,000 Grant to Hartford’s Youth Service Corps

Money will support program designed to provide Hartford youth with part-time, service-based employment

New Haven, Conn. - July 7, 2016 -The First Niagara Foundation today announced it has donated $10,000 to Hartford's new Youth Service Corps, an organization that provides unemployed young people, ages 16 to 24, with part-time employment completing community service-based projects.

Youth Service Corps focuses on serving out-of-school, out-of-work youth, particularly those who have been involved with the criminal justice system. The program aims to impact four areas: public safety, economic opportunity, neighborhood revitalization and civic engagement.

'At First Niagara, youth mentoring is one of the cornerstones of our charitable giving philosophy,' said Jeff Hubbard, First Niagara's New England Regional President. 'We are proud to support an organization like Youth Service Corps and their important mission to improve the employment skillset and quality of life for so many young people.'

In addition to providing part-time employment and a paycheck, the program hopes to connect youth to other existing employment services and set individual goals for members, such as reengaging in educational programs.

'I believe that unemployment for youth in our cities is one of our greatest and most urgent challenges, and I'm incredibly grateful to our partners for stepping up in a huge way to meet that challenge,' said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. 'Giving young people a chance to earn a paycheck while contributing to their community is a powerful way to build safer, stronger neighborhoods.'

First Niagara leadership will be joining the City along with other corporate sponsors at a press conference later this month to announce the official launch of the program.

For more information on Hartford Youth Service Corps, please visithttp://www.hartford.gov/youth-service-corps.

About First Niagara Foundation

The First Niagara Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable entity. Founded in 1998, the First Niagara Foundation is committed to supporting organizations in the communities in which we live and work, with specific focus on Youth and Education, Community Development and Neighborhood Revitalization. In 2015, First Niagara contributed more than $7.8 million in charitable grants and sponsorships to community partners across the bank's four-state footprint. For additional information on First Niagara, visit us atwww.firstniagara.com, follow us on Twitter@FirstNiagara, or like us on Facebook atFirstNiagaraBank.

About Youth Service Corps

In response to Hartford's youth unemployment crisis, the City of Hartford is launching The Mayor's Youth Service Corps, which will provide Hartford's unemployed youth with an opportunity to earn a paycheck while strengthening neighborhoods.

Beginning in July 2016, two hundred of Hartford's opportunity youth will be employed as Youth Service Corps Members. Members will have yearlong, part-time employment with flexible scheduling, and they will engage in community service-based projects designed to visibly impact Hartford neighborhoods.

First Niagara Contact

Karen Crane

203-789-2752

[e-mail]

Media Contact

Christina Griffin

203-592-5748

[e-mail]

Youth Service Corps Contact

If you are interested in hearing more about Youth Service Corps or expressing interest in Membership, please contact Venica Blythe at OPP:

Venica Blythe, M.ED, CWDP
Office: 860-761-7345
[e-mail]

Our Piece of the Pie®, Inc. (OPP®)
20-28 Sargeant Street, Hartford CT 06105
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.opp.org/

Media Inquiries

For media inquiries, please contact:
Brett Broseder
Director of Communications and New Media
Office: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

###