Project Aims to Restock Food Pantries, Backpack Programs, Combat Food Insecurity
WATERTOWN — The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation invites local students at tri-county schools and colleges and organized student groups in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties to participate in a creative and impactful project to help reduce food insecurity across the North Country.
The “Canstruction for Northern New York” initiative is back for a fourth year under the leadership of the Youth Philanthropy Council, which accepted the challenge from the Foundation’s LEAD Council to continue the competition.
This team activity aims to encourage local students to team up and construct a fun, themed structure made of donated canned food and other nonperishable food items or hygiene products. Collected items are donated to a local food pantry or backpack program of their choice at the end of the competition.
“The Canstruction competition engages emerging leaders in early philanthropic efforts while fostering a strong sense of community across the tri-county area. By addressing food insecurity, the initiative encourages long-term impact and advances the Council’s mission to cultivate future generations of community leaders,” Watertown High senior and Council Chair April Wang said. “This year, we hope to inspire more student groups to come together for the greater good and provide aid to even more families in need.”
Joining the competition is easy through an online registration at bit.ly/CanstructionRegister26. Teams must register to participate by Friday, February 27, and select a local food pantry or backpack program that will receive team donations.
Participating students will have a chance to support essential needs for tri-county residents while learning the values of community philanthropy and building school spirit around a project that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Overall, the project aims to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity in our communities while empowering students to collaborate and inspire their school and community to join the effort.
Examples of canstruction projects may be found on the project web page at bit.ly/CanstructionNNY. Canstruction teams will compete for one of three chances to present a $500 grant to a nonprofit they care about most. A winning team will be named in the following three categories: “Top Collection Award” (most items donated/collected), “Best Design Award,” and “People’s Choice Award” (selected by an online vote).
Last year, nine participating teams combined to collect more than 6,000 canned and other nonperishable food items or hygiene products that helped restock two school-based backpack programs. Winning teams shared $1,500 in grant funding that was presented to the two backpack programs participants selected.
Carthage Middle School’s Builders Club & Student Government 2025 entry “Let Your Love Flow” was the “People’s Choice Award” winner. Carthage also won the “Top Collection Award” with 3,219 canned goods and other nonperishable items collected. The “Best Design Award” went to South Jefferson’s Junior National Honor Society for its “canstruction” of “Walk a Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes.”
Like previous years, each winning team will award a $500 grant to their chosen federally classified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. Contact Emily Pfeil, Community Foundation philanthropy associate, at emily@nnycf.org for additional guidelines on nonprofit selection.
All canstruction projects must be submitted by Thursday, April 2. Complete project rules, including a sample planning calendar with key project deadlines, is available on the project web page. The Community Foundation will provide a follow-up form to each registrant explaining the process for project submissions.
About the Youth Philanthropy Council
The Youth Philanthropy Council is an advisory committee of the Community Foundation. It was chartered in 2010 to promote positive youth development and leadership while engaging young people in meaningful activities that build their skills and deepen their understanding of community needs and philanthropy and its impact on Northern New York. Council members grow to become critical thinkers as they engage in lessons that may never be taught in a classroom.
Since its inception, the Youth Philanthropy Council has awarded 155 grants totaling $285,070 in support to nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
In the past 15 years, nearly 170 students representing eight Northern New York high schools have served or are presently serving on the Youth Philanthropy Council.
This year’s Youth Philanthropy Council includes 16 representatives from Carthage, General Brown, Immaculate Heart, Lyme, and South Jefferson central schools, and Watertown High School. Council members are in their junior, or senior class.
The Youth Philanthropy Council and its grant program are made possible by gifts from donors who make contributions to the Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Annual Fund and generous support from Watertown Savings Bank, the Renzi Family Charitable Foundation, RBC Wealth Management Watertown, the Mart Liinve Fund, and the Timerman Family Fund.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.