Allegany County, NY, May 11, 2021 - The Allegany-Cattaraugus-Chautauqua Fund for Women (ACC FFW) announces its fourth annual Mother’s Day Campaign (through the end of June). After successfully expanding its reach and awarding five individual grants in 2020, the ACC FFW seeks to continue to affect change in 2021 and beyond, as there is much more work to be done.

The vision of the ACC FFW is to be a resource that will provide financial assistance and open doors for women who seek continued betterment. This region surpasses state and national averages for poverty, according to the 2019 NYS Annual Poverty Report.

Founder and President, Melissa Jusianiec shares, “There is need in our region, need that is substantiated by poverty data at the national, state and local levels.  Our goal is to address this need by helping women pursue activities that will enable sustained self-sufficiency.  Our support of women in the region is made possible by donors who acknowledge the need and generously contribute to this important work.”

The ACC FFW's Mother’s Day Campaign invites donors to honor and remember women who have made a difference in their lives by making a donation to the ACC FFW. Donations will directly fund grants for women with needs ranging from continuing education, to professional development, to supplies needed for a home business, and more.

For each donation, the ACC FFW will plant a daffodil bulb in a community garden. Donations may be made online (https://www.accffw.org/donate-now) or by mail (ACC FFW, c/o CRCF, 301 North Union Street, Suite 203, Olean, NY  14760).

The Fund for Women exists to invest in the lives of women in our communities in order to promote sustained self-sufficiency.  The goals of the Fund for Women are:

• To establish an endowed fund that will support the vision and mission of ACC FFW.
• To award individual and agency grants, on an annual basis, in direct proportion to our endowment, through a thorough review of applications.
• To promote philanthropy by and for women.

About ACC FFW:

The ACC FFW was established in 2017 to combat poverty in the tri-county area by providing women the opportunity to seek financial assistance for long-term self-improvement, and by promoting philanthropy by and for women. The ACC FFW is a component fund of the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, a 501(c )(3) nonprofit organization.  Donations to this fund are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.