Reducing poverty, increasing opportunities
Newburgh ESPRI is the local implementation of the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative, launched in 2016 by Governor Cuomo. The City of Newburgh received a $1 million grant focused on community-led strategies to reduce poverty and boost economic opportunity.
What work has been done?
United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region worked together with The Newburgh Ministry on The Fragile Economies Project, an intensive peer-to-peer family mentorship program that creates opportunities for economic and health improvement for families impacted by poverty. Families and their mentors collaboratively develop an individualized action plan to eliminate the obstacles a family may be facing and increase their overall financial well-being. Families are empowered to take charge of their financial health by tracking cash flow, building a savings cushion and building resiliency to increase income and remove financial barriers.
In addition, six mini-grants were awarded to cultivate and support grassroots leadership by residents in the community. All projects were led by Newburgh residents with support from local community organizations. The programs being funded were:
Funding was used to develop a tool and equipment shed, install new trash cans and schedule regular neighborhood cleanups, to improve the cleanliness and quality of its neighborhoods, as well as attract new neighborhoods to the organization.
Over the summer, 10 young adults from the City of Newburgh were accepted into a free eight-week workshop where they learned how to tell stories through photography as well as learn from, and talk to professional photographers. The project also involved public installations showcasing their work and drawing attention to critical social issues in the community to create a wider dialogue about them.
The park was renovated through a community-led volunteer effort and resulted in a positively-transformed pocket park, complete with new playground equipment and artist murals, with the hope of attracting community members and their families.
Young adults living in poverty were trained to conduct non-partisan voter registration, spread information and recruit others to increase civic participation, engage in discussions of community issues, and speak at public meetings. Through their effort and dedication they were able to register over 1,000 new voters.
This initiative looked to tackle food insecurity in the city. Restaurant patrons donated money toward a star or stars, which represented a meal or beverage. These stars could then be claimed by people in need so that they can purchase a food item at no cost to the eatery.
Newburgh ESPRI helped support We Are Newburgh’s annual end-of-summer Back to School Barbeque Event where local children received supplies essential to starting the school year off on the right foot. Nonprofit organizations in attendance also had the opportunity to share their mission and work with community members.
Because of the Anti-Poverty Task Forces meetings hosted by United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, residents and organizations of Newburgh are able to openly discuss the issues they believed were contributing to poverty in the city and to explore solutions together. We want to ensure that all voices are heard and programming best aligns with the needs of the community.
For more information or to join the taskforce, please contact:
Barbara Nectow
(845) 471-1900 ext. 3106