FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2023
Contact: Santino R. Thomas
(518) 949-4809 | [email protected]
ALBANY, N.Y. – St. Catherine’s Center for Children and its Pathways to Health community outreach program were recently presented with a $10,000 check from the Arrow Family of Companies – the parent company of Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company. This grant is part of Arrow’s fourth annual Thankful Campaign.
“What a wonderful contribution from the Arrow Family of Companies,” said Michele Puleo O’Hare, executive director of the Foundation of St. Catherine’s Center for Children. “This grant will help our Pathways to Health program deliver mental health resources to low- and moderate-income individuals and families in our community. This time of year can be especially taxing on one’s mental health, so this funding comes at a crucial time.”
With its “Care-A-Van” mobile unit, Pathways to Health ventures into local communities and meets with people in need on the street, in parking lots, at parks or wherever they are to assess their needs and connect them to essential resources before their situation reaches a critical state. In addition to mental health resources, Pathways also provides: access to telehealth and telemedicine, assistance with scheduling of and transportation to appointments, food, housing and hygiene products. While it primarily serves as a preventative program, Pathways to Health does encounter individuals and families who have already reached a crisis state and works in conjunction with St. Catherine’s other programs to provide emergency and supportive housing.
“The Arrow Family of Companies believes in fostering a community where mental health support is within reach for all,” said Dave DeMarco, president and CEO of Arrow Financial Corporation. “We are proud to support St. Catherine’s Center for Children and its Pathways to Health Community outreach program and take comfort in knowing that our donation will deliver mental health services and essential resources to those in need.”
“Mental health and mental health issues are so often overlooked, but they are incredibly important to address as they tend to be at the root of many issues faced by those we serve,” said Louisa Marra, associate executive director for homeless programs at St. Catherine’s. “This grant will help us assist individuals and families with addressing and overcoming significant traumas they have experienced. It’s the invisible scars and the private battles that no one sees that need our attention. Thank you so much to the Arrow Companies for recognizing this fact and choosing to support our efforts.”
Since its inception the Pathways to Health program has served more than 4,000 Capital Region residents.
Through its Thankful Campaign, the Arrow Family of Companies awards $100,000 worth of grants, split between ten nonprofits within Albany, Clinton, Essex, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties, for programs that address mental health needs for low-to-moderate income individuals.
The willingness of St. Catherine’s Center for Children to embrace change and develop new services is, and will remain, our guiding philosophy as we support human service needs, throughout the region, by providing a comprehensive range of services designed to offer hope, foster growth and improve the lives of the children, families and adults we serve.
For more information, http://www.st-cath.org.
