Kids like Emily* and Eric* need your help today!

Click for details on how to donate through the Philanthropy Day contest.

We have some pressing news to share with you.

Thirty-two children are on a list waiting for us to match them with a trained adult mentor in YWCA Cortland’s Bridges for Kids program.

Emily*, a very shy six-year-old recently placed in her aunt’s home due to custody reasons, loves to do arts and crafts projects. Especially anything involving paints and painting. She is learning to read and enjoys singing too. However, she displays signs of depression, and she struggles with peer interactions, tending not to have friends or keep friendships for very long.

The uncertainty and stress of the ongoing pandemic have strained family relationships and created anxiety in many home environments.

Can we count on you to support kids like Emily with a gift of $100 to the YWCA Cortland Annual Giving Campaign through the Cortland Community Foundation’s Philanthropy Day Contest?

You can give Emily access to a trusted adult that will help her succeed in life. She will receive the one-on-one attention crucial to building self-esteem, increasing self-confidence, and learning the skills that create resiliency. Building healthy adult relationships can also help improve her social and emotional skills.

When asked if she would like to match with a mentor, she said, “Yes, because I could have a new best friend.”

We care so much about these kids and their futures, and we know you do too.

We want to tell you about another child on the one-to-one mentoring waitlist.

Eric* is a nine-year-old boy who lives with his aging grandma. She tries to provide him with activities to engage his busy mind and body, but her energy level does not match an active young boy. He loves riding bikes and playing basketball and baseball. But he misses school much more than he should, and it has negatively affected his grades.

Our community’s youth need us now more than ever, and we could use your help.

Will you support kids like Eric with a donation of $100 to YWCA Cortland’s Annual Giving Campaign through the Cortland Community Foundation’s Philanthropy Day Contest?

You could help Eric spend time with an adult male mentor and role model, something he would genuinely benefit from. Studies show that kids with mentors tend to have better school attendance and grades.

Eric told us he would like to have a mentor because he “could show them everything.”

Your support would allow girls like Emily and boys like Eric to participate in enrichment activities with their mentors, such as trips to the zoo or museums or sporting events. It also provides opportunities for the kids to join in monthly group activities where the families receive coaching on healthy relationships and see them modeled first-hand.

Will you show these kids how much they and their futures mean to you?

Thank you in advance for your generous gift.

P.S. The youngsters we serve in the community need your help. Will you help us connect kids like Emily and Eric with a mentor by donating today to the YWCA Cortland Annual Giving Campaign?

There are two ways to make a gift that matters by November 15.

If you wish to make a gift of $100 or more, please donate via the Cortland Community Foundation’s Philanthropy Day contest and give us a chance to win $10,000! Details here.

If you wish to make a gift of less than $100 or do not want to give through the Philanthropy Day contest, please return this form with your donation or donate online.

*We used anonymous photos and changed the names of the children in this letter to protect their privacy.