The Peru Gazette

$665K raised, including $113K by NYS employees

United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc. has completed its 2023 Fundraising Campaign to help support high-priority health and human service programs in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties. The annual campaign is conducted primarily during the fall months and concludes in February of each year. This year’s campaign raised a total of $665,000.00, which includes proceeds from special events and also includes projections of pending results from businesses and individuals not yet received but anticipated. John Bernardi, President & CEO, said, “we are so delighted to deliver this exciting news to our three-county region. It is once again a testament to the generosity and caring nature of the North Country. It was very challenging this year and we are proud of what we have been able to achieve. It was a valiant team effort among campaign team volunteers, United Way staff and employee campaign representatives, but most of all, it was the generosity of businesses, organizations and individuals that made it successful. I am always so impressed to see how people in our region come together for their friends and neighbors.” Campaign team members include Todd McCarthy (Co-Chair: Clinton County), James Monty (Co-Chair: Essex County), Amy Collin (Co-Chair: Franklin County), Monticia Prather, Chris Mazzella, Sandra Young-Brady, Sue LeBlanc-Durocher, Lee Rivers, DaleAnne Wolter, Tony Searing, Gerry Morrow, Ryan Lee, Hannah Provost, Jody Carpenter, Shay Prentiss and staff members Holly Lafountain, Jennifer Desrocher, Nikki Buck, Meghan Weeden, Wendy Baker, Tracy Repas and Bernardi.

The State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA), a campaign for state employees that runs parallel to the United Way campaign, also wrapped up recently and raised a total of $113,099.00, which is included in the campaign total. A regional committee of state employees, chaired by Bill Ferguson of Empire State Development, conducts the annual fund-raising campaign in state facilities across the region.    

The mission of United Way, which serves Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties, is to be a leader in community partnership building and to increase the organized capacity of people to care for one another. The funds raised from this campaign will be allocated to local community partner agencies based on donor designations and agency applications for additional funds to support high-priority health and human service programs. A committee of community members will review requests for undesignated funds and recommend to the board of directors the awarding of grants based on prioritized community needs throughout the region. Chris Mazzella, Chair of the United Way Board of Directors, said, “Funds stay local and go toward supporting critical services for our friends and neighbors here in the North Country.” Last year, the health and human service network supported by United Way provided service to nearly eighty thousand people throughout Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties.