The Northern New York Community Foundation, in collaboration with Stage Notes, recently launched the Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge. The initiative was created to engage middle school students in exploring the meaning of community and empowered them to recommend grants that would support their concepts of helping support and improve the quality of life in the region. Each student had to write an essay that expressed what the word “community” meant to them and explain what they love about their community and what they felt makes it a great place to live. They were then asked to identify a charitable organization that they believe makes their community a better place. Students attending schools in Jefferson and Lewis counties were eligible to participate. 62 students from 9 districts participated in the pilot program. Consistent themes of “community” that appeared most often in the applications were: neighbors, safe, love, beauty, happiness, betterment, togetherness, kindness, helping, caring, belonging, sharing, and respect.
“This program is a wonderful complement to our Youth Philanthropy and LEAD Programs. The earlier concepts of civic engagement and philanthropy can be introduced to our next generation the better chance we have of perpetuating good things in our communities,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “Stage Notes is proud to partner with the Community Foundation to empower the next generation of philanthropists to improve their communities. These students’ proposals best represented Stage Notes’ and the Foundation’s shared vision of community engagement and giving,” said Kyle Aumell, Stage Notes vice-president.
The Community Foundation and Stage Notes each provided $5,000 in funding, for a total of $10,000 in grants available. The Community Foundation portions was made possible by donors to its annual fund and Stage Notes allocated a portion of their proceeds from last year’s performances towards the endeavor. A committee judged and scored the applications and the results are as follows:
$1,000 Meals on Wheels of Greater Watertown, Adelyne Jareo, Sackets Harbor
$500 Croghan Free Library, Mya Zehr, Beaver River
$500 Lewis County Humane Society, Morgan Moser, Beaver River
$500 Credo Community Center, Shantel Massia, Case Middle School, Watertown
$500 (one grant) Jefferson County SPCA, Nathan McNulty, Case Middle School, Watertown
Yairis Matos, Case Middle School, Watertown
Isabelle McDonough, Thousand Islands
$500 Carthage YMCA, Reagan Alexander, Indian River
$500 Orchestra of Northern New York, Jasmine Berasategui, Indian River
$500 Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service (TIERS), Aubrey Stewart, Indian River
$500 (one grant) PIVOT, Wyatt Parliament, LaFargeville
Alison Swenson, Thousand Islands
$500 (one grant) Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Jenna Freeman, Lowville
Trinity Westerman, Thousand Islands
$500 Children’s Miracle Network, Anna Exford, Lowville
$500 Croghan Volunteer Fire Department, Keerie Lyndaker, Lowville
$500 Historical Association of South Jefferson, Emma MacIlvennie, South Jefferson
$500 Cape Vincent Community Library, Mary Connerton, Thousand Islands
$500 Clayton Figure Skating Club, Dallas Osier, Thousand Islands
$500 Clayton Youth Commission, Katelyn Solar, Thousand Islands
$500 Hawn Memorial Library, Allie Victorino, Thousand Islands
$500 Relay for Life of Jefferson County, Mackenzie Wagoner, Thousand Islands
$500 Thousands Islands Area Habitat for Humanity, Charritty Grant, Thousand Islands
Adelyne Jareo, who was awarded the largest grant said in her application, “To me, community means living through both good and bad times with people who love and support you. Community is about connection and brightening someone’s day and making it better even in the smallest way possible. Lending a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen, or even a friendly warm smile can make the world a better place. That is what community is all about.”
The Community Foundation and Stage Notes will work with the winning students to coordinate visits to their respective charitable organizations to present their grants and also learn more about the organization they are supporting. Planning will begin soon on next year’s Community Spirit Youth Giving Challenge.