ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY, N.Y. (WWTI) – A $6,000 grant given from The Clifton-Fine Community Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation will support three community projects for initiatives and programs that benefit residents of six southeast St. Lawrence County communities.

The Clifton-Fine Community Fund was established at the Community Foundation as a geographic-specific fund to support projects and programs that positively impact the quality of life in the towns and hamlets of:

  • Fine;
  • Oswegatchie;
  • Star Lake;
  • Newton Falls;
  • Wanakena; and
  • Cranberry Lake.

“You see the impact of every gift made to the Clifton-Fine Community Fund through these grants. As the fund continues to grow, and others generously participate with a contribution to the fund, more programs and projects will receive meaningful support and help the region prosper.”

Max DelSignore, Community Foundation assistant director

A committee of citizens from the Clifton-Fine region evaluates grant requests each year along with the Community Foundation. Since 2014, the fund has awarded more than two dozen organizations — supporting 48 projects and initiatives — nearly $50,000.

This year’s grant recipients are:

  • $4,000 to Clifton-Fine Central School — supporting the Clifton-Fine BackPack Pantry, which gives out weekly backpacks of nonperishable food items to students from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade, more information on this program is available on the school’s website.
  • $1,000 to Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence Foundation — helping the organization purchase watersports equipment to enhance program access at The Lodge at Dodge Pond in Oswegatchie, more information on this program is available on The Arc’s website.
  • $1,000 to Fine Volunteer Fire Department — to help purchase up to fifty 9-1-1 reflective signs that will be placed, by the volunteer fire department, in windows at local residences to help improve responsiveness to calls. The volunteer fire department oversees about 200 homes within its district, more information on the volunteer fire department is available on their Facebook page.

Proposals for 2025 grant funding will be accepted in August by the Clifton-Fine Community Fund, complete details and an application will be available next summer.