$5,000 Matching Challenge will Double Gifts to LEAD Holiday Giving Fund

     WATERTOWN — The LEAD Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation is working to help bring joy to seniors across the tri-county region this holiday season.

     The advisory committee of young professionals is kicking off its annual LEAD Holiday Giving initiative to support Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. To begin, the Council’s LEAD Holiday Giving Fund at the Community Foundation will provide a $5,000 matching challenge. Each gift to the fund will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000.

     Total gifts contributed to the LEAD Holiday Giving Fund will be evenly distributed to the following community initiatives and nonprofit partner organizations:

• Meals on Wheels Program through Watertown Urban Mission — Gifts will support meal expenses to provide food and meal support to local seniors.
• Santa for Seniors Program through Lowville Food Pantry — Gifts will help purchase presents for seniors during the holiday season.
• Meals on Wheels Program through St. Lawrence County Office for the Aging — Gifts will support a holiday gift card drive sent to local participating seniors to help purchase groceries and essential needs.

     “Members of the LEAD Council are graciously seeking support for our Holiday Giving Fund initiative. Your gift is not merely a transaction, but a deliberate action of compassion that directly aids our neighbors — a true embrace of the holiday season,” LEAD Council Vice Chair Marc Piche said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact this holiday season and ensure that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is wasted.”

     The Council’s challenge starts today and runs through Monday, November 25. Last year, the Council awarded $6,000 to support local holiday initiatives and distributed hundreds more in material gifts.

     The LEAD Council is comprised of 22 young professionals who live and work in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. The Council is empowered to develop creative initiatives that directly benefit the community and to award strategic grants to tri-county nonprofit organizations whose work enhances the quality of life in the region.

     To support LEAD’s effort, make gifts to: Northern New York Community Foundation, 131 Washington Street, Watertown, New York 13601, or online at bit.ly/LEAD-HolidayFund. Please designate your thoughtful gift to the LEAD Holiday Giving Fund.

     The LEAD Council program and experience is made possible through the generosity of the Hyde-Stone Charitable Foundation of the Northern New York Community Foundation, Carthage Savings, Morgia Wealth Management, and donors to the Friends of the Foundation Annual Community Betterment Fund. Contact Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director, 315-782-7110, or max@nnycf.org, to learn more about LEAD and its work.

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.