In 2021 AVfC established a Local Assistance Fund to support individuals, families and nonprofit organizations in Saranac Lake and surrounding communities who need assistance. This assistance can take the form of meeting immediate clothing, food, fuel, medical, educational or travel needs, and occasionally assistance to engage in enrichment activities offered in our community.
The fund does not provide cash or long-term assistance. The goal of the fund is not to duplicate the efforts of other organizations, but to offer assistance in areas which other groups may not cover or to fill in gaps at times when resources of other organizations may fall short of what is needed. Average grants from the fund have generally been between $100 to $500.
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If you are in need, or if you know someone in need, please call 518-637-4335 or send an email to: adirondackvotersforchange@gmail.com.
Our Work
Past grants have included grocery gift cards for needed food pantry items and individuals in need, a car seat for safe transport of children, gas cards so an immigrant family could attend necessary government appointments, dress clothes for a student to attend the funeral of a family member, dozens of mittens and snowpants for needy elementary school students, school supplies and educational materials for a local youth program and an emergency fuel delivery to a local household which had run out of fuel oil.
The privacy of all grant recipients or applicants is respected and information is never shared with any outside group or organization without the expressed permission of a grant recipient or applicant.​​
Statements from past recipients
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Saranac Lake Youth Center "On behalf of the Saranac Lake Youth Center, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the AVfC Local Assistance Fund for your generous donation. Your support came at exactly the right time. Because of your contribution, the Saranac Lake Youth Center was able to provide nutritious food to local families in need just in time for the holiday school break. For many of the youth and families we serve, this assistance helped ease a stressful season and ensured that children had access to healthy meals while school was out. Your commitment to strengthening our community makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our young people and their families. We are deeply grateful for your partnership for investing in the well-being of Saranac Lake."
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Grace Pantry "Grace Pantry will use the $350 grant from Adirondack voters for Change to purchase sturdy steel shelving that will enable us to safely stack multiple heavy boxes of items like dish soap and shampoo. Having the storage space will allow us to purchase larger quantities when they are available from the Regional Food Bank at prices cheaper than local dollar stores. In our current situation with plastic shelving, safe storage is difficult. We are also finding that the possibility of better shelving has inspired us to rework the design of our whole storage area to make it easier to readily access products when it is necessary to restock quickly during hours of operation. We are very appreciative of all the help you have provided in the past few years. Because we are dependent on the goodwill of others we know that the success of our program is an expression of a community that truly cares for its people."
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Samaritan House "Samaritan House received a grant from the AVfC Local Assistance Fund to purchase a Lenovo laptop computer for use by the residents. This computer has already become an invaluable resource for the individuals we serve. Residents are utilizing it to access employment opportunities, complete DSS and SSI applications, connect with healthcare resources, and, most recently, prepare and file their taxes independently. Providing access to technology helps build confidence, promotes self-sufficiency, and removes barriers that many individuals experiencing homelessness face.
On behalf of Samaritan House staff and residents, we sincerely thank you for your generosity and continued support of our program and community. Your contribution has made a direct and meaningful impact in helping individuals work toward stability and independence."
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Emergency fuel delivery for 2 elderly local residents "Thank you so much for your kindness trying to help us. I was speechless when ***** called me this morning, to think that strangers wanted to try and help us. Thank you. Thank you so much for all that ***** and you did to help us and for the kindness that organization extended in our time of need. We are so grateful to everyone. Thank you."
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The Community Lunchbox "The Community Lunchbox would like to thank the AVfC Local Assistance Fund for their recent donation in the amount of $300 to go toward the purchase of eco-friendly takeout containers. These containers are essential to ensure that no one goes without a meal, especially those unable to join us in person.
During 2025 Community Lunchbox spent over $1200 for takeout containers while serving over 6,000 meals to folks in Saranac Lake and surrounding communities. This $300 grant helps us keep up with the increasing number of takeout meal requests from the community."
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Saranac lake Middle School Counselors and SL Community SchoolProgram "Thank you so much for your generous donation to the Saranac Lake Middle School Hygiene Supply Closet. Your gift card will be used to purchase deodorant, toothpaste, body wash and other various and necessary supplies for our middle-schoolers. We are so excited to get our closet up and running and we would not have been able to do that without you.
Dear members of Adirondack Voters for Change, thank you for your generous donation to our middle school students. Basic needs can be tricky to address – your donation will make it much easier."