HELPING OUT
customers helped the 2023 Holiday Match program raise more than $2 million for local children’s charities this season. Customers donated more than $1 million between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and with the company match, hundreds of nonprofit children’s organizations will benefit over the next few months, serving as a big boost to communities throughout New York and Vermont.
• On behalf of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, Clifton Park Supervisor Philip Barrett announced a funding initiative in the county budget to address food insecurity: $75,000 will be given to the Regional Food Bankof Northeastern New York and more than 30 partner food pantries and soup kitchens in Saratoga County, including Lifeworks, and $25,000 will expand the Regional Food Bank’s mobile pantry and popup pantry initiatives.
• Jeffrey C. Vahanian, president of Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning, and his wife Corinne, stopped by Saratoga Center for the Family on Dec. 20 to donate 150 copies of Veronica Safoa Owusu’s book, “Rise Up Gold Dust Queen.” He said the book is “something useful that you can give to current and past families you have served so that they might read the book and find it helpful in their own journey of rebuilding their self-esteem and their lives.”
• Disabled American Veterans will get more than $76,000 from a Price Chopper/market 32 fundraising campaign to provide lifetime support to veterans and their families. Price Chopper/market 32 kicked off the fundraiser with a $10,000 donation and, combined with customer donations, raised $76,471 to go directly to DAV.
• Members of The Welsey Community in Saratoga Springs benefited from two boutique gift shop co-owners and the generosity of the greater Saratoga Springs community. The first Adopt a Grandparent program was launched Nov. 24 as part of a holiday giving campaign by Impressions of Saratoga and The Dark Horse Mercantile co-owners Maddy Zanetti and Marianne Barker. Shoppers there bought and personalized $20 gift tags through Dec. 17 that were used to buy gifts for Wesley residents.
• Excelsior University’s community engagement group collected nearly 100 donations from staff and faculty for the Albany Adopt-afamily drive. The university supported three local families through the program and delivered the gifts on Dec. 20. Excelsior employees have contributed to the annual Adopt-a-family drive since 2016, donating hundreds of new gifts to local families in need.
• The Gillis Organization this holiday hosted its first toy giveaway at Mcdonald’s in Schenectady where they gave away more than 500 toys to the community. Sen. Jim Tedisco presented The Gillis Organization with a recognition for the event and the Schenectady Police Department helped to pass out gifts to the kids
• The Regional Food Bankof Northeastern New York was awarded a $20,000 contribution from Amazon to support its annual Holiday Hunger Appeal.
• The Department of Environmental Conservation gave funding for urban forest assessment and planning projects across New York, including Vale Cemetery, $24,000; and Clifton Park, $65,000, for tree inventory and management plans.
• A $1,000 donation by Cardona’s Market will support youth athletes from All Saints and Blessed Sacrament through the purchase of new uniforms and safety upgrades.