Young Professionals Celebrate Mentoring Month

Jan. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- January is national Mentoring Month and members of the Grace Church Community Center (GCCC) Young Professionals Board celebrated by taking 10 participants from the agency’s After-School Mentoring Program to a basketball game at Mercy College on Saturday January 14th.

Mentoring students watched as the Mercy Mavericks men’s team challenged the Knights of Queens College at Mercy Gymnasium in Dobbs Ferry in a game that ended with a score of 85-77 for the Knights.

Prior to the game, students were treated to pizza and t-shirts and had an opportunity to meet members of the Mavericks basketball squad who told them how important it was to get an education and encouraged them to never give up.  

Caitlin Snyder, Director of Special Events and Major Gifts Officer at Mercy College who was instrumental in organizing the outing also spoke to the students about college life at Mercy.  She is wife of Young Professionals Board member Michael Snyder, Associate Broker at Houlihan Lawrence.

Recently formed, the Young Professionals Board was designed to give young men and women an opportunity to gain experience working on a board and to help GCCC broaden its awareness among a younger demographic.  Said Paul Anderson-Winchell, GCCC Executive Director, “We know that young people today are interested in volunteering and giving back to their communities and membership on this board gives them the opportunity to do just that.  Our hope is that this board will give us insight on how best to reach other young people who will be tomorrow’s leaders and tomorrow’s donors to let them know about the work we do with Westchester’s neediest men, women and children.”

The GCCC Young Professionals Board currently has eight members and is hoping to expand its membership to 15 by year end.  In addition to organizing the Mercy basketball outing, members have also been involved in volunteering at GCCC’s Open Arms Men’s Shelter where they served dinner to residents and collecting turkeys and fixings for Thanksgiving food bags delivered to needy families throughout Westchester.  They are currently planning a 5K Run/Walk for June to raise money for GCCC’s Mentoring Program and Summer Camp for homeless and at-risk children.

The GCCC Mentoring Program, started in 2002, serves 75 homeless and at-risk children and teenagers.  Its goal is to encourage children to stay in school, improve their grades and go on to get a college degree.  The program consists of individual and group tutoring sessions held at five locations in Yonkers and White Plains, enriching field trips, sports activities and volunteering for the Special Olympics. Recently, increased emphasis has been put on SAT tutoring and college preparation for high school participants and a scholarship fund has been established to help students achieve their college dreams.  

Anyone interested in getting more information about the GCCC Young Professionals Board or After-School Mentoring Program should contact Chris Schwartz at 914-949-3098 or CSchwartz@gcccares.org.

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Grace Church Community Center, Inc. (GCCC) is a non-sectarian, community-based 501 (c ) (3) organization that assists Westchester County’s neediest and most at-risk residents, particularly those who are underserved by existing resources. It is one of the largest social services agencies in Westchester County and has been fulfilling its mission since 1979 through the operation of eight community-based programs. The agency serves 3,900 men, women and children each year and provides 100,000 meals to the hungry and 26,000 nights of shelter to the homeless. The agency strives to turn no one away.