The Board of Directors of the Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded up to $15,000 in grant funding to the Watertown Family YMCA for a needs assessment for a proposed full-service Downtown aquatics, racquet sports and full-service wellness center. The Northern New York Community Foundation has a long history of supporting the Watertown Family YMCA as a vital part of the community’s quality of life and allocated this funding to help the organization explore this possible next step in advancing their work and mission.

“Our donors have helped position us to be able to respond quickly when there is an opportunity to promote and encourage meaningful discussion about projects that have the potential to have a positive impact on our community. This grant will help provide proper due diligence in terms of need, scope and sustainability. It will also frame possible future conversations about more broad-based community support and planning for whatever the next chapter may be for the Watertown Family YMCA,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation director.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

A meaningful legacy gift from Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer will leave a lasting impact on the quality of life for residents in Boonville, Constableville and Westernville forever.

The “Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund” was recently established to support programs, projects and initiatives making a positive difference in the communities of Boonville, Constableville and Westernville. This permanent, charitable fund will be administered by the Northern New York Community Foundation. Grant funding will be awarded annually from this community fund to non-profit organizations serving these respective communities. This year, up to $30,000 in grant funding is available through this legacy fund.

Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer participated in many community events and activities over the years and also served on local boards and committees. Mr. Sawyer was a Boonville native, served in the United States Army, and enjoyed a gratifying career at Layng Furniture Company and as a supervisor at Erwin Park in Boonville. Most notably, he was a talented musician. He played tenor saxophone in high school band and clarinet with the Boonville Village Band. He frequently played with three separate drum and bugle corps in Boonville and Rome. Mr. Sawyer passed away in 2008.

Mrs. Sawyer completed a successful career of over 45 years at Rome Savings Bank and was an avid follower of the stock market. She also served on the finance committee of the Boonville United Methodist Church. She also assisted organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, Dodge Pratt Northam Art and Community Center, the Erwin Library, and the Boonville Cemetery. Mrs. Sawyer passed away in 2015.

Last year, the Kenneth V. Sawyer and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Scholarship Fund was established through the Northern New York Community Foundation to benefit graduates from Adirondack Central School. This endowed fund will award two scholarships each year forever, supporting the business and music pursuits of high school graduates from the district.

Non-profit organizations serving residents in the communities of Boonville, Constableville and Westernville are encouraged to apply for grant funding through the Kenneth V. and Jeannette Remp Sawyer Community Fund. Guidelines on how to submit a proposal for consideration may be obtained through the Northern New York Community Foundation. Please contact Max DelSignore, Assistant Director, at (315) 782-7110 or via email at max@nnycf.org.

The deadline to submit a proposal for consideration is April 20, 2018. Grant awards will be announced following the Community Foundation’s board meeting in June.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, grants totaling $2,000 will be awarded through the Northern New York Community Foundation to four area food pantries serving St. Lawrence River communities.

Each of the four food pantries will receive $500 to purchase items through the Food Bank of Central New York. The recipient organizations are: Alexandria Bay Food Pantry, Cape Vincent Food Pantry, the Clayton Council of Churches Food Pantry, and Depauville Food Pantry. The Community Foundation provides annual support to area food pantries and soup kitchens operating with an official partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York.

“Community Foundation donors are helping make a difference all across the North Country. This is a grant that makes a difference in communities large and small. It also continues to strengthen our partnerships with the individual food pantries and the Food Bank of Central New York that do so much to help our region,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation director.

The Food Bank of Central New York is a not-for-profit organization working to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education, and advocacy. They partner with emergency food programs in many counties including Jefferson, and St. Lawrence. They partner with local agencies that distribute food to individuals and families in need. The Food Bank maintains a food cache that is comprised of food donations from food manufacturers, grocers, wholesalers, and businesses, food from the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and wholesale foods purchased for their inventory.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

The Northern New York Community Foundation has awarded a $10,000 matching grant to establish and build a permanent endowment fund for the St. Lawrence County Historical Association (SLCHA) at the Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation will match contributions to the SLCHA’s endowment fund, dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000. The goal is to help build the SLCHA’s endowment and provide a permanent, self-sustaining source of long-term funding in support of its work and mission. The SLCHA recently entered into a formal partnership with the Community Foundation, joining 35 other St. Lawrence County organizations who have established funds within the Community Foundation. The partnership also provides expanded options for donors interested in a greater variety of planned giving options, diversification and stewardship.

“The St. Lawrence County Historical Association is immensely excited and pleased to partner with the Northern New York Community Foundation. This opportunity for people to exercise their long range giving goals to the SLCHA through the Community Foundation is outstanding. I look forward to a long and beneficial partnership,” said Lance W. Rudiger, president of the board of directors of the SLCHA.

“The Community Foundation feels strongly that it is important to address both short-term and long-term needs. Ensuring that there is support in the future for investments made today is critical. We are very excited about the new partnership with the St. Lawrence County Historical Association as we explore more ways we can collaborate,” said Rande S. Richardson, director of the Community Foundation.

The St. Lawrence County Historical Association, located in the Silas Wright House in Canton, is a not-for-profit organization and museum which serves as an educational resource for the use and benefit of the citizens of St. Lawrence County and others interested in the county’s history and traditions. They collect and preserve archival material and artifacts pertinent to the county’s history. In cooperation and collaboration with other local organizations, they promote an understanding of and appreciation for the County’s rich history through publications, exhibits, and programs.

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Since 1929, the Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.

School-Based Programs Also to Receive Support

The Northern New York Community Foundation will invest $37,000 in local food pantries and soup kitchens in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties this coming year. The board-approved grant will help enhance the offerings provided at community food pantries, thrift stores and soup kitchens in the region. The Foundation provides annual support to organizations operating with an official partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York. Over 50 organizations will receive funding through this grant.

The Food Bank of Central New York has also introduced a school-based food pantry program that is being piloted at four schools: Watertown City School District, Thousand Islands Central School, Clifton-Fine Central School, and Heuvelton Central School.

These grants are made possible, in part, through the Emma Phoebe Hurd Fund at the Foundation, and supporters of the “Friends of the Foundation Community Betterment Fund.”

“Community Foundation donors are helping make a difference all across the North Country. This is a grant that a difference in communities large and small. It also continues to strengthen our partnerships with the individual food pantries and the Food Bank of Central New York, that do so much to help our region,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation director.

The organizations receiving a portion of the grant are:

Jefferson County

Alexandria Bay Food Pantry
Cape Vincent Food Pantry
Clayton Council of Churches Food Pantry
Community Action Planning Council Food Pantry
Depauville Food Pantry
Feed Our Vets Food Pantry, Watertown
Gwen’s Food Pantry, LaFargeville
Indian River Baptist Church Food Pantry, Philadelphia
Rohde Center Food Pantry, Adams
St. Mary’s Church Food Pantry, Evans Mills
St. Paul’s of Redwood Food Pantry
Salvation Army, Watertown
Theresa Food PantryThousand Islands Central School Food Pantry, Cape Vincent
Village Ecumenical Ministries Food Pantry, Carthage
Watertown City School District Food Pantry
Watertown Urban Mission Food Pantry

 

Lewis County

Copenhagen Food Pantry
Croghan Food Pantry
Harrisville Food Pantry
Lowville Food Pantry
New Bremen Food Pantry
Port Leyden Food Pantry

 

St. Lawrence County

Antwerp Food Pantry
Canton Neighborhood Center Food Pantry
Church and Community Program, Canton
Christian Fellowship Center Food Pantry, Madrid
Christian Life Fellowship Food Pantry, Gouverneur
Clifton-Fine Central School Food Pantry, Star Lake
Colton-Pierrepont-Parishville Center Pantry
Free Community Meal Soup Kitchen, Star Lake
Free Will Meal Program Soup Kitchen, Canton
Gouverneur Neighborhood Center Food Pantry
Grasse River Food Pantry, Russell
Hammond Food Pantry
Heuvelton Central School Food Pantry
Life In His Arms Kitchen, North Lawrence
Massena First United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen
Massena Neighborhood Center Food Pantry
Norfolk-Raymondville Food Pantry
Ogdensburg Neighborhood Center Food Pantry
Potsdam Neighborhood Center Food Pantry
Richville Baptist Chapel Food Pantry
Salvation Army, Massena
Salvation Army, Ogdensburg
Salvation Army North Kountry Kitchen, Ogdensburg
St. James Outreach Center Food Pantry, Gouverneur
St. Vincent de Paul of Massena Food Pantry
Star Lake Neighborhood Center Food Pantry
Tri-Town Community Services Food Pantry, Winthrop
Waddington Resource Center

The Northern New York Community Foundation makes grants to support the work of non-profit organizations and provides scholarships to individuals in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The Foundation has been built and added to from gifts (both while living and through their legacy plans) by individuals and organizations committed to meeting the changing needs of Northern New York, as well as supporting specific charitable interests and passions.