Bloomingdale?s Proudly Celebrates the 5th Annual National Mentoring Month

"Share What You Know. Mentor a Child."
Bloomingdale's Proudly Celebrates the 5th Annual National Mentoring Month
With a "Reach for the Stars" Inspired Window Created by Mentoring USA's Mentees from Public School 59

January 2006, New York, New York...Bloomingdale's will celebrate National Mentoring Month and the store's long-term partnership with Matilda Raffa Cuomo's Mentoring USA program, the city's largest site-based, one-to-one mentoring program with a special window dedication on Thursday, January 12th at 9am. For the fifth consecutive year, Bloomingdale's Chairman & CEO, Michael Gould will personally unveil the Lexington & 60th Street window to the children of PS 59 and host a "thank you" breakfast for the children immediately following.

Bloomingdale's recognizes the vital role that mentors play in the lives of today's youth. Through the Mentoring USA program at nearby PS 59, Bloomingdale's volunteers have mentored elementary school children for the past eight years. Currently 90 Bloomingdale's executives spend an hour every week with their mentees, talking, sharing, tutoring and encouraging their mentees to dream big for their future.

"You do things in life for other people but you also do things in life for self- enrichment," said Michael Gould, Chairman & CEO of Bloomingdale's. "Mentoring is one of those rare experiences where you can achieve both and be a part of the greatest kind of enrichment--helping a child," continued Gould.

"We are looking forward to continuing our program with Bloomingdale's and reaching out to other corporations," said Matilda Raffa Cuomo, Founder & Chair of Mentoring USA. "Mentoring is an investment that can enrich a child for a lifetime and a Mentor can be a lifetime hero to a child," continued Cuomo.

This year the theme of the window at Bloomingdale's is "Reach for the Stars!" Mentees from PS 59 have been asked to draw their interpretations of the qualities that they feel their mentors help them strive for in life, such as ambition, perseverance, good sportsmanship, creativity and faith. After the unveiling ceremony two special guests will join the PS 59 mentees and mentors to celebrate mentoring. Broadway star Kissy Simmons, who plays Nala in the Lion King, and wNBA star Becky Hammon will talk to mentees about the guidance that helped them become successful in their respective fields.

Mentoring USA (www.mentoringusa.org), founded in 1987, is committed to providing high quality, one-to-one mentors for at-risk youth: children in foster care, children who have been homeless, children who have recently immigrated to this country, and youth who have experienced family trauma. Mentoring USA's goal is to anchor these children in the form of early, consistent, frequent and supported attention by trained adult mentors. The presence of a consistent, caring adult mentor increases self-esteem, improves academic performance and attendance, improves relationships with peers and adults, and prevents school dropout.

A program of HELP USA, Mentoring USA operates more than 30 mentoring programs in the New York metro area, and provides mentors to 1,000 children between the ages of 5-18 every year. Mentoring USA?s BRAVE Juliana initiative employs mentors to serve as ambassadors of cultural diversity to their mentees: adults work with youth on nonviolent conflict resolution and developing respect and compassion for others. Through its programs, Mentoring USA also promotes literacy, healthy lifestyles and academic achievement. Contact Janet Polli at jpolli@mentoringusa.org for more information.

Bloomingdale's, a division of Federated Departments Stores, was founded in 1872 and currently operates 36 stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Florida, California, Nevada and Georgia. For website access, log onto www.bloomingdales.com.
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