NORWOOD – North Country Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, D-Theresa, praised Kiwanians for the volunteer work they do with a primary focus on improving the lives of children in the region, state, nation and world.

Russell made her comments when she appeared at a recent meeting on the Norwood Kiwanis Club. That meeting included visitors from the Kiwanis Club of Manotick, Ontario, as well as several other Kiwanis clubs in St. Lawrence County and the Jefferson Breakfast Club in Watertown.

The assemblywoman, whose district includes all St. Lawrence County towns along the Seaway plus Potsdam and Canton, said it was nice to see the relationships formed between the Kiwanis clubs in St. Lawrence County and Kiwanians in the Ottawa area.

"We share so much territory bordering the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, so many mutual interests and issues," Russell said.

She told the Kiwanians she shared their commitment to doing work that benefits children in her role in the state legislature.

Russell said she focuses a lot of her work on issues related to children and families with an emphasis on legislation that can assist families move out of poverty.

"A lot of my work is seeking equity for the people of the North Country. The great equalizer is our public education. I fight for the fair distribution of state education aid so our kids living in low-wealth districts have the necessary funding so their schools have the programs they need to compete with students from wealthier areas of the state, nation and around the world," she said.

The assemblywoman noted she has also supported legislation aimed at increasing access to quality childcare in rural areas like the North Country, where there are specific challenges due to the region's remoteness.

She said she also is a strong supporter of public libraries in the region, noting they play an important role in serving as community centers as well as offering unique programming options.

"We still have to get at the underlying problems. I have worked in Albany to bring funding to the North Country to attack poverty issues. We still have a lot of children that go to bed hungry. There is still a lot of work to do to help many of our families with needs in the areas of the food, clothing and shelter," she said.

Russell said she is enthusiastic that the People First project, an effort aimed at tackling issues related to institutional poverty in St. Lawrence County, can make significant strides that will benefit North Country families.

"We have a wonderful place to live. I really feel there is the ability to put all the pieces together. There are now increased opportunities for funding for some of these programs. We need to feed our children so they can learn and educate our children in the North Country so they can support themselves in the future," Assemblywoman Russell said.

She said a key part of the equation will be bringing new jobs to the region an working on programs that benefit existing businesses, such as the farm-to-school pilot program that has broken down barriers so local producers can sell their products to local schools.

The assemblywoman said there have been significant challenges in the North Country economy over the past several years with a decrease in the number of family farms in the region as well as the loss of hundreds of jobs at manufacturing plants and paper mills that once served as the economic drivers in St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties.

"There is a lot of transition going on in the local economy. Often times young people feel they must leave the region because the natural path to employment their families followed for generations is no longer there," according to Assemblywoman Russell.

"Those jobs are gone. We have to do better and that is why I continue to work with prospective employers as well as focusing on legislation that can assist bringing good paying, new jobs to the North Country," she added.