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Northern New York Community Foundation

Northern New York Community Foundation

LEAD Council Holiday Giving Fund Awards Nearly $5,500 to Brighten Season Across the Region

Young Professionals Aid Senior Programs in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties

     WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council will award $5,470 through its Holiday Giving Fund to three programs that make the holidays special for seniors in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County.

     The advisory committee of young professionals established the LEAD Holiday Giving Fund at the Community Foundation in 2020 to help brighten the season for tri-county residents in need. Between generous gifts to the fund and a matching commitment from the Community Foundation, three nonprofits that manage holiday programs for senior citizens will each receive $1,832 in support to strengthen their efforts. They include:

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

     “This year-end effort continues to be one of the Council’s most meaningful initiatives,” said Max DelSignore Community Foundation assistant director. “The group’s willingness to focus on the elderly population and their needs during the winter season demonstrates LEAD’s devotion to helping residents of all ages. We are grateful for the community donors who made a generous matching gift to lift up local seniors this holiday season.”

     As essential needs across the region evolve, LEAD members continue to prioritize additional support to help vulnerable individuals through these well-established initiatives.

     “Lewis County Office for the Aging is so appreciative to receive a grant from the LEAD Council’s Holiday Giving Fund. This year, approximately 140 aging adults received Christmas gifts delivered to them by volunteers,” said Shannon Frappier-Farney, aging services specialist with Lewis County Office for the Aging. “Funds like those from the LEAD Council help us to supplement gifts, purchase supplies, gift cards, and more to make the holidays a little brighter for those who have no or very little family to spend their holiday with.”

     Ms. Frappier-Farney added that the Lewis County Santa for Seniors program “is proud to support the aging population in our community and thankful for organizations like the Northern New York Community Foundation that helps support these programs in Lewis County.”

     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.

     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 Community Betterment Annual 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.

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