For the 14th consecutive year, faculty and staff at Skidmore College are joining together through the College’s Skidmore Cares program to assist those in need in Saratoga County.
Since the community service program was begun in 2006 by Skidmore President Philip A. Glotzbach and Marie Glotzbach, the Skidmore community has donated more than $108,000 in monetary gifts, more than 26,000 food items and nearly 12,000 school supplies to nonprofit agencies throughout Saratoga County.
On Wednesday, approximately 125 Skidmore faculty and staff members attended a kickoff luncheon on campus to mark the beginning of the donation effort.
“What Skidmore Cares is all about is an opportunity for the Skidmore community to come together and to have a moment of good fellowship and for all of us to give – and give back – to the larger community,” Glotzbach said. “It’s a time of gathering. It’s a time of celebration of the season. And we are very happy to combine that with this opportunity for giving.”
Representatives from several Saratoga-based community service agencies attended the luncheon.
Organization Formed To Help Businesses Align With Charities Compatible To Their Mission
©2019 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Susan E. Campbell
A new internet-based service will soon bring together Capital District businesses with nonprofits whose missions align with a company’s goals for charitable giving.
Called Knitt LLC, founder Lisa Munter believes her organization will provide “a mindful and time efficient way to connect” donors and donor organizations. Its success, and future compensation, will depend on the “knitted” relationships among businesses and nonprofit organizations who did not have a prior relationship, Munter said.
Munter is an avid volunteer and wife of a businessman whose company, Munter Enterprises, is “inundated with requests for donations.”
Stewart’s Shops Partners With Rose & Kiernan To Help Nonprofits Save On Expenses
Stewart’s Shops and Rose & Kiernan have partnered to help nonprofits save money on gasoline and their operational expenses.
Rose & Kiernan, a market leader in providing insurance and risk management service to non-profits, and Stewart’s Shops, which has a long history of helping nonprofits with financial backing and guidance, have partnered to assist these community organizations in saving money on travel and other business-related expenses.
Officials said the partnership is designed to help nonprofit organizations, many of whom often have limited budgets, put more of their financial resources to use serving people and causes vitally important to our communities.
‘Skidmore Cares’ Community Program, In Its 13th Year, Donates To Nonprofit Agencies
Courtesy Skidmore College
For the 13th consecutive year, members of the Skidmore College community are joining together through the Skidmore Cares community service program.
Through the program, the Skidmore community has donated more than $90,000 in monetary gifts and more than 28,000 items to nonprofit agencies throughout Saratoga County.
The program was founded in 2006 by Skidmore President Philip A. Glotzbach and his wife, Marie Glotzbach, in an effort to bring staff and families together in a meaningful way during the holiday season. They reached out to the Skidmore community to raise donations of food, provisions and school supplies to assist those in need in Saratoga County.
Nearly 150 Skidmore faculty and staff members, along with representatives from 10 Saratoga-based community service agencies, attended an energetic kickoff luncheon on campus. This year, contributions will benefit Shelters of Saratoga, Franklin Community Center, Mary’s Haven, Wellspring, Corinth Central School District, The Latino Advocacy Program, Salvation Army, Saratoga Center for the Family, Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council and Saratoga Springs City School District PATHS.
New $5.2 Million Malta YMCA Offers Fitness, Child Daycare, Numerous Other Programs
©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Christine Graf
The Malta YMCA opened the doors to its brand new $5.2 million facility in June. The two-story, 55,000-square-foot building is located off of Northway Exit 12.
Before relocating to the new facility, the YMCA’s fitness and childcare centers were located in two different leased spaces in Malta Commons. Both centers are now housed under one roof in the new building.
Construction of the facility received support from major donors including Stewarts, the Dake family, Adirondack Trust Co., the DeCrescente family, and Ballston Spa National Bank.
The Malta YMCA is located next door to the Malta Med Emergent Care/Saratoga Hospital Medical Group building in the 140-acre Saratoga Medical Park. It was constructed through a joint partnership between the Saratoga Regional YMCA and Saratoga Hospital. The hospital leases approximately one third of the space in the new facility. According to Regional YMCA CEO Andrew Bobbitt, the YMCA entered into a “nonprofit-friendly lease partnership with the hospital.”
Firefighter Health Researcher Gets Grant To Help Put Findings Into Practice, Save Lives
Courtesy Skidmore College
Firefighters bravely run into fires when everyone else is running out. Yet the biggest danger they face isn’t fire or smoke the group says. It’s suffering from a sudden cardiac event while on duty.
Denise L. Smith, director of the First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory at Skidmore College, has been researching firefighter heart health for more than 20 years along with colleagues. Now a $1.3 million FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) will enable Smith and her team to put their findings into practice and help save firefighters’ lives.
The grant will fund a two-year project in which Smith’s team will work with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, leading cardiologists, fire chiefs and other experts to implement a pilot program to screen more than 2,000 firefighters for cardiac risks, then develop and distribute evidence-based enhanced screening guidelines and training/education materials to fire departments nationwide.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line to serve the communities they protect,” said Smith, a Tisch Family Distinguished Professor. “This project will help ensure that they are armed with the scientific information and medical screenings they need to protect themselves.”
In a large AFG-funded study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on Sept. 5, Smith and colleagues found that the vast majority of firefighters who died from cardiac events had evidence of both enlarged heart and coronary heart disease revealed during autopsy.
Groups Partner To Create Training Program On Retaining And Fostering Good Employees
The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Empire State College, and the Saratoga County Capital Resources Corp. (SCCRC) have partnered to create the Saratoga County Institute of Management (SCIM), with the aim of supplying solutions to the challenges of retaining and fostering good employees.
Regardless of industry, there are some truths about being in business, officials said.
Staff the most valuable resource; employers look for opportunities for them to develop and grow businesses promote or look to promote from within; and businesses ay not have the internal capacity to teach employees the skills they may need to grow into management or other leadership roles.
By selecting employees to participate in this program, which starts in January, businesses will be providing them with the tools and training they need to continue to grow and excel, the organizations said.
CAPTAIN Youth And Family Services Merger With CHA Helps It Broaden And Expand Services
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jennifer Farnsworth
It has been a little over 40 years since a group of concerned adults and teens sat around a kitchen table in Clifton Park, putting together the pieces that would eventually form a human services program that has since transformed the lives of teens all over Saratoga County.
CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services supports youth, adults and families, giving them to tools be become self-sufficient and successful in life.
Sue Catroppa, executive director, said over the past 40 years they have grown into a $2.8 million organization with 65 full- and part-time employees, and between 300 and 400 volunteers. As a result of their continuing growth, CAPTAIN is in the final stages of a merger with Community Human Services (CHA), a 41-year-old agency located in Glenville.
Catroppa said CHS provides services that complement CAPTAIN’s.
“It is truly a good merger, and a great match,” said Catroppa.
Catroppa said CHS provides services to senior citizens and provides social services to the Burnt Hills school district, allowing CAPTAIN to expand its programs geographically. The merger was approved by the state and is on track to be completed by the end of the year.
Taylor’s Heroes Provides Fitness Opportunities For Kids, As Well As Guidance For Healthy Eating
©2017 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jill Nagy
Taylor’s Heroes, a fitness and nutrition program for young people ages 8 to 18, has openings for new members when its next session begins Jan. 11. The program, which includes exercise classes, sports participation, and nutrition advice over 14 weeks, is free.
The current group will have a graduate celebration—a healthy dinner at the Hampton Inn in Saratoga—on Dec. 14.
The program is named in honor of David Taylor Miller, a U.S. Army Pfc. and Saratoga Hills High School graduate who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, at the age of 19. Miller, formerly an obese child, whipped himself into shape with a program of diet and exercise before joining the Army.
The organization was founded by his mother and aunt and is run entirely by volunteers.
The two main aspects of the program are group exercise and instruction on nutrition, including tips on shopping for and preparing healthy foods. A nutrition expert is available to work with individual parents, helping them plan menus and prepare alternative snacks. The children also do some cooking.
“We are trying to work more with parents,” said organization president Leslie Miller. “It is hard for kids to choose healthy snacks when they don’t find them in the refrigerator.”
Stewart’s Shops Holiday Match Program Will Again Raise Money For Children’s Charities
Stewart’s Shops is teaming up with its customers once again to raise money for local children’s charities.
The Stewart’s Holiday Match campaign kicked off on Thanksgiving Day and runs through Christmas Day at all shop locations. The program doubles customer donations penny for penny, and has set fundraising records for three consecutive seasons.
“Already having such a sense of community in our shops, the Stewart’s Holiday Match program has proven to be a perfect match for our friendly partners and loyal customers. By joining together, we can support kids in our own neighborhoods, all year long,” said Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake.
In 2016, customers donated $926,000 to the program, doubling to more than $1.85 million with the Stewart’s match, he said. This was a $100,000 increase over the previous season. The funds were able to support a record 1,737 local children’s organizations across the 31 counties where Stewart’s Shops are located.