Family Promise of WNY, an emergency family homeless shelter, has received a KeyBank Foundation Grant for $300,000 over the next three years. The grant, the largest gift in the organization’s history, is targeted for capacity building as Family Promise of WNY is in the initial stages of building a second emergency family shelter site in Buffalo. Projected to open in 2027, the new shelter site will more than double their ability to serve the Erie County family homeless population. The grant will support the addition of two key positions at the organization – a Housing Specialist who will provide more targeted intervention to assist homeless families securing permanent housing and a Development Director to help grow the organization’s fiscal position.

“Family homelessness is at crisis levels in our community right now. On any given night, there are over 100 families who need a space in shelter - but there are simply no spaces for them. That is why we are trying to open a second family shelter,” said Luanne Firestone, Executive Director of Family Promise. “Taking a small organization to the next level is hard. We are simply overwhelmed by and grateful for the opportunity that this KeyBank Foundation grant provides to our growing shelter program. We are confident that this capacity-building grant will allow us to house families faster and provide the strongest foundation possible for our future expansion in the community.”

“Family Promise of WNY serves a vital role in our community, keeping families experiencing homelessness together by offering emergency housing and compassionate support as they work to find their way back home,” said KeyBank Buffalo Market President Michael McMahon. “Their mission and work gives children and their families hope. We believe in their work and are excited to help them grow and serve more people.”

“This grant to Family Promise of WNY is symbolic of the partnerships KeyBank works to forge in the communities we serve,” said KeyBank Buffalo Corporate Responsibility Officer Chiwuike Owunwanne. “Securing safe and decent housing is a first step out of homelessness and gives children and their families a chance to move forward to brighter futures.”

Family Promise of WNY is one of just two emergency family shelters in Erie County that keep families together through the crisis of homelessness. Over 70% of their guests are children.

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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 billion at June 30, 2024.

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 1,200 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 Member FDIC.

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