Friday April 19, 2024 
Averill Park Student Leaders Perform Random Acts of Kindness
The student government at Averill Park High School is constantly creating projects and events that benefit the high school students and staff. This past school year, student leaders have created the Madi Stern Kindness Project in an attempt to do just that. This project involves performing small acts of kindness meant to bring joy into the everyday lives of the community in memory of former Averill Park student, Madi Stern. Delaney Burton, a student leader, explains, “Madi was a very kind soul and put everyone else before her. We wanted to find the perfect way to use her memory to affect the school community.”
On the day before the holiday vacation at Averill Park High School, the student government could be found in the main foyer of the high school passing out free hot chocolate. “It was so great to see people’s faces light up when they realized what was going on,” said Alyssa Lindheimer, a member of student government, “It was exactly what we aimed to accomplish.” The line for hot chocolate reached far throughout the school on that day, filled with excited students. Carley Salerno, a student at Averill Park, explained, “It’s not something that anyone expected and it definitely brought joy throughout the high school.”
The idea for the kindness project began at the Suburban Council Leadership Conference at Columbia High School. Student leaders listened to a group of motivational speakers but ultimately got the idea from papers that were hung around the school. They had tear-off slips at the bottom with positive messages for students to take. “I proposed the idea to do something like this in our school and Mrs. Daviero and Mrs. Ferlito agreed,” said Burton, “After talking it over we came to the conclusion it should be in memory of Madi because of how kind she was and the impact she made on the community by constantly paying it forward.”
With the new school year quickly approaching, be sure to keep an eye out for random acts of kindness in your community!
Community Generosity Forces Expansion
The clothing and shoe drop off bin in the parking lot of Hope Lutheran Church has been replaced with a new unit, double in size of previous unit. The new one has double chutes for you to slide your donations into the box.
Greg Whitney, president of the congregation stated, “The community has responded in such a generous way we wanted to be able to show our appreciation by improving the collection experience.”
The new bin is located in the parking lot of Hope Lutheran Church, 470 Winter Street Extension, in North Greenbush. Donations of clothing and shoes should be in a tied up plastic bag. Sorry we cannot accept toys, or baby seats, chairs, car seats etc.
The Hope Lutheran Church would like to thank St. Pauly Textile Inc. for donating this new unit. They do good work to get useable clothing to people who can use it, here in the U.S. and in developing countries, while having a meaningful impact in our local communities.
Whitney concluded “The Lutheran Church has a long history of supporting ministries that serve both families here and around the world.”
Nøpiates Committee to Host Memorial Walk and Vigil
Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 at 6pm
Join Nøpiates Committee on August 28th, in support of International Overdose Awareness day, as we remember our loved ones. We will also take time to stand together to say MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE! Learn what community members are doing to prevent substance abuse amongst our teens. Do you or a loved one need support? We will be joined by various community organizations, such as Katal Center, Capital District Recovery Center and Rensselaer County Department of Mental Health, who will be available to provide resources and assistance.
Beginning at 6:00 pm, attendees will gather at the West Sand Lake Elementary School, 24 Meeler Road, West Sand Lake, and will finish at the West Sand Lake Fire House at 3697 NY-43. The walk will be followed by a ceremony in which we will honor loved ones lost and provide support. We continue to speak out and raise awareness as we continue to reduce the shame and stigma associated with substance use disorders. By coming together to remember our friends, neighbors, loved ones, we stand together to say that more needs to be done to end overdose in our community.
For anyone who has lost a loved one that would like to honor and remember them in a photo presentation at our ceremony, please send a digital photo along with your loved one’s name, date of birth, date of loss to nopiateslaw@nullgmail.com by August 24th, 2019.
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.
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.
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, September 13, 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 9/13, 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 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.
Troy Area AIDS Walk, September 22
Calling All Walkers: Take Steps to Support the Troy Damien Center
The Troy Area United Ministries (TAUM) is once again sponsoring a 5K Walk/ fund-raising event for the Damien Center, on Sunday afternoon, September 22. The Damien Center located in the TAUM building in South Troy is a hospitality center for persons infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The center provides meals, social and recreational opportunities, peer support, education, and referral services. It is also the Troy site for the Albany Center’s PAWS program which provides food and supplies for pets of people with HIV/AIDS.
This year marks the 4th AIDS walk in Troy We welcome groups and individuals to join us in the AIDS Walk. Forms to enroll teams or friends in this event are available at taum.org. Donations are also accepted through the TAUM website, taum.org or on site on September 22. All proceeds go directly to Damien Center programs.
The event begins at the TAUM building, 392 2nd St, Troy, with a light lunch at noon with a 1 pm start for the walk. RSVP for the lunch to kculhane@nullTAUM.org by September 13 The walk is a 5K loop to downtown Troy and return to TAUM.
For more information contact Rev.Donna Elia,TAUM Executive Director, 518-274-5920 or Sharon Bonk, TAUM board member, 518-674-0042. “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.
Angel Names Association Annual Memorial Walk
Angel Names Association (ANA) will hold its 14th Annual Memorial Walk on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at the Saratoga State Spa Park in Saratoga Springs, NY. The walk is being held in recognition of National Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Awareness month.
Registration begins at 12:00 pm and the walk will follow at 1:15 pm. The day includes children’s activities, light refreshments and prizes. Everyone is welcomed to attend this uplifting, free family event to walk and raise awareness of stillbirth, pregnancy loss and infant death.
For additional information, visit www.angelnames.org, contact Michelle Mosca at mgmosca@nullmsn.com or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/angelnamesassociation/.
Come walk with us on September 28, 2019
Red Cross urgently needs blood donations before summer ends
(August 13, 2019) — With many regular donors delaying giving to take final summer vacations and prepare for school to start, the American Red Cross has an emergency need for blood and platelet donations to help end a summer blood shortage.
While thousands of donors have rolled up a sleeve this summer, blood and platelet donations aren’t keeping pace with patient needs. More donations are urgently needed to replenish the blood supply and be prepared for patient emergencies.
Make an appointment to donate blood now by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Those who donated blood earlier this summer may be eligible to give again. Blood can be safely given every 56 days, and Power Red donations can be given every 112 days.
With the help of a generous $1 million donation from Amazon, the Red Cross is thanking those who help overcome the shortage by coming to give July 29 through Aug. 29 with a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email. (Restrictions apply; see amazon.com/gc-legal. More information and details are available at RedCrossBlood.org/Together.)
Upcoming blood donation opportunities Aug. 13-31
Averill Park – 8/22/2019: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Averill Park Church of the Covenant, 3055 Route 43
Rensselaer – 8/23/2019: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Town of East Greenbush, 225 Columbia Turnpike
Troy – 8/26/2019: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Troy Masonic Temple, 39 Brunswick Road – 8/29/2019: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., RPI Mueller Center, 15th Street
Wynantskill – 8/30/2019: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Wynantskill Community, 2 Douglas Street
Backpacks & School Supplies for the Community
Catholic Charities Tri-County Services coordinates school supply programs throughout our communities and we are in need of *new* supplies from backpacks & notebooks to graphing calculators & sneakers. You can help a child start off on the road to a successful school year!
Donations can be dropped off at our office at 50 Herrick St in Rensselaer or call Justine Carroll at 518-512-3577 x115 and we can arrange a pickup of larger quantity donations.
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.
Latham Clothing Shed
Back to School days are almost here! It’s that time of year to go through your children’s wardrobes , purchase text books and school supplies. If you have a first time college-bound student or a returning one you’re planning the dorm room set up! Or if you’re moving to a newly purchased home or are relocating to a new apartment.
Do you have textile items that are no longer wanted or needed? Please consider donating your items to our Clothing Shed, 328 Troy-Schenectady Road, :Latham, N.Y. 12110.
Items accepted include;
Used Clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, linens, pillowcases, blankets, curtains, and stuffed animals.
**What Not to Drop-off:
Furniture, electronics, household items, books, toys, garbage, pillows, rags, and fabric scraps.
For further information visit our website www.lathamcoloniekofc.com, or call 518 783 0572!
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.