BALLSTON SPA — In partnership with the American Red Cross, the Ballston Area Community Center (BACC) has received certification as a managed disaster shelter that can accommodate up to 200 individuals.
Ensuring people have a safe place to stay during a disaster is now a critical part of the mission and the many services that BACC provides. The emergency shelter offers a safe place to sleep, food, health care, and support to victims of disasters. In 2021, the Village of Ballston Spa Public Employer Health Emergency Plan noted the shortage of shelter capacity for the community.
“This new emergency shelter designation will help alleviate that concern. Having additional backup power will allow our facility to better serve as an emergency shelter in case of a power outage, which often accompanies disasters,” said Colleen Russo, BACC Assistant Director, in a statement.
The Ballston Area Community Center (BACC) - located at 20 Malta Ave. - is a not-for-profit corporation, licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, that provides essential community services to more than 400 children in Saratoga County.
The certification process includes the installation of a whole building backup power generator that was partially funded by a Saratoga County Non-Profit COVID Relief Grant Fund.
Last June, the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors approved $2 million in Non-Profit COVID Relief Grant awards for nearly 200 non-profits that serve Saratoga County residents. Grant awards ranged from $500 to a maximum of $50,000 and Ballston Area Community Center was awarded $20,000.
In 2021, the Federal Government passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), a $11.9 Trillion economic stimulus package intended to assist the United States recovery from the economic and health effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the ongoing recession. Saratoga County was awarded funding totaling just over $22.3 million.