Saunders SOAR program eyeing expansion following Avon success

Last month, our district was the recipient of a $2,500 grant through the Saunders Foundation’s Saunders SOAR program. 

Created by Livingston County native, entrepreneur and philanthropist E. Phillip Saunders, the Saunders Foundation has awarded tens of millions of dollars to dozens of local charitable endeavors since its inception in 1987. 

Its Saunders SOAR program seeks to empower local school districts to better serve students in need. 

Avon’s $2,500 donation will help fund operations of The Closet, a student council-administrated program that provides free personal care items, clothing and athletic gear to middle and high school students who would otherwise have difficulty obtaining such items. 

It was an initial, $5,000 grant from the Saunders Foundation that allowed our district to launch The Closet back in 2023 and the service has been helping Avon students ever since. 

Saunders is now seeking to replicate the success of The Closet in Avon in other districts across Livingston County. 

In addition to Avon’s $2,500 grant, the foundation awarded grants of $6,500 to Dansville, Livonia and York school districts at an Aug. 10 ceremony. Should the programs at these districts prove successful during the coming school year, the foundation will be looking to expand the program, Saunders said. 

“If it’s successful, hopefully we can put it in every school in Livingston County and then see where we can go from there,” he said. “So it’s something we feel there’s a need for but… we need to have a good system around it and make sure it’s figured out and we’re doing it right. We might have something here that has some real legs maybe in Upstate New York or around the country - who knows? We’re off to a great start.”

High School Business Teacher Leigh Major, who accepted the donation on the district’s behalf along with teachers Amanda Schroeder and Mary Keymel, said her involvement in launching Avon’s Closet has been “one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

“The students you serve - when you walk in and hand them a pair of leggings or give them a backpack or something like that, you see their face and it makes a change in their life,” Major said. “So I think it gives the students self esteem and hopefully they feel good about themselves, decide to stay in school and work harder.” 

We want to extend our deepest thanks to Mr. Saunders, his namesake foundation and foundation board members Patricia Redding and Shari Pascuzzo for their incredible generosity. 

Thank you!

Photo courtesy of Alecia Kaus

Pictured front row from left are Shari Pascuzzo/Saunders Foundation Board Member; Phil Saunders/Saunders Foundation Founder; Patricia Saunders Redding/Saunders Foundation President; Leigh Major/Avon Teacher and Saunders Foundation Member; and Mary Youngers/Dansville Central School District Athletic Secretary. Pictured back row from left are Dave Moodie/Dansville Central School District Executive Director of Community Engagement; Leanne Doviak/Dansville Center for Youth; Sara Pribanich/Livonia Central School District Social Worker; Kate Delano/Livonia Central School District Counselor; Amanda Schroeder/Avon Teacher; and Charlie Passarell/York Middle/High School Principal.