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Two of First Niagara's employee volunteers, Justin Hart, left, and Kelly Schoembs, work to clean out The Foundry's second floor to open additional space for entrepreneurs, artists and craftspeople from the community.
Two of First Niagara's employee volunteers, Justin Hart, left, and Kelly Schoembs, work to clean out The Foundry's second floor to open additional space for entrepreneurs, artists and craftspeople from the community.

First Niagara lends a helping hand to The Foundry

by jmaloni

Submitted

Fri, Dec 19th 2014 08:00 pm

Company volunteers will clean and paint to prepare the building for an upper floor build-out

The First Niagara Foundation and The Foundry are working together to make improvements to The Foundry's business incubator and creative community space located at 298 Northampton St., Buffalo. Employees of the bank volunteered their time today to clean and paint to prepare the building for a second floor build-out.

"We recently announced grant funding for The Foundry to provide resources for entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses in the city," said Elizabeth Gurney, executive director of the First Niagara Foundation. "And now we're rolling up our sleeves and getting to work to help The Foundry improve the physical work space it provides, so that they can continue to inspire the next generation of makers, learners and doers."

The Foundry offers 25,000 square feet of workshop space, tools and the exchange of peer knowledge to support emerging small businesses in Buffalo.

"The Foundry is a special community gathering place that supports budding entrepreneurs, particularly those looking to develop low-income, minority, women-owned and local businesses," said Megan McNally, executive director of The Foundry. "We are so pleased to have a partner like First Niagara working with us in many ways to provide opportunities for those looking to grow their businesses."

The First Niagara Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable entity. Founded in 1998, it is committed to supporting organizations in the communities in which members live and work, with specific focus on youth and education, community development and neighborhood revitalization. In 2013, First Niagara contributed more than $9 million in charitable grants to community partners across the bank's four-state footprint.

For additional information on First Niagara, visit www.firstniagara.com.

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