SARANAC LAKE – The Saranac Lake Ecumenical Council recently announced that its Grace Pantry ministry has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the Stewart’s Shops Holiday Match program.

These funds will be used to bolster the pantry’s mission of providing free personal hygiene and household cleaning products to those in need. Products range from baby diapers to incontinence briefs for the elderly as well as toilet paper, dish, laundry and surface cleaners. Such products are not available through governmental support programs such as SNAP.

The Stewart’s Holiday Match program, which runs from Thanksgiving through Christmas Day, collects donations from customers in Stewart’s Shops locations and matches them dollar-for-dollar. This local support is vital for grassroots organizations like Grace Pantry, ensuring that contributions made in the community stay in the community.

“We are incredibly grateful to Stewart’s Shops and their generous customers,” President at the Saranac Lake Ecumenical Council Rich Loeber said in a press release. “This $1,000 grant allows us to keep our shelves stocked and ensures that no neighbor in our community has to go without the basic cleanliness products necessary for fostering good health.

Grace Pantry serves as a critical resource for the Saranac Lake area. Located at the Baldwin House extension of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Grace Pantry opens its doors every Wednesday from 2:45 to 5 p.m., inviting all in need to come and choose the items their families can use to encourage good health.