SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The KeyBank Foundation says it’s donating $50,000 to support the McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center’s efforts to prevent and intervene in child abuse as well as advocate for victims.
The McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center, which opened in Syracuse in 2002, has helped thousands of child-abuse victims and their families by providing legal, medical, psychological and social services, all in one place under one roof.
“We are incredibly grateful to KeyBank for their generous donation of $50,000 to McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy. This significant contribution will enable us to enhance our programs and provide critical support for children and families in our community,” Colleen Merced, executive director of McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy, said in the KeyBank announcement. “With the help of partners like KeyBank, we can continue our mission to advocate for and protect the most vulnerable among us. Together, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of children who need it most.”
KeyBank says that McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Centers’ streamlined approach partners with law enforcement, children and family services, social workers, medical professionals, victim advocates, prosecutors, therapists, and volunteers under one roof and “preserves the best evidence” for investigators in cases of child abuse or human trafficking. It’s a vital organization.
“McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit that our community simply can not live without,” Stephen Fournier, president of KeyBank’s Central New York market, said. “The services and comfort they provide to children who have experienced the horrors of abuse is transformative and we are proud to support them as they continue their innovative work of responding to this great need while also advocating for the victims they selflessly serve.”
McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center currently sees more than 1,000 victims each year. The center also works to educate the public to prevent abuse.
Since 2017, KeyBank says it has invested more than $725.3 million in Central New York, supporting affordable housing and community-development projects; small business and home lending to low-to-moderate income individuals and communities, and “transformative” philanthropy.