News

 Five projects have received grant award funding totaling $21,465.56 through the Foundation’s “What If” mini-grant program. The “What If” program supports small projects and programs that make neighborhoods a better place to live and work. Grant award decisions are made by a committee composed of residents of Troy and Lansingburgh and the maximum grant award is $5,000. Individuals and small nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply, and individuals must apply under the fiscal sponsorship of a Rensselaer County-based nonprofit organization.

The Foundation congratulates the following grant award recipients:

• Fifth Avenue A.M.E. Zion Church - will receive $3,549.56 for the creation of a "Community Closet" that will offer hygiene products (e.g., shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes), paper products like toilet paper and paper towels, and women's feminine hygiene items. These items cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits, and it can be difficult for lower-income households to afford them. The church will create a community-accessible place in its church building to house the Community Closet.
• Plates with Prayers Community Meals - will receive $3,761 to serve community meals two Saturday mornings every month at the Oakwood Community Center in North Central Troy. The time of the community meals also coincides with the Saturday hours for the Center's food pantry, so families that are accessing the food pantry will be able to also enjoy a hot meal. This program will run from June - October of 2024. Oakwood Community Center is serving as the fiscal sponsor for this volunteer-organized hot meal program.
• New Mount Ida Cemetery Preservation Project - will receive $4,736 to clean up the Mt. Ida Cemetery and repair damaged gravestones. A group of volunteers will clear and trim overgrown greenery and will also engage a professional gravestone restorer to repair several of the historically significant gravestones that have been vandalized/damaged. The Troy Architectural Project (TAP) is serving as the fiscal sponsor for the volunteer group.
• Shades of Cocoa - will receive $5,000 for its Everyday Living (EDL's) program for young people of color. This program will offer ten workshops led by trusted community members and guest speakers about vital life skills: healthy meal preparation, soft skill preparation for difficult social situations/job interviews, course selection in secondary school to prepare for careers, and other EDL topics that young people should know. The program will run from July through December 2024.
• Joy of Troy Seventh Day Adventist Church - will receive $4,419 to offer CPR and Stop the Bleed training classes from the American Red Cross to residents of Lansingburgh. The congregation will host full-day Red Cross CPR and Stop the Bleed Training in their church building and will provide lunch for all attendees. All attendees will be certified in CPR by the end of the first training session.

The next grant cycle for the “What If” grant program will open in September 2024. Individuals interested in applying should contact Leslie Cheu at 518-720-0006 to discuss their ideas.