Community Foundation Partners with Dyson Foundation to Provide $20,000 for Lewis County Flood Relief
Oct 03, 2024 11:42AM ● By Kenzie Shiver
LOWVILLE — The Northern New York Community Foundation, in partnership with the Dyson Foundation, is pleased to announce $20,000 in grant support to help Snow Belt Housing provide emergency relief to Lewis County residents impacted by summer flooding.
The Community Foundation and the Dyson Foundation will each provide $10,000 to aid residents with documented losses.
“It has been a difficult few months in Lewis County, and we feel strongly about this direct support for residents in need,” said Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director. “With our partners at the Dyson Foundation, this is a critical deployment of charitable funding that will be responsive. We are confident with Snow Belt Housing Company leading the effort to ensure these resources reach the individuals and families who need it most.”
Grant funding will help with expenses that state and FEMA programs will not cover, offering immediate relief to Lewis County residents. Snow Belt Housing expressed concerns for specific populations in the region, but available resources are now limited since initial costs related to summer flooding have been settled. “Snow Belt Housing is grateful to the Community Foundation and the Dyson Foundation for awarding this grant funding. This support will make a significant impact on our community by helping our neighbors recover and rebuild in the wake of such devastating events,” said Jaylyn Heames, Snow Belt Housing Company executive director. “It is truly inspiring to see how organizations like these step up during times of crisis, demonstrating a commitment to community resilience and support. We look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen our community.”
Snow Belt Housing Company was recently awarded New York State Homes and Community Renewal grant funding to support homeowners with emergency repairs necessary to make their home safe, sanitary,and habitable. Recent extreme summer weather has not only caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damage, but many families have also reported the loss of essential personal property, which is not covered under any funding source, leaving many residents to rebuild without necessary financial help. The $20,000 in grant funding will help reimburse residents for costs that are not covered through state grants and other sources. Snow Belt Housing has posted a Local Flood Damage Assistance Application on its website, snowbelt.org. Impacted residents may download and complete application and email it to [email protected] or mail it to: Snow Belt Housing Company, 7500 South State St., Lowville, NY 13367. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis by October 31, 2024, or until funding is expended.
The Community Foundation and the Dyson Foundation are longtime collaborative funding partners. The Dyson Foundation is the primary funder for the annual “Operation Snowstorm” initiative that helps provide warm winter clothing for Lowville and Beaver River students.
“Family connections in the Lowville area have provided a reason and an opportunity for the Dyson Foundation to partner with the Northern New York Community Foundation on this and other important and timely supports for families in need,” Dyson Foundation President and CEO Andrea Reynolds said. “We are grateful to our partners in the region for their local knowledge and for the real impact that partnership brings to helping meet community needs.”
About Snow Belt Housing Company
Lowville-based Snow Belt Housing Company, Inc., facilitates access to decent, safe, and affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents, and partners with others to catalyze community revitalization throughout Lewis County. Whether it builds, repairs and rehabilitates homes, or provides emergency shelter options to its neighbors, Snow Belt Housing believes that as a community we can ensure everyone has access to a safe place to live.
About the Dyson Foundation
The Dyson Foundation, Millbrook, supports nonprofits and transformative projects in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York State to improve the quality of life, create opportunities for the economically disadvantaged, and strengthen the nonprofit sector. The Dyson Foundation also provides quality-of-life support in the greaterLowville area, through its invitation-only Legacy and Family Interest grantmaking program.
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.
