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Family Promise of WNY takes home top prize at Pitch 10

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Fri, Nov 11th 2016 05:30 pm

$5,000 prize for security deposit assistance and financial literacy program for WNY families

Family Promise of WNY, a community organization providing temporary shelter and support to families experiencing homelessness within Western New York, took first at the inaugural Pitch 10 on Thursday evening. The event was organized by United Way of Buffalo and Erie County's Next Generation United.

Held at the Hauptman-Woodward Institute on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the event featured 10 local nonprofits on the leading edge of social innovation. Each organization was given three minutes to pitch attendees to vote for their program. The competition was aimed at small, millennially led nonprofits, and provided a window into innovative programs positioned to impact WNY in the years to come.

With the awarded funds, Family Promise of WNY plans to provide security deposits for its families, and to launch a financial literacy component for families currently in program, and recent graduates. These initiatives support the organization's goal of ending family homelessness in Western New York.

"Family Promise of WNY is thrilled to have received first place at the Next Generation United - Pitch 10 event," said Kathryn Steffan, executive director of Family Promise of WNY. "We are thankful to Next Generation United for organizing the event and to all who supported us. This represents a significant step in the right direction on our journey to end family homelessness in Western New York."

Other winners for the evening included Big Big Table, a proposed pay-as-you-can community café, and Explore Buffalo, which is looking to expand its free tours for students at lower-income schools. Each of these organizations won $2,500 runner-up prizes.

Founded in 1996, Family Promise of WNY works with more than 40 local faith organizations to provide temporary housing and services to families experiencing homelessness. Its staff of three is bolstered by 500 local volunteers who provided more than $250,000 of in-kind support in 2015.

For more information, visit www.fpwny.org.

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