May 2025

Franklin Community Center hosted 6 different corporate volunteer groups during the month of May, with the main focus of reinvigorating the Food Pantry Garden. FCC was fortunate to receive a grant through the City of Saratoga Springs Participatory Budgeting to carry out the Food Pantry Garden Revitalization Project.

Raymond James stopped by twice – In their first visit, 5 volunteers helped out in the Food Pantry Garden by removing an old flower bed, weeding raised planter beds, and sorting through the compost area. During their second visit, a team of 5 assembled 50 Snack Packs for the Food Pantry.
3 Representatives from American National and United Way joined us for 518 Day, a regional day of community service, and helped out in the garden with weeding, removing old plants, replanting hostas, removing the old pathway from the shed, and helping prepare the garden for its next steps.
Cerity Partners had a group of 15 volunteers join us to clean out and organize the storage area in the garage, to dig out a new flower bed in the garden and lay edging, and to create a new brick pathway from the shed to the sidewalk.
GlobalFoundries provided 20 volunteers to help out at the Project Lift End-Of-Year Picnics at 5 elementary schools with running games, handing out food, and assisting with the students.
7 staff members from Salvatore Dental brought the garden to a visibly new stage and helped plant new plants and flowers throughout the garden. We can’t wait to see them bloom!

A heartfelt thank you to all of our corporate volunteer groups who joined us this month, and to our dedicated regular volunteers who helped coordinate and lead the work projects. We could not complete this hard work and carry out our essential programs and services without you! If you’re interested in launching a corporate volunteer project with FCC, email [email protected] for more information.