Fill out this form to request aid. We accept requests from the 15th — end of every month.
If you can provide assistance, please consider donating to our mutual aid fund and signing up to volunteer.
Click here for more local mutual aid resources.
We are in a unique and unprecedented moment of crisis. Now is the time to stand with our community and help in every way we can. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in the North Country and Adirondack region of upstate NY differently. Some are stuck at home, isolated and lonely, perhaps spending days on hold with the unemployment office. Others continue to travel for essential work despite inconsistent protections from employers and governments. Some are more vulnerable and unable to access delivery services for groceries, others can’t afford their bills and have nowhere to seek help. This is an opportunity for us to support one another.
What is Mutual Aid? Mutual Aid is “cooperation for the sake of the common good;” it is “neighbors helping neighbors in times of struggle.” This often takes the form of organized community networks that step up to provide care and service when and where institutional systems fail to meet the community’s needs.
High Peaks DSA will assist every requestor in our region, while prioritizing those most impacted by this crisis. Black and brown, indigenous, latinx, persons of color, LGBTQIA+, women, immigrant, single-parent, sex worker, substance user, poor, differently-abled, older, quarantined, chronically ill, and/or unemployed community members are all disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Undocumented, some differently-abled folks, and non-tax payers, among others, were not eligible for a $1,200 stimulus check. The goal is to help these people now, even when the government chooses not to.
Disbursements: A group of volunteers from the community will review requests and funds will be equally distributed. Requestors who self-identify with any of the above demographics will receive 60% of the total funds raised, while all other requestors received 40%. Funds will be distributed via third-party platforms such as Venmo, PayPal, or Cashapp, or sanitized VISA gift-cards for those who do not have access to a computer, phone, or internet.
Every contribution will help, even those of $5 or less! If you cannot afford to contribute, but would still like to help out, you can sign up to volunteer at www.highpeaksdsa.org or join one of the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook groups.
All information submitted is confidential and private between the requestor, High Peaks DSA, and the coordinating volunteers. Personal information and requests will not be shared outside of the coordinating volunteers.
We will match volunteers with those in need and do our best to make sure our neighbors get what they need during these difficult times.
Resources
Food
- Request and Emergency Food Package (with farm fresh foods!)
- North Country Food Pantries List and Contact Info
- Saranac Lake Interfaith Food Pantry – Open Saturday from 10AM-12PM at 15 Bloomingdale Ave. Call for information: 518-891-7325
- Bloomingdale Non-perishables Food Pantry – Located by the Little Free Library outside of Hex & Hops, leave what you can, take what you need
- St. Lukes Church – Grace Pantry open Wednesdays from 3-4:30PM offers necessities not provided by SNAP such as paper goods and cleaning products (call for list). Lunch Box open Monday and Tuesday 11AM-12PM offering free lunch for take out. Call for information: 518-891-3605.
- United Methodist Church – 127 Beekman St. in Plattsburgh, Interfaith Food Shelf operating Monday-Friday from 9AM-12PM, drive around back of building for food pickup, no questions asked
- Tupper Lake Community Food Pantry – 179 Demars Blvd. in Tupper Lake, Call for hours: 518-359-3980
- St. Pauls Assumption Food Pantry – 7 Cold Brook Rd. in Vermontville, call for hours: 518-892-1619
- Franklin and St. Lawrence County Food Pantries
- ADKAction + Hub On The Hill Emergency Food Packages
Housing
Churches Offering Aid
- Saranac Lake Presbyterian – Deacon’s fund provides up to $250 aid for housing, utilities, phone, and veternarian bills, as well as non-narcotic prescription drugs prescribed by a doctor. Call for information: 518-891-3473
- First United Methodist Saranac Lake – Free community dinner every Wednesday, $25 gift certificate for individuals in need to buy groceries
- Ecumenical Council of Saranac Lake – Offers shelter for individuals in need at the Samaritan House. Call for information: 518-891-8662
- St. Lukes Church – 95 Church St. in Saranac Lake, see above (Food)
- St. Bernards Church – Saranac Lake, call for information 518-891-4616
- High Peaks Church – 97 Will Rogers Dr., Saranac Lake, call for information: 518-891-4616
- Saranac Lake Baptist Church – Call for information: 518-891-5473
Health Information
- Essex County Health Info
- Clinton Country Health Info
- Franklin County Health Info
- St. Lawrence County Health Info
- CDC Guidelines
Community Support Groups
- North Country Neighbors Helping Neighbors
- Farmer Relief Fund – Financial relief for farmers
- Resources for farmers from YoungFarmers (sortable by state & resource type)
- List of resources for farmers from GrowNYC
- Adirondack Foundation Special & Urgent Needs Fund (*only available to 501c3 organizations, not individuals)
Mask Making Information
CDC Instructions
Please note: These are instructions for making a mask for personal use. These masks should be washed very frequently as they can harbor the virus and germs. These masks ARE NOT meant to replace PPE for health care workers.
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If you have resources you would like added to this list, please email [email protected]