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Community Foundation’s LEAD Council Kicks Off ‘Canstruction’
Competition, Invites Local Schools to Join
Published: March 17, 2023 at
01:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from LEAD Council of the NNY
Community Foundation
Community Foundation’s LEAD Council Kicks Off ‘Canstruction’
Competition, Invites Local Schools to Join
Project Takes Aim at Food Insecurity by Helping to
Restock Region’s Food Pantries
 WATERTOWN — The LEAD Council
of the Northern New York Community Foundation invites local students at
tri-county schools and organized student groups in Jefferson, Lewis, and
St. Lawrence counties to participate in a creative and impactful project to
help reduce food insecurity across the North Country.
“Canstruction for
Northern New York” is a group activity to encourage students to team up and
construct a fun, themed structure made of donated canned food and other
nonperishable food items or hygiene products to support a local food pantry
or backpack program of their choice.
Joining the
competition is easy through an online registration at bit.ly/CanstructionRegistration. Teams must
register to participate by Monday, March 27, and select the local
food pantry or backpack program that will receive team donations.
“I’m really
looking forward to seeing what our local students will do to participate in
this endeavor and help meet the needs of local food pantries and backpack
programs,” said Kerry Kennett, LEAD Council member and South
Jefferson Central School math teacher.
Participating
students will have a chance to support essential needs for local residents while learning values of community
philanthropy and building school spirit around a project that will make a
meaningful difference in the lives of others. Overall, the project aims to
raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity in our communities. The
initiative will empower students to collaborate and inspire their school
and community to join in the effort.
Examples of canstruction projects may be found on the project web
page at bit.ly/CanstructionNNY. Canstruction
teams will compete for one of three chances to present a $500 grant to a
nonprofit they care about most. A winning team will be named in the following
three categories: “Top Collection Award” (most items donated/collected),
“Best Design Award,” and “People’s Choice Award” (selected by an online
vote).
Each winning team
will award a $500 grant to their chosen federally classified 501(c)3
nonprofit organization serving residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and St.
Lawrence counties. Contact Max DelSignore,
Community Foundation assistant director, at max@nnycf.org for
additional guidelines on nonprofit selection.
All canstruction projects must be submitted by Friday,
April 21. Complete project rules, including a sample planning calendar
with key project deadlines, is available on the project web page at bit.ly/CanstructionNNY. The Community
Foundation will provide a follow-up form to each registrant explaining the
process for project submissions.
Photo: Members of the Northern
New York Community Foundation LEAD Council gather at the Northern New
York Philanthropy Center to plan for the “Canstruction” project and organize
initial pantry items. Pictured, from left, LEAD Council Chair Andrew Boulter
and his son, Jack, Watertown; LEAD members Erin Simser, Watertown, Bridget Fetterly,
Deferiet, and Allison Roselle, Clayton;
LEAD Vice Chair Anna Platz, Carthage; and LEAD members Marc Piche,
Carthage, and Jessica Piatt Walczyk,
Watertown.
About the LEAD
Council
The LEAD Council
was chartered in 2014 as advisory committee of the Northern New York
Community Foundation empowered to identify and address strategic needs in
Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties. The Council is comprised of 18
young professionals who live and work in the tri-county area with an
interest in enhancing the quality of life for all in the North Country.
LEAD is an acronym that reflects four important guiding principles of the
Community Foundation’s work: Leadership, Engagement, Access, and Direction.
The Council works
to gain a deeper understanding of community needs, issues, and the
nonprofit sector to augment the Community Foundation’s mission and work.
Since its inception, the LEAD Council has developed several creative
initiatives to benefit the community and region. Strategic efforts include
its “LEADing the Way” volunteer program,
enhancements to child care and early childhood
development programs, hyper-local support for anti-poverty initiatives,
community giving challenges, and building philanthropic values in the
region’s schools through student-led projects.
About the
Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the
Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and
enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson,
Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through
partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and
generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards
grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that
benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve
their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving
and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community
Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors,
professional advisors and nonprofit organizations.
It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the
Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities
face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a
great place to live, work, and play.
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