Press Release

Foster Kids of the Merrimack Valley Awarded Grant from Essex County Community Foundation for Aging-Out Mentoring Program

Lawrence, MA.  February 22, 2011:  The Foster Kids of the Merrimack Valley (FKMV), a local organization dedicated to serving the needs of foster kids in Merrimack Valley, was recently awarded a $4,000 grant from the Essex Community County Foundation’s Merrimack Valley General Fund. This grant has been ear-marked to help FKMV establish the Foster Kids Merrimack Valley Mentor program – which is rolling out this month.

The new program, master-minded by FKMV founder, Larry Giordano, is specifically geared to prepare older adolescent youth to enter the world of adulthood prepared with the knowledge, skills and confidence that will help lower the barriers all young adults face at this stage of life, magnified by the absence of family 

FKMV hired Angela Collier-Costa as the program director for its new mentoring program who had this to say, “we are thrilled and very much appreciate the grant Foster Kids received from the Essex Community County Foundation’s Merrimack Valley General Fund. She adds, “We are excited about the growth that has been happening at Foster Kids of Merrimack Valley. Larry and his team, through their work over the last 10 plus years, realized these kids would benefit from one-on-one mentoring with respected people from within our community. 

Foster Kids of Merrimack Valley hired Ms. Collier in October, 2010 and 4 matches have already been created. Goals for the first year of the program include 10 matches and to establish the FKMV Aging-out mentoring program as a resource for children throughout the community ages 14 to 18 who are faced with leaving their foster homes within the next few years. 

About Foster Kids of the Merrimack Valley
We are a certified 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of foster children in the Merrimack Valley, including Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Haverhill. With hundreds of foster children in our local area, they need role models who can make a difference in their lives. Through the efforts of the organization, our goal is to bring a positive influence into the lives of these children and support them as they grow. We offer a range of programs for local foster children of all ages. We work closely with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to make sure our programs are complementary and needed, and do not overlap with state and federally funded programs. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.fosterkidsmv.org

###

Image: FKMV_Mentors.jpg
Front row, L-R: Lauren Goddard, Danielle Purpura, Patricia Caffrey
Back row, L-R: Jane Davis, Angela Collier-Costa