LIVERPOOL — Last year, Operation Northern Comfort vowed to build 500 desks for children in need in the Syracuse area. The Liverpool-based organization has more than made good on its promise: Volunteers have built more than 1,200 desks.
“We got a request for about 70 more desks, which we have just filled in the last couple of weeks,” Norm Andrzejewski, founder and CEO of ONC, told the Star-Review.
They’re not stopping at desks. Andrzejewski said volunteers are now building additions to go with the desks, which can be used as nightstands, bookshelves or a place to stash school supplies.
“We’re going to give away 20 of them this coming Tuesday, [Dec. 21],” said Andrzejewski, adding that those shelves were destined for the PGR Foundation, Inc. — “Poised, Gifted and Ready” — a mentoring program for girls ages 6 to 18.
As the year 2021 wraps up, so does Andrzejewski’s tenure at the helm of ONC. On Jan. 1, longtime board member Laurel Flanagan will succeed him as CEO.
“She’s been very active and has done a lot of things. It was pretty much a no-brainer,” Andrzejewski said. “She certainly has the competence and the willingness, so it’ll be cool.”
Flanagan said she is “very excited” and that she has big shoes to fill, calling Andrzejewski an “incredible visionary.”
“Operation Northern Comfort is a well-oiled machine. We have a great team in place and we get things done,” she said. “Even with the pandemic … we had a record number of projects.”
While the organization has suspended its out-of-state mission program because of the pandemic, there has been plenty of work to do at home.
“There’s just so much need out there,” Andrzejewski said.
This year, ONC volunteers have built 11 ramps and taken on numerous auxiliary projects such as building handrails or fixing steps to make local homes more accessible. The crew also built a new play yard for puppies at HumaneCNY, complete with a deck, ramps and sandboxes. ONC also has provided young New Americans with holiday gifts through a partnership with Tillie’s Touch, a nonprofit that focuses on educational and athletic opportunities.
As for 2022, Flanagan said ONC is planning the return of its major fundraiser, the Crawfish Festival, to Clinton Square in Syracuse. Thanks to the pandemic, the scaled-down 2021 event was held at the Inner Harbor and was takeout-only.
The Crawfish Festival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7, 2022. Flanagan said ONC is looking for local businesses to sponsor the event.
ONC will unveil other projects that are in the works for 2022 at a later date. As for Andrzejewski, he plans to stay on as a volunteer and non-voting board member, but Flanagan will be at the helm.
“I’m excited to continue the momentum he built,” Flanagan said.
To learn more about Operation Northern Comfort, visit operationnc.org or facebook.com/OperationNoCo.
