Day of Action shows what’s possible when a community says yes.

By lunchtime, paintbrushes were drying.

Volunteers were arriving back at Flanders Park with dirty gloves, full trash bags, and stories to swap. A public art project had taken shape. Fresh produce had found its way into dozens of households. An accessibility ramp had been repaired. Children’s spaces had been transformed.

More than 100 volunteers had spread out across Tupper Lake and, in just one morning, helped move forward projects the community already cared about.

As everyone gathered for a celebratory lunch, Tupper Lake Town Councilman Adam Boudreau captured the heart of the day in one sentence:

“It’s not about what we don’t have. It’s about what we do have.”

That idea became the story of AdkAction’s first-ever Day of Action: Not a day of arriving with answers, but a day of showing up with helping hands.

Working with a community, not at one

Day of Action was never about “fixing” Tupper Lake. The projects came from local partners. The priorities came from people who live and work there. AdkAction’s role was to help add capacity by bringing volunteers, resources, and momentum to work that was identified by the community.

That’s what we mean when we say we make life better across the Adirondacks through partnerships and creative problem solving.

On Saturday, that looked like dozens of small acts adding up to something much bigger.

At Tupper Arts, volunteers worked on a new public art piece that will be installed in front of Maddox Hall, creating something lasting that will continue welcoming people long after the end of the day.

Meanwhile, at Maddox Hall itself, volunteers gave the building’s exterior a thorough cleanup and painted its doors. At the adjoining Adult Center, another team repaired an accessibility ramp, helping make the space more welcoming and accessible for everyone.

At the local grocery store a small team of volunteers were given a $1,000 budget to fill carts with requested nonperishable items for the local food pantry. On-site at the pantry, more volunteers staffed  a free farmers market tent loaded with local fruits and vegetables.

More than 40 food pantry clients were able to select fresh, local produce for their households, bringing healthy food directly to families in a way that respects dignity and personal preference.

At Family Matters, volunteers delivered diapers donated by Adk Diaper Bank and the local Kinney Drugs, free children’s books donated by Mountain Lake PBS, and supplies to restock the coffee bar for parents. They also deep-cleaned the play area’s rugs and organized storage cabinets, tackling the behind-the-scenes work that helps staff spend more time supporting families instead of catching up on maintenance.

Across town, cleanup crews fanned out through parks, roadsides, and public spaces, collecting litter wherever it had accumulated.

It wasn’t glamorous work, but it was the kind of project that makes the next walk, bike ride, or trip to the park a little better for everyone.

At the Tupper Lake Public Library, volunteers helped prepare a space that is still becoming what it can be.

Children’s furniture was assembled. An exercise floor was installed in the community room. Preparations were made for an incoming mural project.

The work wasn’t just about today. It was about creating opportunities for tomorrow. 

At the Tupper Lake Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, volunteers spent the morning playing bingo and enjoying live music with residents, calling out numbers, cheering on winners, and sharing some laughs along the way. With prizes on the table and plenty of enthusiasm in the room, it was a simple reminder that community care can be as simple as spending a little time together.

Back at the main tent, another team quietly worked on a project unlike any other.

Volunteers handcrafted and handwrote messages of appreciation for every school teacher, every nursing home worker, and every first responder in Tupper Lake.

Every one of them.

Because communities don’t thrive only because of buildings or parks, they thrive because people show up for each other every day.

Who’s next?

Our first Day of Action proved something we’ve always believed: when communities already have ideas, leaders, partners, and people who care, a little extra volunteer power can go a long way.

We’re hoping Day of Action becomes an AdkAction tradition. Now we’re looking for the next community that’s ready to say yes.

If there’s an Adirondack community you care deeply about, we want to hear about it.

Nominate an Adirondack community for AdkAction’s 2027 Day of Action.

Because it’s not about what a community doesn’t have: it’s about what becomes possible when we work together.