Cam Cardinale: Driving Growth & Inclusivity at SAIL
People with disabilities are essential members of our communities, bringing valuable perspectives and strengths. Every individual deserves the respect and support needed to fully engage in all aspects of life. This belief fuels the work of Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL), a nonprofit committed to supporting individuals across 17 counties. SAIL’s dedicated team works to ensure that a disability doesn’t prevent anyone from leading a fulfilling life. Among them is Cam Cardinale, Director of Community Relations, whose dedication is aimed at expanding SAIL’s reach.
A Path to Purpose: Cam’s Journey to SAIL
Cam Cardinale’s career began in the marketing world, where he worked at agencies serving clients nationwide. During that time, he encountered SAIL as a client and felt an immediate connection to its mission.
“SAIL was actually a former client of mine and I have always loved their mission. I loved everything that SAIL stands for and is about, the work we do in the community is just so important,” Cam shared.
Inspired by SAIL’s work, Cam joined the team a year and a half ago, being appointed to the role of Director of Community Relations. Since then, he has immersed himself in community outreach and finds fulfillment in seeing SAIL grow.
“My role focuses on engaging with communities across the 17 counties that SAIL serves, and it’s an incredible honor to do this work. It’s deeply fulfilling to help change lives and empower people with disabilities to thrive. Working for this organization is truly life-changing,” Cam said.
Creative Marketing on a Nonprofit Budget
As a nonprofit, SAIL operates with a limited marketing budget, so the team gets creative in reaching people.
“Like most nonprofits, we operate with a modest marketing budget,” Cam explained. “We get creative with our initiatives to meet people where they are, whether that’s in the city of Glens Falls or rural Clinton County.”
A key focus of SAIL is to help individuals prepare to age in place with dignity by ensuring they have access to the necessary support and services.
SAIL also offers a free equipment loan program that serves people throughout the community, from birth to end of life, allowing them to remain active and connected. This loan program includes durable medical equipment, and assistive technology to help individuals return to or remain at work and school, and early intervention equipment to support youth within the community.
Additionally, SAIL has a number of programs that help individuals secure health insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. Plus, a number of programs whose focus is helping individuals remain in the community with a variety of services including in-home health care.
“Oftentimes people look at our organization and think we are a residential program or a nursing home but in all reality, our mission is to keep people in the community living in their homes thriving in the community with the support they need to do so,” Cam shared.
A Team that Understands
At SAIL, more than 51% of board and staff members are people with disabilities, ensuring that consumers receive empathetic and informed service.
“When you come in to receive a service you’re most likely sitting across from someone who also has a disability and understands these processes to the fullest extent,” Cam said. “Our agency is for people with disabilities by people with disabilities.”
Since joining SAIL, Cam has seen the organization grow and expand its impact in the community.
“This last year SAIL served 7,000 individuals, a 2,000 increase over last year, and we completed over 15,000 services. That ratio just goes to show how many people are being impacted by so many different programs that SAIL offers,” he said.
While proud of this growth, Cam and the SAIL team aim to reach even more people, ensuring no one misses out on the support available to them.
“Oftentimes, we hear that we are the best-kept secret. We don’t want to be the best-kept secret, we want to be one of the loudest organization out there shouting our services from the rooftops making sure people know these services exist,” Cam shared.
A Personal Commitment to Community
Born and raised in the North Country, Cam takes pride in serving the community he loves.
“We have such a strong community of nonprofits that really work together to help people with whatever they need in the community. We also have such a strong business community that are always willing to back our mission,” he said.
When he’s not at work, Cam is active in the community, serving as President of Lower Adirondack Pride and as a board member of the Glens Falls Collaborative along with being an active member of several organizations throughout our community.
To learn more about SAIL, visit sailhelps.org.