The Adirondack Trust Co. Community
Fund and its Independent Advisory Committee
awarded Lend-A-Hand grants to 23 local,
nonprofit organizations in December.
The grants were handed out at the Community
Fund’s annual grant award reception.
Directors or representatives of the organizations
were present and briefly spoke about
their respective organization’s mission and
how the grant will support their particular
cause.
Grant awards were provided to:
• After the Fire Inc. grant will provide
funding to help families of Saratoga County
get back on their feet after a fire. The services
are provided at no charge to families
by volunteers.
• Amorak Youth grant will provide funding
for a free, local summer youth program for
13-15 year olds. This program provides for
two experienced educators who help children
enjoy fun and educational summer activities.
• Ballston Spa Film Festival grant will help
to provide funding to expand the events they
offer for outdoor film screenings, which in
turn will draw more families to the festival.
• Ballston Spa Partnership for Innovation
in Education grant will fund the 2015 Girls’
Summit, a full-day, STEM-based forum for
and about girls. The event is designed to empower,
inspire and inform girls to lead healthy
lives and better prepare for their future.
• Ben Osborn Memorial Fund Inc. grant
will fund children in need, age 5-18, in the
form of gender and size appropriate clothing
assistance during the school day. Often children
have an accident at school so that their
clothing is soiled beyond wear. The program
is administered through school nurses and
helps hundreds of children.
• First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa
grant will provide funding for the continuation
of the Ballston youth summer lunch
program, with an expansion to the communities
of Malta and Rock City Falls. The program
provides nutritious lunches five days a week
during the months of July and August.
• Lake George Music Festival grant will
provide funding for the fifth year anniversary
season, August 17-27. Young musicians gain
valuable musical, educational experiences,
including the opportunity to perform at a
various venues.
• National Museum of Racing and Hall of
Fame grant will provide funding for the Horsing
Around with the Arts program scheduled
for the spring. This is a youth-based art
exhibit at the museum and is tailored for
students’ grades 3-7 and 8-12.
• North Country Wildcare grant will provide
assistance for the North Country Wildcare’s
Hotline. The hotline services Saratoga
County and neighboring regions, acting as a
resource in regard to wildlife issues.
• Opera Saratoga grant will provide
funding so Opera Saratoga can expand its
programming outside of its traditional performance
venue. “Saratoga Sings” is a new
program to address this goal. It will offer free
performances over a six-month period from
January to June.
• Prospect School (a.k.a. Center for Disability
Services) grant will help cover the cost
of equipment used in an innovative program
called M.O.V.E. (Mobility Opportunities via
Education) which assists students, many
with severe physical and cognitive disabilities,
in increasing their independence and
improving their health. Students age in range
from 2-21.
• Racing City Chorus grant will provide
funding so the RCC can entertain the area’s
senior citizen population by bringing them
the sounds of holiday music during the
Christmas season.
• Rebuilding Together Saratoga County
grant will support a technology upgrade that
will enable RTSC to implement their planned
Safe and Healthy Homes Initiative. This includes
the purchase and implementation of
the Healthy Homes tool.
• Regional Food Bank of Northeastern
New York grant will help support the Food
bank’s Retail Store Donation Program or
RSDP. Through RSDP, the food bank partners
with retailers to make frequent pick-ups of
smaller amounts of donated products from
individual stores.
• Saratoga Bridges grant will help to provide
funding for their Breaking Down Barriers
through Art program. This program provides
art opportunities for their clients using an
integrated community outreach model.
• Saratoga Center for the Family grant will
help to provide funding for the Heel-to-Heal
10-week program for high school aged girls
to increase self-esteem, confidence, mindfulness,
coping skills and physical activity.
• Saratoga Community Health Center
/ Saratoga Hospital grant will provide assistance
for the CHC Patient Prescription
Relief Fund. This program will help people
who cannot afford to cover prescription copays
or medications; currently at 125 patients
and growing.
• Saratoga Independent School grant will
provide funding for the purchase of 10 scales
and an additional $300 for development of
mathematics and science curriculum materials.
The balancing scales will allow students
to visualize math and science concepts, test
hypotheses and explore relations and change.
• Saratoga Sponsor A Scholar grant will
fund the purchase of graphing calculators for
the incoming class of program participants
made up of academically motivated, but
economically disadvantaged sophomores in
the Saratoga Springs City School District.
• Saratoga Springs Synchronized Program
grant will provide funding for three teams to
be developed via this program. The Saratoga
Springs Synchronized Skaters are girls that
are part of three teams: one competitive team
and two exhibition teams.
• Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga grant
will help to fund the bus trip program. The
trips are in high demand with about 250 senior
citizens annually enjoying the activity.
The grant from ATCCF helps contain cost so
that the program is sustainable.
• Shelters of Saratoga grant will provide
funding for the purchase of bus passes that
the shelter guests can use for transportation
to required Department of Social Services
appointments: job searches, job fairs and
interviews, medical appointments, and skills
training.
• Wait House grant will provide funding for
case management services in the Emergency
Shelter program. It targets youths from 16-21
years old. Wait House is the only shelter for
homeless youth in Warren and Washington
counties.
Chairperson Joan Taylor, ATCCF Independent
Advisory Committee, said, “The message
we want to send is one of sincere gratitude,
both to our donors, as well as to the nonprofits
that tirelessly work to better our community.
The culmination of our year long efforts, the
2014 Lend -A-Hand grant award ceremony
was a moving event where we had the privilege
of recognizing the incredible dedication
of this year’s 23 nonprofit grant recipients,
and supporting the amazing variety of charitable
works they perform. ”
The Community Fund was established
in 2009 to serve as a perpetual source of
philanthropic support for the needs of local
charities. Its website is www.atccf.org.