From Cashier to Marketing Coordinator: Mia’s Career Journey at Price Chopper

Updated: July 2025

Many companies locally and across the world utilize internship programs to attract, nurture, and retain young talent to their organizations. The goal of the Summer Internship program at Price Chopper/Market 32 is to provide professional experiences to students within their area of study.
  • What does the internship program entail?

The program is a 10-week program open to junior, senior, and graduate level students who desire real world, hands-on business experience, as well as a chance for exploration of the region.

“We gather as a group to support volunteer efforts within our Schenectady community. While also offering enjoyable things like month-long bingo activities, where interns would need to complete various tasks with the hopes of improving the quality of their experience. Lastly, a mentorship program was introduced this year giving interns the opportunity to learn and develop from someone other than their direct supervisor,” says Josh Deyo, Talent Acquisition Specialist.

Former intern Mia Teal is just one of the success stories from the program. From having a job as a cashier, to being accepted into the internship program after college and transitioning into a full-time career as Paid Media Marketing Coordinator at Price Chopper, Mia’s story exemplifies the transformative power of this corporate internship.

  • Internship Turned Career

Mia was born and raised in CapNY, in Clifton Park, where she found her first job at the age of 17 at Price Chopper. As Mia pursued her college education, she maintained a connection with Price Chopper, returning to work during her school breaks. This continuity allowed her to cultivate a deep understanding of the company’s operations and culture. Upon graduating from college, she was offered a summer internship with Price Chopper.

The program featured two weeks of intensive in-person and online training sessions, reflecting the hybrid approach brought on by the pandemic. During this time, Mia was assigned various projects and worked closely with seasoned employees. Mia’s journey evolved as she transitioned from e-commerce to digital media. The experience broadened her perspective, as she realized there was much more to the grocery industry than meets the eye. She mentioned that she learned far more during her internship than she could have ever anticipated from her college education.

  • Embracing Company Culture

Price Chopper’s culture of collaboration and community engagement has left an impact on Mia. She’s been encouraged by leadership to get involved & give back to the CapNY community outside of her work responsibilities. A colleague introduced her to the Capital Region Chamber Young Professionals Network (YPN), which encouraged her to reach out, network, and participate in various community building & professional development activities. Mia found herself taking on tasks like editing podcasts, and her commitment led her to Co-Chair the Communications Department by the president.

Mia’s story is a testament to the upward mobility within Price Chopper. She noted that many employees had transitioned from roles like bagging groceries to becoming company directors, highlighting the company’s commitment to nurturing internal talent.

  • Mia’s Life in CapNY

Beyond her professional work, Mia relishes the diverse experiences that CapNY offers. She enjoys hiking in spots like Lake George and Fort Ann, exploring local breweries, and practicing yoga at The Hot Yoga Spot. She finds the regions centralized location and its abundant recreational opportunities as one of the reason she decides to stay and build a life for herself.

 

Mia’s journey from a cashier to a Paid Media Marketing Coordinator at Price Chopper is a tale of determination, growth, and community engagement. Her experiences highlight the importance of staying connected with one’s roots and seizing opportunities for personal and professional development. In an ever-evolving corporate landscape, Mia’s story reminds us that success often finds those who are open to new experiences and committed to continuous learning and growth.

Learn more about Fresh Career Opportunities at Price Chopper/Market 32 here!

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100 Register for CapNY 2023 Summer Intern Events

“The CapNY region allows so many networking opportunities that I feel I have the best shot to find a full-time job when I graduate.”

“Such a good program! Very engaging and also educational, so glad I went!”

  • CapNY Summer Intern Program

The Center for Economic Growth (CEG), through our CapNY initiative and in partnership with the Capital Region Chamber, developed a summer intern engagement program with the intent to connect interns with young professionals/business leaders and explore the Capital Region as a location to build their future. Ultimately, the goal is to keep those interns as part of our regional workforce after graduating.

The program was piloted in 2022 with a virtual kickoff, volunteer opportunities and in-person meet-up at the Tri-City Valley Cats. This summer, we put together new resources, ways to connect, and a series of in-person events for interns to participate in. Our 2023 “Destination CapNY” event series took interns to various locations in Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga where they were exposed to our region’s history, arts, culture and dining. Each event included an educational/informational component followed by food, fun and opportunity for networking.

Group of interns during the Destination: Albany Capital Walls walking tour

More than 100 interns registered to participate in CapNY 2023 summer programming, with numerous attending multiple events. 19 interns were from outside the Capital Region, 25 were from out of state, and 2 were from different countries. 

Programs were free for interns to attend and made possible through sponsorship support. Special thanks to Goldman Sachs, Regeneron and Northeast Shared Services/Price Chopper/Market32/Tops and CDTA.

CapNY Summer programming is open to all Capital Region interns, regardless of whether your company has a formal structured internship program. Our goal is to support your efforts, and to provide new opportunities for your interns to get connected with the region and each other.

Nosh, networking and young entrepreneur insights at Arthur’s Market in Schenectady

We’ve also put together a variety of tools and resources you can use as part of your own recruitment and retention efforts. We encourage our investors and partners to use CapNY as a resource and to access our tools and programming. As we work to address workforce gaps in the Capital Region, it becomes increasingly important to not only attract talent to the region, but also retain graduates from local colleges and universities. We’re thrilled with the outcome of our 2023 summer event series and look forward to building out 2024 with increased company participation.

CapNY is a great program to help summer interns network and also to see new areas of the Capital Region. I was an intern at Regeneron and went to two of the events with some of my Regeneron intern friends, but also made friends from other companies. I’ve been from the Capital Region my whole life, but the activities that we did were unique and things I have not done before!
– 2023 SUMMER INTERN
How can my company get involved?

Interested in connecting with CapNY for future intern programming? Please complete this form and we’ll reach out to connect on activities for 2024!

Questions? Reach out to Andrea Thompson

I think that my CapNY experience helped me see that there is actually a ton of things to do in the Capital Region, I just had to step out of my comfort zone and try new things.
– 2023 SUMMER INTERN
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Celebrating Pride Month in CapNY: 3 Leaders Who Make it Happen

Updated: July 2025

Pride Month is recognized around the world, to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. It takes place every June, in honor of the historic June 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which helped kickstart the Gay Rights Movement. It’s a month not just to celebrate, but to remember, to honor, to raise awareness, and to support.


Each June, there are dozens of Pride events across CapNY to celebrate and support our LGBTQIA+ communities thanks to area organizations that include:

  • OutHudson: Nonprofit organization serving the LGBTQIA+ community of Columbia County
  • The Pride Center of the Capital Region: Nonprofit organization based in Albany; hosts annual Capital Pride Parade through downtown Albany and Festival in Washington Park, which features food, vendors, live music and performances like Pussycat Dolls’ Carmit Bachar and iHeartRadio Music Award Nominee JORDY.
  • Cafe Euphoria: Trans and Gender Nonconforming worker-owned cafe, coworking space, and curated thrifted clothing store in Troy, hosts an array of pride focused events including open mics, dance nights, drag show brunches, and LGBTQ budgeting workshops. They also serve as food vendors at Pride events like Capital Pride Parade and Festival and Say it Loud! Black and Latin@ Gay Pride.
  • In Our Own Voices Inc.: Organization based in Albany that serves the needs of LGBTQIA+ POC
  • Easton Mountain Retreat Center: Located in Greenwich, NY, Easton Mountain is a community retreat center and sanctuary created by gay men. They provide workshops, programs, and events to celebrate, heal, transform, and integrate body, mind, and spirit.

None of the Pride celebrations would have happened without dedicated individuals who helped bring them together. We spoke with three individuals who helped make events like these happen, and continue to support the LGBTQIA+ community throughout the year. 

  • Nathaniel Gray, Executive Director at the Pride Center for the Capital Region

Nathaniel Gray grew up in southern Ohio and moved to NYC at 19. Gray moved to CapNY in 2019, and recently purchased a home in the hamlet of Glenmont, where he enjoys the newfound space and garden, to escape from the day.

Why is Pride month special to you?

As a month, it is really a placeholder for our Civil Rights movement. June is Pride month because of the Stonewall Riots in late June of 1969. The first pride “parade” was a freedom march for “gay liberation.” The month of June is a lasting reminder, and encouragement, that there is still work to be done for true equity in society.

How are you involved in Pride across CapNY?

The Pride Center of the Capital Region hosts the largest Pride event north of New York City, and each year it grows. This year’s event, held on June 12th, drew crowds larger than previous years when we know our numbers were around 30,000 people. These folks come and celebrate themselves and the people they love, one of the most important things we can do in the LGBTQ+ community. The Pride Center also helped organize an historic number of Pride Flag Raisings in the Capital Region this year, with plans on even more next year. 

Why are you passionate about what you do?

I started getting bullied for being effeminate in 2nd grade; I was 7-years-old the first time someone called me a fa**ot. The most recent time? Four weeks ago. This is my life, and I’m not going to rest in my work, nor is the Pride Center, until this region is safe and affirming for everyone. The person who shouted that word at me last month probably doesn’t know that there are many in my community that would hear something like that, and potentially end their life. This is not acceptable in 2022 to me, nor should it be to anyone. When I got my Master’s degree in Social Work in New York City, my professional focus was on LGBTQ+ homeless youth. Something about working with kids who risked everything to come out and be authentically themselves, only to become homeless and experience untold abuse, sexual assault, trafficking, and other horrible things, fundamentally changes me. It was a curtain I could not “unlook” behind. Once I knew about their experiences, and that it is all born from hate and ignorance, I also knew I had to do something about it. 

  • Osun Zotique, OutHudson Executive Director

Osun Zotique moved to CapNY in 2015, and lives in Hudson. Zotique is the Executive Director of OutHudson, and recently ran for office in the Congressional Primary to represent New York’s 19th District, making them the first openly transgender non-binary individual to run for federal elected office. 

Why is Pride month special to you?

Pride Month is special to me because I realize that it’s something we still actually really need. We really need that continuous work of individual and community self acceptance. In spite of any advances that we have made, which we certainly have seen basic civil and human rights for our gender identity and sexual orientation, that process of self-acceptance is ongoing, and it’s a lifelong and evolving journey for every human being on this planet. Actually, whether they identify as LGBTQIA+ or not, the fact of the matter is that we all have something to learn about our humanity vis-a-vis our gender and sexuality. 

How are you involved in Pride across CapNY?

I took over the directorship of OutHudson and brought back the parade and festivities after the pandemic. I also recently ran for elected office in the United States Congress. NY’s 17th congressional district, and was the first transgender, non-binary person to do so. And it’s been a very exciting journey and a very privileged platform to try to speak to everything that’s going on for all of us who are living, working and potentially struggling to make ends meet at this community and state, both LGBTQIA+ and also our straight allies. 

Why are you passionate about what you do?

I’m passionate about doing what I do because I actually moved to the state of New York when I was 18, and the environment where I grew up was not particularly accepting. So for me, it’s really important to help continue creating the environment that I would like to be part of and a space where queer ingenuity and creativity can flourish. Both my own, but also the folks around me and my neighbors and friends and the people who we support.

  • Atsushi Akera, Co-founder of Cafe Euphoria and Board of Directors at the Pride Center of the Capital Region

Atsushi Akera grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, and moved to the Capital Region in 1999, when she was hired as a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Akera has been a professor at RPI in the field of science and technology studies for the last 23 years, and is retiring this month. She lives in Troy and is the co-founder and General Manager of Cafe Euphoria, as well as a board member at the Pride Center of the Capital Region. 

Why is Pride month special to you?

That’s a big question, given Roe V Wade, and everything that’s happened. I’m on the board of directors of the Pride Center for the Capital Region. Many of us are afraid that once the conservatives get that kind of momentum, they’re going to go after other things, including gay marriage. And so it’s a time for the community to band together. Pride Month is so important because it brings the entire community together. I think segments of our community have felt that they’ve won the victories that needed to be won, and had gotten to the point where activism and change wasn’t very high on their agenda. And so this year’s Pride events have been so important in reestablishing the notion that we still have a really important role to play in giving support to those who are otherwise oppressed and discriminated against in our society. 

How are you involved in Pride across CapNY?

I’m on the board of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, and I oftentimes volunteer for the Pride events with the Pride Center, as well as serve as an ally and supporter for the Say it Loud! Black and Latino Pride event. But the ways in which I was involved this year, was more focused on the launching of Cafe Euphoria. So as a consequence, most of my new duties had to do with the cafe. We had a presence at the Pride events, taking part as a food vendor, selling vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian fare. Cafe Euphoria also had eight different events of our own throughout the month. 

Why are you passionate about what you do?

Because it’s necessary. It’s so necessary. Going into the pandemic, mental health rates were in excess of 50% among the transgender community. Suicide rates were one of the highest. Gender remains one of the strongest constructs in our society, along with race, so there’s all kinds of problems that many members of our community face. There are many people who are supportive, but job loss remains a major issue within our community. And that’s why Cafe Euphoria is built around creating jobs for, and a safe space for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. We are very much a trans visibility project. We created a business model very specifically on the idea that there are people out there who want to support us, and are willing to pay slightly above market rate for food, and then those resources turn into real assets for the trans and gender nonconforming folks who work here.

So it goes a step beyond just a safe space, it creates jobs. And then beyond a restaurant and creating jobs, we have a curated thrift, we have event space, a co-working space, and we have a lounge, as well as two private offices. We have a curated thrift so that if you’re transgender, and you’re totally scared of going to Target to shop in the women’s section for the first time, you can instead come here, to a space where you know that everybody’s going to be supportive of whatever choices you make.

  • Written by: Victoria Diana

Juneteenth in CapNY: 4 Changemakers Paving the Way

“Juneteenth is important because it is the beginning of our history.”
– Lashawn Hawkins, Founder of the I Can Breathe and I Will Speak organization in Fulton County New York
  • CapNY Celebrations

June 19th. Many Americans know that date as Juneteenth, a federal holiday that acknowledges and commemorates the legal ending of slavery in the United States of America. For Black Americans across the country, Juneteenth is our independence day as we honor the end of suffering for those who endured the hardships of slavery. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States June 17, 2021, after President Biden signed it into a federal law. On Juneteenth weekend, organizations throughout CapNY hosted events where people can get together and celebrate the holiday.

  • Amplifying Voices in Albany

In Albany, there were many events celebrating the holiday. The Underground Railroad Education Center, a nonprofit in Albany located on Livingston Avenue, hosted the JuneTEENth Freedom Day Celebration. The celebration was put together by the center’s Young Abolitionist Leadership group, who planned the event, invited numerous vendors including Allie B’s Kitchen, and held activities and presentations for the community.

When asked about the event, cofounder of the center Paul Stewart stated, “Juneteenth is important to this organization because it celebrates the freedom of the African American people in the United States. I am delighted that the young people from the Young Abolitionist Group stepped up and did the work for this event. It had such a great turnout.”

The Underground Railroad Education Center’s mission is to rediscover the full complex history around the Underground Railroad and share it with the community. The center focuses not only on the routes that were taken with the railroad but also the journey of people who made those choices to take the route. Since the nonprofit was established in 2003, the center was able to uncover the railroad’s relationship with other places outside of America including places like Britain, Mexico, and Canada. “This is important work and we need to do this. We need to act on this,” says Stewart.

In addition to this event, families in Albany were able to participate in the Juneteenth celebration held at Ten Broeck Mansion. Located in Arbor Hill, the second oldest neighborhood in Albany, Ten Broeck Mansion held an arts and garden program that honored the holiday by sharing the history of African plants. These plants were then planted into the Mansion’s community garden. “There is such a rich beautiful history associated with these plants that not many know about. Having the opportunity to share this on Juneteenth is very special and important for us to do,” says executive Director of Ten Broeck Mansion, Kathryn Kosto.

Kosto further states, “Ten Broeck Mansion is part of a neighborhood with a lot of children and seniors. We love having the opportunities to give back to them. To make the museum more welcoming. We get the best reviews from our families who come to our events, they’ll invite others to come and join in on the fun.”

The nonprofit focuses on the initiative of sharing the history of Ten Broeck with the Arbor Hill neighborhood and the Capital Region. Ten Broeck Mansion offers many ways for everyone in the community to get involved. They host a free teen camp that supports the arts in the form of making movies, they hold free tours of the mansion where the share the history of it and will be hosting free children’s programs in the summer. “We are trying to be more inclusive and serve the needs of the community. We do a lot, but I still feel there is more we can do,” Kosto states.

  • Giving Back in Gloversville

Not directly in CapNY, but just adjacent to the west, in Gloversville, the I Can Breathe and I Will Speak nonprofit held an event at a local café. Lashawn Hawkins, founder of the organization states, “I knew nothing was going to happen here for Juneteenth, there is such a lack of education or care about it here. It being now a federal holiday, I knew we needed to bring more awareness and celebrate.”

At the event, Hawkins screened a documentary about the organization and had support from the mayor in Gloversville and the Gloversville Police Department. I Can Breathe and I Will Speak is a nonprofit that was created to bridge the gap between community and law enforcement, ultimately strengthening the relationship the people have with one another.

Hawkins, the founder of the organization, made it her personal goal to give back to the young people in her area after having her own difficult time in Gloversville. “Gloversville and Fulton County was the most racist place I’ve ever been when I first moved here. It was non- inclusive, and I knew I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know how then.” When social injustices began to arise during 2020, including the unjust murder of George Floyd, Hawkins went out to protest peacefully. “Young people reached out to protest with me, but me being a mother, I knew I didn’t want to lead them that way. So, I chose to start the nonprofit instead, “she says.

Since creating the nonprofit, Hawkins has given back to her community in many ways. She hosted a job fair, held a back-to-school event for people in need of supplies, and organized a Halloween event during the pandemic where the nonprofit would go to registered houses and deliver candy to kids safely, so that they can still enjoy the Halloween experience. She even put together a “Christmas Eve Car Sleigh” where parents can register how many kids they had, and she would bring toys to the families on Christmas Eve to give to their kids. When asked what motivates her Hawkins states, “The future of the Children here in my community. The kids.”

  • Creating Supportive Spaces in Saratoga

The Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation celebrated Juneteenth with a “Summer Stroll” event over Juneteenth weekend. The Summer Strolls series is an event that happens every Sunday in the summer season and is hosted by the foundation; this event invites community members to take walking tours around historical areas in Saratoga. On Juneteenth, the foundation hosted a special stroll, led by author Carol Daggs who was able to share more history about the holiday and its relationship with Saratoga.

Membership and program director Nicole Babie believes Juneteenth is important to the foundation stating, “Juneteenth brings important conversations that this country needs to have. The history of Slavery, it can get swept under the rug but that’s important to talk about and recognize.”

The foundation works to strengthen the voices of the community. They hold black history month programs and women’s history month programs. The foundation also uses the history of the buildings in Saratoga to help the community learn and build together with one another. “What drives me everyday is being able to tell the stories of Saratoga Springs that people find both relatable and interesting. We are so much more than the racecourse and there is so much history here and that’s what our organizations preserves. It’s very exciting,” Babie says.

Sunday Summer Stroll spotlights Brandtville community for Juneteenth (WRGB), Credit: CBS 6
  • Written by: Naava Dae

CapNY Community: Free Food Fridge Albany

Jammella Anderson, the founder of Free Food Fridge Albany, wanted to make fresh, perishable food available to marginalized communities.

Food accessibility was already an issue, and the pandemic compounded these problems. So Jammella and a group of volunteers decided to take action with a community food project in Albany.

  • Times Magazine Recognizes Jammella

In the March 2021 edition of Time Magazine, Jammella was recognized as a woman making a difference in her community. Oh, and she was featured on the cover!

The article starts, “Just before 3 p.m. on a warm Wednesday in February, 30-year-old Jammella Anderson—­donning heart-shaped glasses, a Black Lives Matter tee and 2-in. platform boots—strolls up to a small bicycle-­repair shop just north of Albany, NY. She’s here to persuade Troy Bike Rescue to let her use an electrical outlet so she can plug in a new refrigerator just outside the shop’s front door.

Click here to read the full article!

  • How the Free Food Fridge Began

29-year-oldAlbany resident, Jammella Anderson, has always been concerned about food security. “It’s part of my personal journey and quest,” says Anderson. “I wanted to work with underserved communities because I am a black woman.”

“And I know, being someone who has grown up without that security was really difficult. So this has a personal place in my heart.” As a result of Covid, Jammella and a few friends came together with the idea of a food fridge. “Other cities like New York have similar projects, going with more of a give-some-take-some idea. My idea is a restoration project,” Anderson says. “Thankfully, we received a lot of media presence, so people were really excited to help amplify it,” she explained. And she has successfully raising money to support the food fridge project for the past 10 months.

  • Supporting the Free Food Fridge Project

Anderson is grateful for all forms of support, but she outlined some specific ways that you can get involved. “The members of the community with the financial means can support the mission financially. This allows us to provide food for the fridges through donations to the project,” explained Anderson. “Monetary donations are a huge help.” You can find Free Food Fridge Albany on PayPal by searching for freefoodfridgealbany@gmail.com. Or, you can Venmo @Jammella-Anderson or use Cash App at $JammellaAnderson.

If you’re looking for other ways to contribute, they’re always looking for fresh foods. For example, perishable items like milk, eggs, fresh vegetables, and any meal enhancers you can think of. “If you want to donate food regularly, we can assign you specific things for a specific fridge,” explained Anderson.  One time donations are certainly welcome, but the Free Food Fridge goal is to create sustainability. On their website, you can also see what volunteer positions they’re looking to fill like fridge managers, and administrative work. Even artists can help by making the fridges beautiful! 

  • Where to Find A Free Food Fridge and How it Works

If you need food, you can just walk up to a Free Food Fridge and help yourself – simple as that. If you want to put food in the fridges, you must first contact the organization.

“We want to help monitor what’s going in and out and it’s crucial that we abide by health rules and regulations,” explained Anderson.

Click here to locate one of the Free Food Fridges!

  • Connect with The Free Food Fridge
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jess kelly
  • Written by: Jessica Kelly

Jess is a journalist and photographer with a focus on food, travel, and entertainment. She’s written for over 10 different local publications in New York State, in addition to the Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, AAA Northeast, Eater, Dame Traveler, Food52, Insider, Wine Enthusiast, Kitchn, AAA World Magazine, Thrillist, and more. Follow her adventures on Instagram @Adventures.Are.Waiting.

CapNY Community Impact: Street Soldiers

The amazing spirit of CapNY’s generosity shines bright in Street Soldiers.
What started in 2016 as a small grassroots effort by founders Renee and Mike Fahey has grown into a tri-city initiative that helps hundreds of people every week.
  • Providing Essentials

On Thursdays in Troy, Fridays in Albany and Sundays in Schenectady, those who are struggling know that they can turn to Street Soldiers for a hot meal and much, much more. Anyone visiting a Street Soldiers event will find tables of essentials such as food, clothing, toiletries, appliances, pet supplies. Other donations are always available. It’s all based on genuine kindness – no questions asked, and no paperwork. “We don’t have any red tape,” Renee said. “If you need something, we’re there.” 

Maura Furey is the site coordinator for Street Soldiers Schenectady.

With an extensive network of volunteers, donors and partnerships, they serve approximately 400 community members each week. In Albany, where the program first started they serve 100, another 100 in Troy, and up to 200 in the most recently established Schenectady site.

  • The Street Soldiers Story
Founders, Mike and Renee

Renee has made a habit of helping those less fortunate than herself since childhood, through small acts like providing blankets or buying meals for people in need. She’s expanded that initiative to a much larger scale over the years.

Renee started Street Soldiers at a difficult time in her life. “It’s always kind of been in my heart, but when I lost my dad in 2016, I needed an outlet,” she shared. So, she and her husband Mike went out in Albany on a Friday night with a card table, some soup and sandwiches. “We met probably four or five guys that night,” she recalled. “After that, we went back the following Friday – same time, same location. Word of mouth just got out on the street. We kept going back, we saw the need. And we saw the appreciation that they had for us putting in our time to go out.”

Friends started getting involved after Renee posted on social media. Through their donations and volunteering Street Soldiers was born.

  • Four Years of Growth

Over the past four years, the Albany program has grown from a couple of volunteers and one small table to 25 six-foot tables, set up by dozens of volunteers each week. To further fulfill needs in a neighboring city, in 2018 extended its reach to Troy. This operation grew in a similar manner, through word of mouth and assistance from lots of volunteers.

Under the direction of local resident Maura Furey, a third site was established in Schenectady in 2019. This has quickly become the largest volume location for the organization.

Volunteer Rich Brown proudly sports his Street Soldiers shirt

With sites now operating in the region’s three largest cities, each week Street Soldiers is making a difference in the lives of hundreds of people throughout the CapNY community.

  • My Experience
200+ people visit Street Soldiers each week

Recently, I checked out Street Soldiers firsthand, and I was extremely impressed. Every week they hold an outdoor event, no matter the weather conditions. “We’re outside in the elements with them,” Renee said. “Rain, shine, blizzard. We’ve been out in it all.”

On a particularly cold afternoon I visited the Schenectady site. Though the temperature was below freezing, spirits were still high. Volunteers made sure that each individual in line had gloves or mittens, and even hand warmers if necessary. The Street Soldiers at this site kept everything operating smoothly. At a time when Covid-19 is of great concern, I felt entirely confident that this event was safe. Proper protocols are in place the whole time, no exceptions. When talking with some of the volunteers, even with masks on, it’s easy to see they truly care.

More than one Street Soldiers representative told me they look forward to this event all week. I suspect this has to do with the sense of community that Street Soldiers has created over the years. “Street Soldiers is like being part of a family, an extended family” Maura said. “It’s created a lot of lifelong friends.”

As a community, Street Soldiers has safely and successfully brought people together, spreading some goodness throughout CapNY, despite the pandemic. “Being on the street, being involved with volunteers, and meeting the people firsthand that you’re helping is such an incredible experience,” Maura said, “to not just know you’re making a change but to be there for the change.”

Over 200 people visit Street Soldiers Schenectady each Sunday at 4pm, at Zion Lutheran Church
  • Getting Involved
Volunteers Amelie and Bri smile under their masks while helping their community

As the Faheys’ reach continues to grow, its mission remains simple: to lend a helping hand. “Nobody has ever gotten through life without help,” Renee said,. So, basically we are just there to do what we can when we can.” The organization is constantly seeking more helping hands to keep expanding the effort.

Age is no limit to volunteering. “We think it’s really important that kids are involved,” Renee said. “It teaches them empathy. It shows them that you shouldn’t be judgmental, and everybody needs help at some point in life, as a stepping stone.”

  • Connect with Street Soldiers

Each community location has its own Facebook page:

Albany / Troy / Schenectady

To learn more about volunteer opportunities or how to make donations, message the Facebook page of the community you would like to help. Not sure what to donate? Check out the Amazon Wishlist for each site!

Albany / Troy / Schenectady

Make monetary donations online. Click the links associated with the location you’d like to donate to: 

Albany / Schenectady

  • Written by: Lauren Halligan

CapNY native Lauren Halligan is a lifelong Saratoga County resident. She studied journalism at The College of Saint Rose in Albany. She has worked as a full time reporter for The Saratogian and The Record newspapers for the past seven years. Her favorite part of living in the Capital Region is frequenting the local live music venues. Lauren also enjoys exploring the many parks and nature trails within the area, as well as traveling around the globe.