The Deuteronomy fund was set up in 1999 by Mary Jane Smith and John Henry Lyons, social activists who wanted a way to help people with emergencies, large or small. The fund often helps with exceptional problems for which no other source of funding is available.

The fund is personal and direct, allowing Unity House to help meet a need that requires a rapid response or for which there is no other source of funding.

Over the years, the Deuteronomy Fund has provided countless mini-grants. Funds have been used to prevent eviction, purchase an air conditioner for someone suffering from asthma, or order specialized infant formula. The needs are varied, as unique as each family or individual requiring assistance. People are always grateful, especially when they arrive at Unity House in crisis.

Our work at Unity House is often about resolving crisis, getting someone to stability, and working to change circumstances. It can involve hard work and sometimes takes longer than you’d think. Working directly with people in need can be both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

If you would like to support the work of the Deuteronomy Fund, please consider a gift to the fund. You can visit our secure website portal, find us on Venmo, or drop a check in the mail to Unity House, 2431 Sixth Avenue, Troy, NY 12180. You’ll be helping to make life better, one person at a time.