Four projects will receive $150,000 for shovel-ready catalytic projects

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily life and frayed the region’s safety net, Adirondack Foundation is awarding multiyear implementation grants to four innovative projects aimed at fortifying the basic needs system across the region. These grants support partnerships among key service organizations and are designed to enhance regional collaboration and expand access to essential services.

The funded collaborations address top community needs identified in the 2024 Adirondack Regional Social Safety Network Report, which highlighted housing, transportation, workforce readiness (including childcare), access to healthy food, specialty healthcare, and social cohesion as critical priorities. The report was part of a multiyear strategic initiative, conducted in partnership with The John Rugge Center for Community Impact and funded in part by grants from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, which also provided broader support for the overall project.

“Community foundations are uniquely positioned to turn bold ideas into action,” said Bill Creighton, Board Chair of Adirondack Foundation. “In a rural region like ours, where distance and limited infrastructure can make access to services more difficult, our ability to bring people, resources, and organizations together is especially critical. Through trusted relationships and a deep understanding of local needs, we can launch strategic initiatives like this one that foster collaboration, expand access, and strengthen the fabric of our communities.”

Each of the four projects has a lead organization working with multiple partners:

• United Way of the Adirondack Region and its partners will support ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) families with immediate emergency assistance and long-term financial literacy programming. “This grant will allow us to provide a ‘hand up’ for hard-working families while helping create lasting change and greater stability,” said John Bernardi, President/CEO.
• North Country Ministry, based in Warren County, will expand into southern Essex County by embedding a caseworker in trusted community hubs. This approach reduces transportation barriers and builds relationships with clients to guide them toward sustainable solutions.
• LivingADK will lead a coalition focused on reducing isolation and loneliness in the Town of Webb School District by hiring a Community Resource Navigator. This role will connect residents to community activities and critical services.
• North Country Community College (NCCC) and Saranac Lake Central School (SLCS) are launching ADK Connect, a college and career readiness program. It will offer coursework in math, literacy, and life skills, paired with career exploration opportunities. “Through the generosity of Adirondack Foundation and their donors, we’ve been entrusted with developing a sustainable academic and workforce development program,” said Luke Hudak, Dual Enrollment Coordinator at NCCC. “We’re enormously grateful and excited to get started.”

These projects reflect a collective effort to strengthen the region’s safety net and build a more resilient, connected community.

For more information about the Strengthening the Regional Safety Net project, visit adirondackfoundation.org/safetynet. For questions, email Adirondack Foundation VP of Grants & Program Jennifer Russell at jennifer.russell@adkfoundation.org.