Saturday April 20, 2024 
Trivia and Dine-to-Donate Night for Literacy
Get ready for a fun evening of trivia along with dinner on Thursday, August 8th. Dinner will be served from 5:00-9:00 p.m., and the trivia game starts at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy a great meal at the Recovery Sports Grill at the Hilton Garden Inn, Troy and test your trivia knowledge. You can dine and play, just play or just dine. It costs $5 to play trivia, and teams of up to 8 people can participate. The winner will receive a prize! Check the website for a downloadable coupon to present at the event: www.lvorc.org
Proceeds from the event will help Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County to provide free literacy services to adults and children in our community. For more information, call (518) 244-4650.
Emergency blood shortage: $5 Amazon Gift Card for those who help
Gift cards made possible thanks to generous Amazon donation to the Red Cross to help save patient lives
(July 29, 2019) — To help address the current emergency blood shortage, all who come to give blood or platelets with the American Red Cross July 29 through Aug. 29 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of most blood types available and less than a two-day supply of type O blood.
Individuals can schedule an appointment to give now by activating Amazon’s Alexa Red Cross Blood Skill by saying, “Alexa, find a blood drive,” or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Don’t wait to give
To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 29-Aug. 15
Rensselaer
East Greenbush
8/5/2019: 1:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Rensselaer Elks, 683 Columbia Turnpike
Hoosick Falls
8/5/2019: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Hoosick Falls Community Alliance Church, 484 Hill Road
Rensselaer
8/10/2019: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Bruen Rescue Squad, 1116 Red Mill Road
Troy
8/5/2019: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Samaritan Hospital, 2215 Burdett Avenue
8/7/2019: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Troy Hilton Garden Inn, 235 Hoosick Street
Sand Lake Center for the Arts Invites You to the 12th Annual “Taste of Sand Lake”
Sand Lake Center for the Arts Honorary Committee, Board of Directors, Managing Director and staff invite you to the 12th Annual “Taste of Sand Lake”. This wonderful event is being held at Old Daley on Crooked Lake, August 14th from 6-9 pm. Join us for the best of the best in cuisine from 14 local restaurants and establishments, along with a silent auction, raffles and the popular wine pull. This years’ vocal entertainment will once again be provided by our own hometown musical group, T. L. Holloway, featuring Steven Keller. Tickets $50.00 per person, on sale now at www.slca-ctp.org or call 518-674-2007. We look forward to seeing you there!
Literacy Volunteers Are Needed!
Troy, N.Y.: A Tutor Training Workshop will begin in Troy on September 9th. To learn about tutoring and many other ways to help, attend a free Volunteer Opportunities Information Session (pick one date): Wednesday, August 14, 12:00-1:00 p.m.; or Monday, August 26, 6:00-7:00 p.m. All meetings will be held at the LVORC office, 71 First Street, Third Floor, Troy, N.Y.
LVORC is looking for volunteer tutors to be paired with adult learners, reading mentors for Everybody WINS! Power Lunch, math and computer tutors, and events volunteers. As a volunteer you can develop new skills, make friends, and see how your efforts make a difference in your community. To register, call 518 244-4650.
Hopes Kitchen Received Grant
Due to the tireless efforts of Emily Purtell, a Hope Lutheran Church member, Hopes Kitchen has been awarded a grant of $250! The grant was awarded by Thrivent Insurance, a company with a long history of affiliations with Lutheran Churches, and their community projects.
Hopes Kitchen is an outreach ministry of Hope Lutheran Church, Winter street extension Church in North Greenbush. Having been a sister congregation of St. Paul’s Lutheran 3rd Street in Rensselaer it was felt that Hope was in a position to reach out to the city of Rensselaer Community.
Pastor David Moore of Rensselaer Presbyterian church welcomed the idea of housing Hope’s Kitchen at his church. Free community meals are prepared and served the second Thursday of each month. Dinner is between 3:30 and 6:30. The dinners are open to anyone in the community, seniors, families, homeless, teens, and singles.
Hope’s head chef, Marion Daus, of Wynantskill has a crew of up to 15 helpers and servers, including some young people from the Rensselear Middle School. Marion has a history of preparing meals for groups as large as 150, it is the goal of this ministry to match those number. Please join us on August 8th.
Repair Café
What do you do with a broken lamp? Or a sweater with a hole? Toss it? No way! The Village of Castleton-on-Hudson will hold the next Repair Café on Friday, August 9, 2019 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at the Castleton-on-Hudson Farmers and Artisans Market (COHFAM), on the corner of Scott Avenue (150) and Main Street (9J). If COHFAM is canceled due to rain, Repair Café will be held 8/9, same hours at the Village Hall instead. People visiting the Repair Café bring along their broken but beloved items. Volunteers try their best to make repairs, and it’s free of charge! Featured services in August are electrical, welding, seamstress, and “jack-of-all-trades.” Do you like to fix things and want to volunteer? Contact us via email at gina.giuliano@nullgmail.com or stop by the Repair Café table at COHFAM. For more information about global Repair Café, visit Repaircafe.org.
The Reformed Dutch Church of Schodack at Muitzeskill
Will hold its annual Mini-Market and Chicken Barbecue on Saturday,
August 10th. If you would like to donate items for the Mini-Market, call 518-732-2471, to make arrangements for drop off of items.
PLEASE, NO clothing, stuffed animals, large appliances (including air conditioners), stuffed furniture, fitness machines or outdated electronics of ANY kind, will be accepted. Also, please do not donate items that are broken. Thank you.
Everybody WINS! Power Lunch Volunteers Are Needed for the 2019-2020 School Year
Everybody Wins! Power Lunch is an innovative reading and mentoring program that improves children’s prospects for success in school and in life. Once a week, Power Lunch pairs elementary school children with adult reading mentors who book aloud to a child while he/she eats lunch. The Everybody WINS! Power Lunch program is in need of volunteer reading mentors at various schools in Troy and Albany for the 2019-2020 school year. A volunteer School Coordinator is needed for the program at Abram Lansing in Cohoes on Fridays and for the program at Arbor Hill School in Albany on Thursdays. The volunteer School Coordinator supervises the sessions at the school, selects books for the reading mentor and child, and makes sure the sessions run smoothly (approximately 2.5-3 hours per week).
The required one-hour training for the program will be held on Thursday, August 15th and repeated on Thursday August 29th. Both are scheduled for 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the LVORC offices at 71 First Street, Troy. Please phone (518) 244-4650 or email litvoldirector@nullaol.com for information.
BBQ Chicken Dinner Fundraiser For Make-A-Wish NENY
The 8th Annual Bobbie Arsenault Memorial Event & Family Fun Day will be held on Saturday, August 17th from 11am – 4pm at Butler Park, Gettle Rd. in Averill Park rain or shine. Dinners will be served between 2:30 – 4:00 pm and can be eat-in or take-out. Cost of the BBQ dinner is $12. Preorder your dinner by contacting Bob Arsenault @ 518-944-5347 or online athttp://bobbiearsenaultevent.com. Limited dinners available first come first serve day of event. The event is free of charge and will include a Car Show, Bike Show, Vendors, Live Music, Raffles, 50/50, Kid games and more. All proceeds to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of NENY.
Veterans To Exhibit Award-Winning Vietnam War Photos During Celebrate Stephentown
On Saturday, August 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Veterans of Stephentown will present an exclusive exhibit of images taken during the Battle of Hue in 1968 by former U.S, Army combat photographer John Olson, who currently lives in Chatham. Young Men At War: Remembering the Tet Offensive will feature a transformative collection of 20 large-format prints, taken directly from the groundbreaking 50th anniversary exhibit, The Marines And Tet, which recently ran for 15 months at The Newseum in Washington, D.C. Presented here in the setting of Stephentown Veterans Memorial Park, these award-winning images will be displayed outdoors next to the monuments honoring those who risked their lives in the United States Armed Forces. “These photographs are very impactful,” explains Dennis Burek, the event’s organizer. “They’re a poignant reminder of what the young men and women from Stephentown and across this country experienced 50 years ago during their service in Vietnam and they make me appreciate that service and sacrifice even more. We believe our Memorial Park is a perfect setting to remember, reflect on and cognize the reality of war.” Admission is free with donations accepted. More information is available at celebratestephentown.com
Rensselaer County Youth Annual Coat Drive
The Rensselaer County Department for Youth is hosting their 19th Annual Par, Tee, Fore COATS Golf Event .
On Tuesday, September 10th 2019 at the Troy Country Club.
All proceeds will go to support the Rensselaer County Department for Youth Coat drive. To date, over 7,000 brand new coats have been given to low-income children living in Rensselaer County.
A foursome team is $600 or individual is $175 per person. And if you have a business we have larger sponsorship packages available. With your help we can reach our goal of 800 coats for 2019.
For more information please contact Debbie Fleming in our Depertmant for Youth at 518-266-7501 or dfleming@nullrensco.com
Sipping And Sampling
Saturday September 14th 5-9pm
Benefit Friends of Rensselaer Library
The Friends of the Rensselaer Library are having their first annual fundraiser for the library. Sipping and Sampling will be held on Sept. 14th from 5-9pm at City View Terrace over Partition St. Liquor 800 Partition St. Rensselaer, overlooking the Albany skyline. We will have wine tasting through the generosity of Tim Bayly, beers and ciders from Roger Savoy of the Emporium on Rt. 4. All sipping will be done with a complementary “sipping glass” from Remington Paving Co. We will feature “Samplings” of gourmet delights from our local restaurants and caterers. We will also be raffling off a chance for a Royal Caribbean Cruise made possible by Chris Van Vorst and Blue Skies Travel (chances are $5.00 ea. on sale now) that will be drawn at this event. We will have a silent auction and basket raffle that has always been a hit at our book sale. Admission tickets are $25,00 each and can be purchased at the library, or from J. Burnham 518-427-6778, M. Knox 518- 283-0814 or from our website eventbrite.com. The admission is limited to 125 so get your tickets now.
“Bread of Life” Seeking Volunteers
The Poestenkill “Bread of Life” food pantry, 772 Route 351, Poestenkill, NY 12140 is a community program. Anyone from the Poestenkill community is welcome to volunteer on the open dates to pull food requests. This is a physically demanding task and requires lifting food filled boxes and bags.
We are open three time each month, 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings, 5pm to 7pm and the 4th Saturday, 10 am to noon. If you would like to share some of your time and are able to do hard work to help your neighbor, please visit any open date or call 518-283-6045 and leave a name and phone number.
We have a table at the Poestenkill Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning 9 am to noon. Come and see us there for more information. The market is on the front lawn of the Poestenkill Town Hall rain or shine.
To help raise funds, the food pantry is sponsoring a raffle with a chance to receive 1st prize, an October Get-A-Way weekend for two, 2nd prize, dinner for two at Westfall Station and 3rd prize, four movie tickets for the Regal Cinema, Route 4, East Greenbush. THANK YOU.
Search and Rescue Volunteers Needed
The Tri-State Emergency Team is recruiting volunteers to provide wildland and underwater searches within a 100-mile radius of Waterford, NY. This includes all aspects of field and underwater search. The Tri-State Emergency Team responds when requested by NYS Forest Rangers and other Police Agencies throughout New York State, Western Vermont and Massachesettes.
We are looking for certified scuba divers, experienced boat handlers, and people who enjoy hiking and the outdoors in general who wish to help people in need. The team will provide training and complete support as needed. Our headquarters is located in Waterford. Applicants need not live in Waterford to volunteer. If interested, please call 518-237-6744 or visit our website at www.tri-stateemergencyteam.org
Greenbush Cemetery in need of donations
The Greenbush Cemetery was incorporated in 1845. From Columbia Turnpike, one can see we are an old, historic cemetery in the Town of East Greenbush. However, we are still active and offering lots sales for a reasonable cost in three new sections.
With lifestyle changes in a more mobile culture, our cemetery is suffering financially. Lot sales are way down and more cremations are being done rather than burials. Cemeteries are forced to rely on donations to keep operating.
The Greenbush Cemetery estimates the operating cost for 2019 is $20,000.00. We will need to raise $15,000.00 to stay operational for this year. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help maintain this historic cemetery in East Greenbush.
The Greenbush Cemetery Board of Trustees (all volunteers) will be most appreciative!
We will publicly list you as a donor unless you wish to remain anonymous.
Please make checks payable to: Greenbush Cemetery Association.
Please mail checks to Jim Finke, Treasurer, 13 Horizon View Drive West, East Greenbush, NY 12061.
For more information, contact: Bobbie Reno 518-465-7938. Thank you.
Land Trust Spring Bottle Drive
Return your bottles and cans and help the Schodack Area Land Trust (SALT).
Through an arrangement with Six-Cent Redemption, behind Starbucks in Hannaford Plaza, SALT will receive six cents for every container you donate to the cause. Simply drop off your containers and say, “These are for SALT.” No need to wait or feed cans into a machine.
SALT is a 13-year-old not-for-profit which manages 60 acres of land open to the public for passive recreation. Access to the property is from Thoroughbred Dr. off Palmer Rd. SALT’s biggest expense is insurance.
Applications for Free and Reduced-Price Meals Available
Wynantskill UFSD would like to inform our community that information and applications for the Free and Reduced- Price Lunch Program are available on the district website, www.wynantskillufsd.org, or by calling Food Services Director Lori Audi at 518-283-4600 ext. 22.
The National School Lunch Program is a completely confidential program that has helped ensure children have access to nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches since 1946.
Supporting Local Charities Has Never Been Easier!
The St Jude the Apostle Knights of Columbus have teamed up with 6 Center Redemption Center located at 461 Main Street in Wynantskill to accept qualifying bottle and can donations to support local charities and those in need.
Simply bring your clean, qualifying empties to 6 Center Redemption in Wynantskill and say they are to support the St Jude Knights of Columbus. They’ll do the rest! That’s it!
Thanks for your support.
Sheriff Patrick Russo Announces Membership Drive
The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute will begin its annual Honorary Membership drive in Rensselaer County according to Sheriff Patrick Russo.
The New York State Sheriffs’ Institute was established in 1979. It is a not-for-profit corporation, tax exempt organization, and contributions to the Institute are tax deductible.
While the Sheriff’s Office is a unit of county government, many of the concerns of Sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies are best addressed on a statewide level. The Sheriffs’ Institute provides centralized training programs and services for all Sheriffs’ Offices, where those programs and services would be unavailable or impractical on a single county basis.
The flagship program of the Sheriffs’ Institute is the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically challenged children. The Sheriffs’ Camp, in its 42nd year of operation, is located on Keuka Lake and 840 children from across New York State attend each summer. The Sheriffs’ Institute pays the entire cost of the camp stay and transportation. Most children attending wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity for vacation travel or a summer camp experience.
“In these difficult economic times we cannot forget our youth who will not have the opportunity for a summer camp experience or a summer vacation,” Sheriff Patrick Russo said. “By becoming an honorary member, you are supporting the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp for economically disadvantaged children.”
In addition, the Sheriffs’ Institute operates a scholarship program that provides one scholarship to each of New York State’s Community College’s Criminal Justice Programs. This program is designed to help attract the best and the brightest to the criminal justice vocation.
For more information about the Sheriffs’ Summer Camp and other Sheriffs’ Institute Programs, visit our website, www.sheriffsinstitute.org or simply google “Sheriffs’ Institute kids” and it will be your first option.
Financial support for many of the Sheriffs’ Institute programs comes from Honorary Membership dues. Any persons interested in supporting the efforts of the New York State Sheriffs’ Institute by becoming an Honorary Member should contact the Sheriff if they do not receive an invitation in the mail or visit our web site at: www.sheriffsinstitute.org to download an application.
Rensselaer Senior Center Community Service Volunteers Needed
Looking For Dedicated Seniors To Help With our Community Service Program Every Thursday After Lunch. Making Afghans and Lap Robes For People in Nursing Homes Stuffed Animals For The Pediatric Departments in hospitals and emergency rooms Heart Pillows for Heart and Lung Surgery patients This Is a Very Rewarding Program and we are Needing A Few More Angels to keep this program in place or if you are homebound and willing to Crochet or knit from home to help us out then Please Call us if Interested We Are Open Monday thru Friday 9am-3pm We are Located in Rensselaer on East And Herrick Streets Call For Further Info. 518-463-2166
We Are Taking Empty Clear Pill Bottles Must Be See Thru
Woodside 56 Road Cemetery of East Poestenkill
Last year our roads were resurfaced, many monuments righted, lawn was mowed several times and
a new entrance sign was placed. Volunteers work hard to see that these are accomplished.
N.Y.S. Board of Cemeteries inspection gave a mark of good standing and congratulated volunteers
on great work. Thank you Boy Scout Troop 528 of Poestenkill, who placed 60 flags for our Veterans.
The public is invited to the cemetery between dusk and dawn. Monuments from the oldest generation
can be found with a beautiful view from the top of the hill. A visit will be informative and one will enjoy
the park like atmosphere. G.P.S 26 – 56 Road, Petersburgh, NY.
facebook.com/56woodsidecemetery/
Your donations are the future hope of the cemetery and our only income. Volunteers are welcome.
Please send your tax deductible contributions to Woodside 56 Road Cemetery P.O. Box 76, Poestenkill, NY 12140.
Questions? PH: 518 283 5303. Next Annual Meeting: May 5, 2020 at Union Gospel Church,
Plank Road East Poestenkill.
Still Looking For Some Weekend Warriors
The Sand Lake Ambulance has existed as a volunteer ambulance for 60 years, and we intend to be here for another 60. We are looking for people who want to help out, but may not have all the time in the world. You may be able to help out by giving us part of your weekend. We would recommend for us and for the volunteer that you try to do a couple of times a month. You only need to be able to drive a box truck, lift 50+ pounds, be willing to learn the radios, lights, and our guidelines, and follow through on the commitment. We’ll train you. Call us at 518-674-2221. We’ll train you to be an EMT too, if you want.
We Need EMT’s and Drivers We Will Train You
The Sand Lake Ambulance has been in existence for 60 years. We have operated as primarily a volunteer organization for most of that time. We need your help to keep our costs down by filling out as many shifts with volunteer EMT’s and drivers as we can. We could particularly use recent retirees who are looking to stay active working days during the week.
If you have ever been interested in becoming certified to provide emergency care to friends, family, neighbors, or others, we will pay for that training. The course is 4 months long and will require some commitment of time and work. And we will ask you to ride as a member for at least 2 years with Sand Lake Ambulance for training you. We also train ambulance drivers in EVOC training.
We generally work on keeping our skills up with regular training and try to keep it both educational and enjoyable. And as an active member of the ambulance, you’ll be working calls and helping your community. You need to be in fairly decent physical health and able to lift 50 pounds fairly easily, you need to be okay with working with trauma patients or sick community members, and you need to be willing to get up at all hours to do it.
Please consider joining, we need your service. We aren’t saying it won’t be work, but it will be worth it.
Brunswick Cares Food Pantry
We are excited to share that Brunswick Cares Food Pantry has been selected to be a part of the Hannaford Helps Reusable Bag Program, which is designed to make it easy for customers to contribute to their local community while supporting the environment.
For the month of August, each time a $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag is purchased at the Hannaford located at 126th Street Troy, $1 will be donated to Brunswick Cares Food Pantry.