SYRACUSE, NY – The KeyBank Foundation announces it is donating $50,000 to support the McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center’s efforts to prevent and intervene in child abuse and 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 in one location 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 allow us to enhance our programs and provide critical support to 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 the children who need it most.”

KeyBank says McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Centers’ streamlined approach works with law enforcement, child and family services, social workers, medical professionals, victim advocates, prosecutors, therapists and volunteers under one roof and preserves “the best evidence” for investigators in child abuse cases or human trafficking. It is a vital organization.

“The McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization that our community simply cannot live without,” said Stephen Fournier, president of KeyBank’s Central New York Market. “The services and comfort they provide to children who have experienced the horrors of abuse are transformative and we are proud to support them as they continue their innovative work to respond to this great need while advocating for the To use sacrifices that they selflessly serve.”

The McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center currently serves 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 housing loans to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities, and “transformative” philanthropy.