M&T Bank is contributing $150,000 to the opening of a new youth resource center in West Wilmington that will provide meals, access to transportation, job skills training and other basic services to more than 100 homeless youth a year.
The facility – the first of its kind in Delaware -- is part of a larger project led by West End Neighborhood House that will expand housing, employment opportunities and independent living counseling to homeless men and women between ages 16 and 23. West End Neighborhood House, a nonprofit organization providing housing and other services to former foster care youth, is raising $4 million to complete its project this year.
In addition to its charitable commitment, M&T Bank also plans to offer financial literacy education and coaching to homeless youth served by West End Neighborhood House’s new drop-in resource center located at 710 N. Lincoln St. in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood.
“M&T is proud to partner with West End Neighborhood House on something that will have such a profound impact on the city’s youth and broader community,” said Nick Lambrow, M&T’s Delaware Regional President. “We understand the importance of the services that will be offered at the new resource center and look forward to working with West End Neighborhood House to determine how M&T can contribute to the success of these young men and women.”
Services to be offered at the new youth resource center will include:
- Life skills workshops on conflict resolution, stress management and goal setting;
- Transportation for medical appointments, job interviews and grocery shopping;
- Assistance enrolling in health care, educational and job training programs;
- Referrals to medical, substance abuse and mental health providers;
- Family mediation; and,
- Financial literacy.
These services have perhaps never been as needed. In January 2019, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness reported that Delaware had an estimated 921 people experiencing homelessness, 42 of which were unaccompanied young adults between ages 18 and 24. These numbers have likely risen due to the pandemic, as most emergency shelters have operated at about half capacity to comply with the state’s social distancing measures.
“For more than 20 years, our community has expressed the need for a resource center to serve homeless youth,” said Paul Calistro, Executive Director of West End Neighborhood House. “Thanks to M&T’s generous support and concern for their well-being, these young men and women will now have access to the help they need to stabilize their lives and reconnect with their families.”
Construction on the new youth resource center is underway, with a grand opening anticipated this summer.
In 2020, M&T contributed nearly $2.2 million to nonprofit organizations in the Delaware region. Most of the bank’s charitable funds supported organizations providing health and human services like those offered by West End Neighborhood House.
About M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.
About West End Neighborhood House
Providing services statewide, West End Neighborhood House (West End) has assisted customers in achieving self-sufficiency through outcomes-driven programming, utilizing innovative solutions to resolve complex social challenges throughout Delaware since 1883. West End serves approximately 10,000 individuals annually and employs a comprehensive approach to meet customers’ overall needs. The agency is an approved Private Business & Trade School of the Delaware Department of Education and is licensed by the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families to operate a center for school age children.
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