Springfield Boys & Girls Club Receives $10,000 Grant From KeyBank Foundation
Funds will support the club’s Brain Gain program to build reading comprehension
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., October 20, 2023 /3BL/ –Springfield Boys & Girls Club (SBGS) has received a $10,000 charitable grant from KeyBank Foundation, the charitable foundation of KeyBank. The grant will support the club’s Brain Gain Program, an afterschool program designed to bolster appropriate grade-level reading skills for the inner city, at-risk children and youth served by the club. A ceremonial check was presented by KeyBank to SBGS leadership, staff and youth members at a check presentation event held yesterday at the Boys and Girls Club on Carew Street in Springfield.
"The Boys & Girls Club is pleased to see KeyBank’s strong commitment to the education of children,” said Executive Director Vinnie Borello. "This gift from Keybank Foundation is a much-needed investment to our community as we strive to help our kids expand their reading skills in a fun, learning environment. We appreciate KeyBank’s support.”
The vast majority of children served by the Springfield Boys & Girls Club are from low-income families, with 65% of them raised in homes where English is a second language, putting them at a disadvantage in terms of reading, retention, and school learning. In addition, many of the students are still recovering from learning loss sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic remote learning environment. The Brain Gain Program is designed to build reading comprehension and retention skills so that participants are reading at grade level at a minimum. SBGS utilizes specific software programs to support the curriculum and provide Chromebook computers and internet access to children who may otherwise have no access to technology and these learning tools.
“At KeyBank, we believe in supporting organizations and programs that help students be successful in school, get good grades, and eventually graduate and have access to college and career-building opportunities,” said KeyBank Corporate Responsibility Officer Analisha Michanczyk. “The Boys and Girls Club’s Brain Gain program is an effective way to help kids build literacy skills and perform better in school, and we are proud to support their efforts.”
KeyBank Foundation provides financial resources to nonprofits within KeyBank’s service areas that help students achieve academically, with a particular focus toward minority and low-and moderate-income populations. KeyBank has seven retail bank branches throughout greater Springfield, MA.
About Springfield Boys & Girls Club:
The Springfield Boys and Girls Club is committed to the betterment of the lives of children in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the Springfield Boys & Girls Club, we provide all our members with a safe place to grow and learn that fosters ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals. We offer a variety of life-enhancing programs that include character development experiences, hope, and opportunities. With a dedicated staff, board, and volunteers, the Club ensures that “Great Futures Start Here.”
About KeyBank Foundation:
KeyBank Foundation serves to fulfill KeyBank’s purpose to help clients and communities thrive, and its mission is to support organizations and programs that prepare people for thriving futures. The Foundation’s mission is advanced through three funding priorities – neighbors, education, and workforce – and through community service. To provide meaningful philanthropy that transforms lives, KeyBank Foundation listens carefully to understand the unique characteristics and needs of its communities and then backs solutions with targeted philanthropic investments. KeyBank Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation, funded by KeyCorp.
About KeyCorp/KeyBank:
KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187.8 billion at September 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.
Media contacts:
Springfield Boys and Girls Club: Sarah Gumaer, Marketing Director | 413-732-7201 | Sgumaer@sbgc.org
KeyBank: Karen Crane, Communications Manager | 203-789-2752 | karen_crane@keybank.com
