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LIFEWORKS COMMUNITY ACTION INC
BALLSTON SPA, NY · EIN 237438457 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE P200 · Human Services · Large ($10M-$50M) · lifeworksaction.org
revenue
$10.4M
expenses
$10.6M
net assets
$1.4M
employees
151
volunteers
350
program ratio
87%
mission · from form 990

ATTACK POVERTY, PERFORM CHARITABLE ACTS, OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, TRAINING & WORK.

profile · synthesized from sources

LifeWorks Community Action Inc is a human services nonprofit based in Ballston Spa, NY, serving low-income individuals and families across Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington Counties. The organization delivers direct services including food assistance, early childhood education, weatherization, nutrition support, and immigrant integration programs. It focuses on reducing poverty through stability-building initiatives in health, housing, economic mobility, and education.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $2.37M
    THE WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN PROGRAM SUBSIDIZES CERTAIN FOOD PRODUCTS AND PROVIDES NUTRITION EDUCATION FOR ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.
  2. #2 $5.35M
    HEADSTART PROGRAM PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL, NUTRITIONAL, SOCIAL, AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES PRIMARILY TO ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED PRESCHOOL CHILDREN, INFANTS AND TODDLERS SO THAT THE CHILDREN WILL ATTAIN SCHOOL READINESS.
named programs · 7 · from sources

What they call their work

Energy Services (Weatherization Assistance Program)
Provides free home energy assessments and improvements—including insulation, heating system repairs, and air sealing—to reduce energy burden for low-income households in Saratoga and Schenectady Counties.
Estamos Aquí Photography Program
Annual photography workshop and exhibit for immigrant community members that fosters connection and cultural expression, also serving as a fundraiser.
Food Pantry and Meal Programs
Distributes food through curbside pickup and delivery, serving thousands of families and providing hundreds of thousands of meals annually across Saratoga County.
Head Start & Early Head Start
Offers comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutritional, and social services to economically disadvantaged preschool children, infants, and toddlers to promote school readiness.
Immigrant Services
Delivers legal immigration services, ESOL classes, interpretation, and assistance accessing health, education, financial, and social services for immigrant families across multiple counties.
Mobility Mentoring
Offers one-on-one coaching to help low-income individuals set and achieve goals in housing, employment, education, and financial stability.
WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
Provides federal nutrition assistance, healthy food packages via EBT, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to pregnant women, new moms, infants, and children under 5.
activities · 11 groups

What they do

  • WIC Nutrition Support Services 1 activity
    • Administering WIC program services
      Provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, healthy food packages via eWIC EBT cards, and Farmers Market Coupons to eligible pregnant individuals, new mothers, infants, and children under 5. Increased enrollment from 1,845 to 1,960 participants in 2025 and achieved 98.51% benefit usage.
  • Early Childhood Education & Development Programs 1 activity
    • Delivering Head Start and Early Head Start services
      Provides comprehensive early childhood education, health screenings, nutrition, developmental support, and family services through state-licensed preschool classrooms and home visiting programs for economically disadvantaged children up to age 5. Offers PACTS group activities and parental workshops.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Employing former Head Start families in program delivery
      Engages community members by employing former Head Start students or parents, who comprise 40% of the program staff, supporting workforce development and program authenticity.
  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Hosting cultural and interagency engagement events
      Hosts Festival Visión, an annual Latino/e street festival, photography exhibit, and concert to support immigrant services, and organizes Interagency Awareness Day to foster collaboration among local human services agencies.
  • Self-Sufficiency Empowerment Workshops 1 activity
    • Implementing Mobility Mentoring
      Supports low-income individuals in achieving self-sufficiency goals through structured coaching; supported 77 participants in reaching 430 individual goals in 2025.
  • Free Tax Preparation Services 1 activity
    • Offering free tax preparation services
      Provides free tax return preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for individuals earning $57,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
  • Food Distribution and Hunger Relief 1 activity
    • Operating food assistance programs
      Distributes food through a choice-based pantry, home delivery services for elderly and disabled residents, daily free lunches with no eligibility requirements, and seasonal Thanksgiving meal sponsorship. In 2025, served 26,986 individuals, distributed 323,830 meals, and provided services to 9,736 families.
  • Volunteer Engagement and Capacity Support 1 activity
    • Operating volunteer and floral joy programs
      Coordinates volunteer opportunities through a dedicated coordinator and operates the Blooms of Hope initiative, which provides year-round floral bouquets to bring joy to program participants and raises funds through $20 bouquet sales to support organizational programs.
  • Low-Income Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades 1 activity
    • Providing weatherization and energy assistance
      Conducts home energy assessments and installs weatherization improvements—including air sealing, insulation, heating system evaluations, and energy-efficient appliances—for low-income households in Saratoga and Schenectady Counties. Reduced one household’s utility bill by over $50 monthly and improved 129 buildings in 2025.
  • Intake and Referral Coordination 1 activity
    • Running a community navigator program
      Conducts intakes to determine eligibility for agency services and provides follow-up support based on household needs, connecting individuals with appropriate resources and referrals when direct services are unavailable.
  • ESL and Citizenship Instruction 1 activity
    • Supporting immigrant families and seasonal workers
      Offers translation and interpretation, immigration legal services, ESOL classes, and referrals to health, legal, educational, and financial resources. Provided legal services to 230 clients and 605 referrals in 2025, and enrolled 37 students in ESOL within the first six weeks of launch.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$10.40M
Contributions & grants$10.37M100%
Program service revenue$10K0%
Investment income$3K0%
Other revenue$20K
expenses
Total expenses$10.58M
Program expenses87%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising1%
Salaries & benefits$5.89M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$2.22M
Cash$358K
Investments$51K
Liabilities$837K
Net assets$1.38M
Liquid reserves0.5 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +17.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
KRYSTLE NOWHITNEY HERNANDEZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 50 $152K
MONICA DRUMM DIRECTOR OF FINANCE 45 $93K
board members · 16
  • AMY RYAN — PRESIDENT
  • CHARLES LUCIA — DIRECTOR
  • CYNTHIA YOUNG — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID BENNETT — VICE PRESIDENT
  • DAVID WOMER — DIRECTOR
  • DEDE HILL — SECRETARY
  • DONALD WILDERMUTH — DIRECTOR
  • JENNIE KIM — DIRECTOR
  • JENNIFER AMES — TREASURER
  • KAI BENNETT-PARKS — DIRECTOR
  • KIM SHERIDAN-DUGMORE — DIRECTOR
  • NANCY BUNTING — DIRECTOR
  • PAUL LUNDE — DIRECTOR
  • PETER WOHL — DIRECTOR
  • SARA BAKER-GONZALEZ — DIRECTOR
  • TERRY DIGGORY — DIRECTOR
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • Broadview Federal Credit Union Partner — Partner for Empowerment supporting family empowerment initiatives in Saratoga County.
  • Facebook Partner — Shares important news and information for the immigrant community through its Facebook page.
  • GlobalFoundries Partner — Partner for Empowerment supporting family empowerment initiatives in Saratoga County.
  • LifeWorks Head Start Partner — Core program providing early childhood services under LifeWorks Community Action Inc.
  • New York State Department of Health Government — Partners with LifeWorks to implement the WIC program at the state level, including eWIC card administration.
  • New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Government — LifeWorks implements the Weatherization Assistance Program under guidelines and funding from NYS HCR.
  • Policy Council Coalition — Parent-led body with formal decision-making authority over program operations, budget, and community partnerships within LifeWorks' Head Start programs.
  • Posie Peddler Partner — Partner in the Blooms of Hope bouquet program, handling bouquet creation and distribution logistics.
  • Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church Partner — Collaborates with LifeWorks to run the Rural Food Delivery program.
  • SEFCU Partner — Partner for Empowerment supporting family empowerment initiatives in Saratoga County.
  • Saratoga County Government — Primary geographic service area for food programs, weatherization, and immigrant services.
  • USDA Government — Administers the federal WIC program in partnership with LifeWorks Community Action Inc.
  • VITA Partner — Partners with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to provide free tax preparation services.
  • Warren County Government — Service area for immigrant support programs.
  • Washington County Government — Service area for immigrant support programs.
  • community action agencies Network — Member of a national network of over 1,000 community action agencies serving 98 percent of U.S. counties.
  • local human services agencies Partner — Collaborates with local human services agencies during Interagency Awareness Day.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Client-Choice Model in Food and Nutrition Services
    methodology: client_choice_model
    By allowing clients to select their own food items through a client-choice pantry and individualized eWIC EBT packages, we improve dignity, autonomy, and utilization, because personal agency increases engagement and reduces waste.
  • Integrated Bilingual Support to Reduce Barriers
    methodology: integrated_bilingual_support
    By delivering services in both languages and integrating cultural understanding into health, education, financial, and legal support, we improve access and outcomes for immigrant families, because language and cultural competence reduces systemic exclusion and builds trust.
  • Mobility Mentoring for Long-Term Stability
    methodology: mobility_mentoring
    By using one-on-one coaching to help individuals convert short-term actions into long-term progress in housing, health, education, and employment, we build self-sufficiency, because sustained personal growth requires relational support and goal-directed planning.
  • Nutrition Support Paired with Education
    methodology: food_is_medicine
    By combining food subsidies with needs-based nutrition education, we improve health outcomes among women, infants, and children, because access alone is insufficient—behavioral knowledge is required to produce lasting dietary change.
  • Whole-Person and Whole-Family Approach to Service Coordination
    methodology: whole_family_approach
    By addressing multiple interconnected needs—such as housing, health, education, and family stability—simultaneously, we produce more sustainable outcomes, because systemic challenges are best tackled holistically rather than in isolation.