NISKAYUNA – Capital Region philanthropists Sandra and John Reschovsky of Niskayuna have donated $100,000 to Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region to establish the Fund for Strategic Impact.
The fund is designed to help increase the number of girls served by the 85-year-old organization and improve the impact of Girls Inc. programming. It will make it possible for Girls Inc. to engage more girls and their families, enhance existing program offerings, and expand services beyond their centers in Albany and Schenectady.
“John and Sandra are not your average donors, and John’s engagement with Girls Inc. ranges from serving on the Board of Directors to changing light bulbs in the Schenectady Center,” said Ashli Fragomeni, executive director of Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region. “But there is nothing that John and Sandra enjoy more than interacting with the girls, especially during trips to the Adirondacks, which they have sponsored, year after year. In doing so they have provided inner-city girls with what is often their first taste of wild, natural environments, places which John and Sandra care for deeply.”
The research-based curriculum offered by the national affiliate features seven topic areas, including Operation SMART, which gives girls hands-on experience in science, math and relevant technology. Encouraging girls to make big and interesting mistakes — then learn how to solve or fix them — is something the Reschovskys have long been passionate about, said Sandra Reschovsky.
“John and I met when we were college students at a time when women and girls were actively discouraged from studying science and engineering,” she said. “Although times have changed, young women still often face barriers and challenges that may discourage them from pursuing their dreams and reaching their full potential. We have personally seen how Girls Inc. is a powerful force in our community in helping girls overcome these challenges.”
John Reschovsky has served on both the Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region Board of Directors and the Girls Inc. Foundation Trust of Schenectady, alternately, for more than a decade. During the couple’s 25 years of support, they have found creative ways to connect their commitment to the organization’s mission with their other passions.
From 2015 through 2020, John, an avid cyclist, conducted a bike trek fundraiser for Girls Inc. by asking his friends and family to sponsor him as he rode the 330-plus miles of the Erie Canal. His journeys raised more than $80,000 for the nonprofit, which has centers in both Schenectady and Albany.
“In establishing the Fund for Strategic Impact, the Reschovskys’ gift is transformative, but even more than that, it solidifies that Girls Inc. is headed in a strategic, visionary and sustainable direction,” said Fragomeni. “But to fully realize its goals we must continue to build and sustain this fund. The Reschovskys in making this gift expressed their hope that others in the community would follow their example and help Girls Inc. to build and sustain their 80-plus-year legacy in the Capital Region.”
More: All News | Everything Niskayuna
Categories: -News-, Email Newsletter, News, Schenectady County, Your Niskayuna
