Local nonprofits to receive GM grants

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Five area nonprofits will benefit from General Motors Co. — Rochester Operations’ generosity.

United Way of Greater Rochester Inc., Junior Achievement of Central Upstate New York, School of the Holy Childhood and the American Cancer Society each will receive $10,000 grants as part of the GM Community Giving program. Boys and Girls Clubs of Rochester Inc. will receive $30,000.

“This is stunning,” United Way CEO Jaime Saunders said. “One hundred years ago George Eastman founded our United Way with a vision for a thriving community that takes care of its own. And here at GM, you are keeping that alive. You do us proud. Your dedication to helping others makes a difference.”

Earlier this year, GM Rochester Operations received the Richard P. Miller Award for Outstanding Campaign from the United Way.

GM employees participate in the Junior Achievement’s annual bowl-a-thon, Evans noted, and this year raised roughly $14,000 for the nonprofit.

“With a gift like this, we get to reach almost 300 students in the community with skills that are critical for future success, but not always prioritized by our education system,” said Junior Achievement President and CEO Patricia Leva. “Think about financial self-sufficiency, workforce readiness, career awareness and entrepreneurial thinking. We create that bridge for students to the real world.”

Dwayne Mahoney, executive director of Boys and Girls Clubs, said he was not expecting the $30,000 award.

“GM’s done so much for us, during Christmas, volunteering. We’ve had people from GM over to the Boys and Girls Clubs to see what we do,” Mahoney said. “There are so many different things this organization, this company, this plant has done that we wish everyone in this community could know all the things they do for us. Sometimes I don’t think you know what you do for the kids in our community. You really do impact them. A lot of times our kids walk away and say, ‘I want to do what they’re doing. And I want to carry myself like they’re carrying themselves.’”

Each year GM Community Giving provides grants to its manufacturing plants to give to local charitable organizations. Last year GM Rochester Operations gave $20,000 in grants to three charities. This year that amount was doubled.

But because GM Rochester Operations beat each of GM’s other North American facilities for having the highest employee giving participation and greatest year-over-year giving increase to the United Way, the facility was allotted an additional $30,000 to give away, said GM Rochester Operations plant manager Neal Evans.

“I am amazed at the generosity of this community, across the board. And today is just another great reflection of it,” said Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece. “I work with all these groups, and you could not have picked better groups that really are going to impact people in so many different ways.”

GM Rochester Operations awarded the grants Friday as part of its Manufacturing Day 2018 events.

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