Lewis County Opportunities, Inc.  •  8265 State Route 812  •  Lowville, NY  13367
Telephone:  315-376-8202  •  Fax:  315-376-8421  •  Location and Business Hours  •   Contact Us

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featuring an expose of past and present donors

Children from Hand In Center Early Childhood Center present donated foodstuffs to Beverly Howlett (top right), Family Services Manager at Opportunities.

The children at Hand In Hard Early Childhood Center in Lowville recently held their annual Food Drive to help the Lewis County Food Pantry in their area.  In addition to making this a family project, the children in the preschool and pre-Kindergarten rooms focused on "sharing " and used the food drive as an example of "giving" to help others in need during the holidays and throughout the year.  The donated food will be distributed by Opportunities to families in need during the holiday season.  Our hats are off to the kids, their families, teachers and aides for their worthy efforts!

It should be noted the Chapter reaches out to other charitable organizations as well; even from beyond our national borders. Despite being on deployment, the group coordinated a fund raising 5K event at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan. CW2 Robert Sullivan coordinated that effort, with CW2 Dan Labue providing stateside assistance. 
 
Opportunities would like to thank the Chapter for their generosity and driven dedication to improving the lives of families in Lewis and Jefferson Counties.
 

For more information about volunteerism opportunities, click here.

Opportunities wishes to thank North Country Goes Green for their generous donation in supporting our agency's Action Angel Program.  The program provides emergency services to low-income families who may not qualify under government programs, or who have an emergency need which current agency funding does not cover.

North Country Goes Green principally raises funds through the annual North Country Goes Green Irish Festival, which has been held for over 25 years.  Net proceeds from the festival are distributed to local community organizations who provide services for individuals and families in need.  Funds are also used to provide scholarship aid to local students.

It's never too early in the year to start thinking about Christmas Sharing, the annual initiative that provides food, clothing, and gifts to families in need throughout Lewis County.  In fact, planning for the next season's program starts in January, barely after the decorations have been packed away!  Opportunities extends its thanks to Frontier Communications for their generous donation which will be used for 2011 Christmas Sharing efforts.  (For a listing of donors from the most recent season and to learn how you can help with either a donation or volunteer time, click here.)

Making a House Feel Like Home
December, 2010 

Lewis County Opportunities offers many services. Some of our more personal programs are located within the Domestic Violence Department. One such program is the operation of a safe house for victims and their children who are attempting to leave an abusive situation. In 2010, the department was able to enhance the safety, comfort, and recreational options for families using the facility. This was made possible through heartfelt contributions from Northern New York Community Foundation and Otis Technology.    

Modifications to the building included various safety features, structural improvements, creation of a picnic and play area, and installation of a water filtration system. The alterations targeted at children provided the largest transformation; helping to turn this temporary house into a home. For older children there was the addition of a wood playground placed upon a pea gravel base; complete with slide and rock climbing wall. A sand box and toddler seating compliment the yard area for smaller children. Overall, the various upgrades to the house help provide a private setting for a family attempting to cope with an extremely difficult life transition. Often such a life change can come at a heavy cost to the family. It is our hope that we can continue to provide a warm temporary home as part of an individual healing plan.     

We graciously thank both Otis Technology and Northern New York Community Foundation for their underwriting support. Without them, these improvements would never have been possible.

On December 9^th, the Thousand Islands Chapter of the USA Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) presented a check for $350 to Lewis County Opportunities to support food needs to families in need throughout Lewis County. The local economy has caused steady growth of Lewis County residents relying upon their local food pantries to make ends meet. USAWOA wanted to help the community and raised money selling funnel cakes; collecting almost $3,000. Mindful of the various needs within the north country, the USAWOA also distributed funds to the Children’s Home of Jefferson County, and the Community Action Planning Council. The group also created a scholarship for a college-bound student. Opportunities would like to thank the Thousand Islands Chapter of the USAWOA for their generosity and commitment to our community.

On September 24, 2010, AmeriCU Credit Union presented a check for $500 to Opportunities to benefit our Food Pantry. The funds were raised during the Cream Cheese Festival as attendees of the festival made a donation to be able to “dunk” AmeriCU employee Tina Lanier (pictured at middle left) into a dunking tank sponsored by AmeriCU.  Opportunities would like to thank AmeriCU for their generosity.