Echelon Brings Joy to Shelter Residents

Echelon Brings Joy to Shelter Residents

by Warren L. Maye

In Syracuse, N.Y., on a recent Sunday in July, a group of young people made life a little easier for 30 families experiencing hard times by hosting a fun-filled block party also open to the community. These young philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and volunteers belong to Echelon, a national organization committed to helping The Salvation Army “mobilize the next generation.”

“We didn’t want to turn away community members who were smelling the grill or seeing kids in the bounce house,” said Alison LoVuolo, donor relations manager for The Salvation Army in Syracuse, in an interview with SAconnects.

To organize the July 14 block party for Emergency Family Shelter residents, LoVuolo worked closely with Deanna Delmonico, the donor relations and PR manager, and collaborated with the Echelon Volunteer Board to secure sponsorships for the event, which delighted the sheltered families and others who joined the fun.

The families who use the shelter change and the numbers fluctuate, LoVuolo said, but it is always full. “Once one family moves out, we are pretty much moving another family in as soon as it’s clean and sanitized.”

Making it happen

Her work keeps LoVuolo, who has a hotel and event planning background, busy. “In our regular meetings with the Echelon board members, we discuss what we want to do for either our networking social events, our fundraisers, or our volunteerism. We like to make sure that we’re touching on all three of those items throughout the year.”

The block party aimed to benefit residents of the shelter and included a bounce house, a toy giveaway, and kite flying. Older kids received needed hygiene products.

Echelon members Dean and Amy Williams and Laura Kelly pitched in to make sure the festivities went smoothly. Laura’s husband, Mike, was unable to attend, but the couple offered their financial support as sponsors.

Among the other sponsors were the Hayner Hoyt Corporation, a local construction company; and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, which provides financial support to patients suffering from various forms of blood cancer.

“The volunteer board for Echelon and I decided what we wanted to have to make the event great,” LoVuolo said. “And we priced everything prior to rolling it out. Our goal was $2,200, based on the different sponsorship levels and tiers. We ended up with $1,835. So, we came very close to the overall goal. We only had to cut out a few small things to make everything work out perfectly.

“Hayner Hoyt was a huge sponsor for us. They’re also the annual sponsor for Echelon itself. They went ahead and did extra for this particular event. Pomeroy Foundation board member R. Matthew Ragan, Echelon members, and the Kelly and Williams families were great.

“I can tell you that we did everything we could to make sure that the families and their children were honored at the event. We also welcomed community members and curious kids who came up on their bikes. We were making sure that they felt comfortable being there and they knew that it was an event for them as well. We tried to make sure that we touched the lives of children.”

Echelon Syracuse Chapter

Echelon Syracuse seeks to provide opportunities for young adults to engage with the organization through networking, fundraising, and volunteering.

From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, over 33,000 people were helped by The Salvation Army in the Syracuse area: 