Double Your impact

Erin’s Angels and the Upstate Foundation are now partners into perpetuity.  The Erin’s Angels Endowed Fund at the Upstate Foundation will ensure that our important mission of addressing childhood food insecurity will serve generations of schoolchildren

in the future. “Erin” is Erin Maxwell, of Palermo, who suffered from unimaginable abuse and was starved

regularly. “We’re dedicated to feeding children,” confirmed Sheila Dion, who founded the organization in 2017 and is its

current director. 

“We began with the goal of turning the tragic death of Erin Maxwell into a powerful way to

create lasting change. We first approached the Phoenix Central School District because Erin was a student at

Maroun Elementary School.” She added that Erin’s Angels recently partnered with the West Genesee School District, and offer an outreach

program to help students in need in the Syracuse City School District through partnerships with various other

nonprofits in Central New York.

Dion explained that the topic of an endowment frequently arises when she applies for grant funding. “Grantees

are concerned about the futures of organizations they choose to support. It is important to me and our board of

directors to demonstrate our financial stability and long-term sustainability, so I always knew this was the

direction in which Erin’s Angels needed to head.”

An endowment is a lifelong fund that is invested permanently through the Upstate Foundation and generates

market earnings that can be spent in support of the endowment’s purpose.

“The Upstate Foundation is pleased to partner with Erin’s Angels,” said development director Carolyn

Hendrickson. “Included in our fourfold mission is community and health and well-being. We look forward to

growing this endowment to ensure the financial resources to fight childhood food insecurity will always be

available for this organization.”

For more information, visit erinsangels.com and UpstateFoundation.org.

Photo caption:

Carolyn Hendrickson, Upstate Foundation and Sheila Dion, Erin’s Angels (foreground) and Erin’s Angels board

members Maryann D’Addio, Erica Ward and Lisa Woodard.