LI, NYC mentoring groups combine forces

A Long Island group that provides technical assistance to mentoring programs focusing on at-risk youth is combining with its New York City counterpart in the hopes of expanding their efforts statewide, Jean Cohen, executive director of both groups, said Tuesday.

The Mentoring Partnership of Long Island, which supports 180 programs serving about 7,800 young people, will combine later this month with the Mentoring Partnership of New York in Manhattan, whose 240 programs serve about 50,000 youths.

The new organization will be called Mentor New York. It hopes to add 400 more support programs this year to serve 8,000 more young people. The current organizations receive funding from private donations, corporate sponsorships, grants and fundraising events.

In March, the group will host its 14th annual GradNation -- Mentoring Matters Conference at LIU Post in Brookville.