The Neighbor to Neighbor Fund was first established in the 1970s by George M. Ewing, then editor and publisher of the Daily Messenger. It was conceived as a small fund that made one-time emergency grants on behalf of individuals facing financial difficulties. The grants were sent directly to a vendor to pay for such needs as medications and utilities. After the Ewing family sold the newspaper in 2006, Neighbor to Neighbor eventually was dissolved.
Now, a group of Canandaigua-area citizens have revived the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund to address the unprecedented financial hardship so many in the community face as a result of the closing of workplaces due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. We recognize that financial hardship is nothing new for many in our community, though. The Neighbor to Neighbor Fund will outlive the pandemic, providing emergency funds to those who continue to struggle to afford the basic necessities of housing, food, healthcare, childcare and transportation.
MISSION + VISION + GOALS
MISSION – We strengthen our community by empowering donors to assist our neighbors in need.
VISION – Our community is at its best when the least among us is lifted by the rest.
GOALS –
- To bolster the funding capacity of the front line, community-based human service agencies that have expertise serving low-income and vulnerable residents with emergency needs.
- To support collaborative initiatives to alleviate the effects of financial stress on low-income people.
- To be a flexible, nimble source of emergency funding for our residents in need.
HOW WE WORK + WHERE WE WORK
The Neighbor to Neighbor Fund of the Finger Lakes Area Community Endowment (FLACE) at Canandaigua National Bank offers one-time emergency financial assistance to individuals & families in Ontario County through local health & social service agencies. We do not make grants directly to individuals, but only through an established agency working in Ontario County. For more information, visit the Grantmaking Page.
The Fund is supported solely with donations from members of our community, and there is a limited amount of funding available. For more information, visit the Support Us Page. Our grant limit is $1,000.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Don Cass Steve Martin Nora Olivera Laurie O’Shaughnessy Anita Pietropaolo Ellen Polimeni Meg LaDouce Reed Cindy Vanderlee Bob Zimmerman