_____________ Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MY COMPANY GIVES, A REVOLUTIONARY PROGRAM CREATED BY GATEWAY FOR GOOD, IS LAUNCHED IN THE CORNING NEW YORK AREA, IN COLLOBORATION WITH LEGACY PHILANTHROPY GROUP AND WOMEN HELPING WOMEN. The jointly launched program uses the MyCompanyGives program to instill life values and skills; to facilitate thoughtful, intelligent, and impactful giving; and to inspire the next generation of “philanthropists in training” by helping program participants enjoy the gift of giving and serving. July 2016 – Corning, N.Y. – Gateway for Good, Legacy Philanthropy Group and Women Helping Women announce the completion of a unique partnership that created a dynamic, real world experience in charitable giving and fundraising. This intentional process brings together small groups of participants typically originating from companies, families, or friends. It then pairs them with a Gateway for Good facilitator and, eventually, front line charities, all of whom benefit from this remarkable collaboration. Women Helping Women was the name taken by the group of women going through this program. They then identified local charities whose missions align with the participants’ charitable passions. The group examined these organizations’ tax returns and evaluated their effectiveness in accomplishing their charitable purposes. They interviewed staff and program directors and then the group decided which organizations had the potential to make the greatest impact. Using donated funds and money they raised themselves the group presented the charity of their choice with the funds they had collected. Spearheaded by Joy Huth, a local Corning, N.Y. resident; Yale Levey, co-founder and creator of Gateway for Good; and Jay Weisman, founder of Legacy Philanthropy Group, this effort was launched a part of a cutting-edge new program spreading throughout the country. Participants have noted its impact in their lives. Joy Huth explains, “After getting to know each other better we discovered common interest and came to the conclusion that we would like to help women. Through this process we uncovered the issues that women in our area have to endure in our community. After interviewing three local organizations we agreed that we could have the greatest impact by supporting the Getting Ahead program administered by Catholic Charities of Steuben.” Laura Opelt, Executive Director for Catholic Charities of Steuben, said, “Our mission is to build communities that care for all people by strengthening and enriching quality of life, reducing poverty, and advocating for social justice. One of the ways we accomplish this work is through our Turning Point poverty reduction services, and specifically the Getting Ahead program, which is administered by Turning Point on behalf of a coalition of agencies. However, we cannot accomplish this work without caring community members like Women Helping Women, who not only recognize but also take the initiative to invest in the critical work we do in order to create lasting change. “What was unique about this particular donation is the process that these women went through in order to arrive at choosing our agency and the Getting Ahead program,” Opelt continued. “This process brought them to a deeper understanding not only of the needs in our community but also of the agencies in our community that do the work to meet those needs. The fact that Catholic Charities of Steuben and the Getting Ahead program was ultimately chosen as the beneficiary of their generosity is a real gold star for both the agency and the program. We appreciate that they did the research and arrived at the decision that we are a good investment. I am proud that our agency and the Getting Ahead program were chosen.”