COVID-19 Mutual Aid

If you need assistance: please fill out this form.

If you can provide assistance, please consider donating to our mutual aid fund and signing up to volunteer.

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.

Timeline: High Peaks DSA began this campaign on  Monday, May 11, at 12pm. The campaign will end on Friday, May 22, at 12pm with funds being distributed to all applicants who submitted by this time or have previously submitted. The disbursement of funds is to begin Monday,  May 25 and aims to be completed by no later than Wednesday, May 27. Another round of fundraising will start subsequently.

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 

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

Community Support Groups

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]