Community Fund Investment
July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023
Funding priority areas of
- Health
- Education
- Financial Stability
- Veterans
- Key Community Resources
Common Ground Farm (CGF)
Beacon Schools Food Access ensures that vulnerable students have access to fresh, nutritious food. We will distribute groceries to students each Friday to ensure that they have food over the weekends. We will also encourage families to participate in our market-based food access programs by providing coupons that double their purchasing power at the Beacon Farmers’ Market.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County
SNAP-Ed FVRx Vouchers connect purchasing power with clinical recommendations for healthy eating and chronic disease management for those who need it most in Dutchess & Orange. With medical partners, food insecurity screening, nutrition education, and local grocers already in place, FVRx vouchers will enhance access and application of advice given for dietary-related diseases.
Dutchess Outreach
Dutchess Outreach Fresh Market distributes affordable, local, sustainable fruits and vegetables within the City of Poughkeepsie from June through November and accepts all forms of payment including SNAP, WIC FMNP (from seniors and mothers), WIC VF, Cash, and Credit.
Food Bank of the Hudson Valley
Food for Dutchess and Orange County Feeding Programs will provide low-income Dutchess and Orange County residents with nutritious food when they seek food assistance from area food pantries and soup kitchens. The grant will fund lines of credit at the Food Bank which agencies will use to secure food at no cost to their limited budgets. This grant will expand their capacity and enable them to feed more people.
Food For Kids
Food For Kids serves, on average, 160 students on a weekly basis from all 5 buildings of the WCSD. We provide enough food to cover two breakfasts, two lunches, drinks, and snacks for the weekend. We provide additional food when there are longer holiday weekends or extended school breaks. In summer 2021 we provided breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks to cover 6 days of the week for 9 weeks.
Hudson River Housing
Heroes Making Heroes is a social enterprise food business operated by Hudson River Housing that addresses food insecurity through county-wide free meal distribution and combats unemployment through provision of jobs, training, and mentorship for local veterans who have experienced homelessness along with other formerly homeless individuals facing employment barriers.
Northeast Community Council Inc.
Food Access Fresh Food Pantry has expanded support for low-income Latino households accessing the NECC Food Pantry. The program includes the purchase of culturally responsive staple foods, staff time for Spanish language resource development, Spanish language case management pop-up consulting at the food pantry, a validated survey of food pantry clients, and presentation of survey results to a regional food security coalition.
Pawling Resource Center
Ride to Health provides transportation services for the homebound, elderly and/or vulnerable populations, which include rides to medical appointments and to access food. The PRC also provides delivery of food from PRC Pantry to homebound clients, food and prescription shopping & delivery services, and pick-up of donated food from partner organizations.
Poughkeepsie Farm Project (PFP)
City FRESH removes barriers to healthy food choices and encourages healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices among youth, families and older adults by providing access to healthy foods and positive, engaging learning experiences at PFP, Poughkeepsie City School District schools, and at city housing and community sites.
The Art Effect
Spark Studios provides underserved youth with the necessary skills for long-term success in school and careers. Youth earn an hourly wage and gain video production skills, hands-on career exploration, general workforce training, and financial stability, all while building positive relationships with adults and peers in a safe environment.
Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County
Dress for Success (DFS) empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. All DFS programs furnish her with the confidence and skills that she carries forever and the knowledge that she can actively define her life, the direction she takes, and what success means to her.
Hudson River Housing
Follow Through Program (FT) aims to increase the long-term financial and housing stability of low-income households during and after their transition to permanent housing in the community. Support is provided for up to one year as households work toward increasing financial security, sustaining housing, and achieving other self-sufficiency goals.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County
One-to-One Mentoring operates as an evidence-based mentoring model affiliated with BBBSA. Mentors (Bigs) are paired with youth (Littles) ages 6-18 to serve as role models in a structured, caring & trusting mentoring relationship that brings young people together with experienced adults through Community & School-based Programs.
Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh, Inc.
Project Learn is intended to improve academic outcomes for youth through literacy instruction. The program operates during the school year, Monday-Friday from 3:00pm-6:00pm, and consists of three structured hours of activities including homework help and tutoring, academic enrichment, and electives including classes in the arts, science, technology, and sports.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County
Green Teen Life Skills and Workforce Development uses on-the-job training to teach skills/behaviors youth need to be resilient and successful. PYD strategies focus on youth's strengths and interests to build engagement and develop self-efficacy, giving them confidence in their ability to exert control over their own motivation, behavior, and social environment. Youth develop the skills and traits employers seek, and real credentials.
CultureConnect
CommunityConnect is an after-school and summer academic enrichment program for K- 5 ENL students in the Rhinebeck and Red Hook schools. The program offers academic support that may not be available at home due to language barriers. Improved language, reading and writing skills increase their literacy and academic performance, builds their confidence and improves their social development.
Family Services, Inc.
Teen Resource Activity Center (TRAC) provides a safe trauma-informed space for youth to feel a sense of belonging and receive mentorship and support. TRAC helps youth develop their academic, athletic, creative, workforce, & social skills in supportive and challenging ways. Staff work with youth to challenge acceptance of violence to prevent involvement in and exposure to gun and gang violence.
Fearless! Hudson Valley
Youth Education Program operates within schools and youth organizations in Orange County to offer knowledge and tools for youth and adults working with young people in navigating healthy and unhealthy relationships, gender violence and bullying prevention, and encourages positive youth development by empowering youth to become leaders and raises awareness of dating violence in their community.
Finish Strong Wellness Center
PK REACH! Finish Strong Wellness Center targets 5 vital areas of youth psychosocial development: R=Restorative Justice/Racial Identity; E=Emotional/Social Skill Development; A=Academic Success; C=Career Readiness; H=Health and Wellness. PK REACH! has a mentorship component where participants that have reached milestones in these 5 areas can complete leadership training, become Junior Youth Counselors, and receive stipends.
Hudson River Housing, Inc.
River Haven provides emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youth as they work with a Care Manager toward family reunification or securing another safe residence. The Program provides a variety of evidenced-based Positive Youth Development opportunities and learning experiences to help youth overcome past trauma, develop skills, and build protective factors linked to healthy development.
Land To Learn
SproutEd in Newburgh & Beacon maintains school vegetable gardens and teaches lessons during the school day, year-round, that educate students in nutrition, cooking, plant science, ecology, and food systems. The garden-based curriculum is experiential and hands-on, offering students a fun, engaging way to apply and develop their academic and social-emotional skills.
Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley
Book Buddies recruits volunteers to read one-on-one with K–4th-grade children whose teachers identify as reading below grade level. Volunteers are trained to use differentiated material to help students improve their reading skills and confidence. Classroom Book Buddies volunteers read aloud, using a dialogic reading method to give children a positive experience with books.
NAMI Mid Hudson
Positive Youth Development via Ending the Silence Mental Health Education is a 50-min. presentation to high school students given by a certified NAMI lead presenter and a young adult with a mental health condition who shares their journey of recovery. ETS addresses substance/alcohol abuse, suicide prevention, bullying, and overcoming stigma. It raises awareness & changes perceptions about mental health & instills good citizenship skills to help their peers.
Newburgh Armory Unity Center Inc.
Saturday Morning Enrichment Program, youth preK through 8th grade participate in reading, writing, math, engineering, natural and computer science, sports, and the arts with the goal of developing scholastic ability, life skills, and emotional intelligence. Classes are one hour in length from 8AM to 1PM. To ensure a lifelong love of learning, we encourage learning through play.
Northeast Community Council Inc.
NECC Teen Programming is a resilience-building, community-engagement group for low-income, at-risk youth ages 14-18. The group coordinates its own community service activities and cultural/recreation events. It also benefits from education in social and cultural diversity, healthy relationships, and other life skills that deter harmful behaviors, chosen by our Program Director.
Vassar College Urban Education Initiative
Vassar English Language Learners Outreach Program (VELLOP) strives to improve the academic achievement of ELLs in the Poughkeepsie City School District. VELLOP tutors (Vassar student volunteers) work alongside teachers to support the performance of ELLs. Approximately 40 college students devote between 2-7 hours per week to tutoring schoolchildren. VELLOP has also developed an after-school virtual tutoring program for local K-12 students.
Warwick Community Bandwagon Inc. DBA Warwick Valley Community Center
Warwick Community Bandwagon Inc- Life Skills helps develop teens' internal assets. It provides protective factors through prevention, educational and cultural diversity activities, and helps with the transition from elementary to middle school. Members participate in community service and leadership skill-building activities. Evidenced-based environmental strategies and evidence-based/informed programs are implemented.
Catholic Charities Community Services of Dutchess County
Financial Stability Strategy program is able to handle daily phone calls to our hotline from neighbors in crisis seeking to meet basic needs. Triaged by bilingual staff & ED, new requests are assigned as received. The case manager reaches out the very same day. Clients often comment on how much it means to "speak to a live person." Our quick response sends an important message of urgency as we begin working together to address the crisis.
Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange, Sullivan, Ulster
Case Management Financial Stabilization has provided Case Management, Crisis and Emergency Stabilization Services in the lower Hudson Valley since1949. Our Case Management Services provide short-term assistance Our interventions include but are not limited to; direct financial assistance, basic care coordination, pantry and diaper services, and community advocacy for services.
Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, Inc.
Crisis Intervention and Case Management provides emergency financial assistance for families faced with an economic crisis and case management support to help them navigate out of crisis and into stability. In the wake of the pandemic, families struggle to meet their daily needs, housing, utilities, food, and health care.
Cornerstone Family Healthcare
Healthy Connections is a successful program at Cornerstone Family Healthcare that has been annually funded by United Way of the Dutchess and Orange Region since 2013. It secures access to medications, non-emergency medical transportation, and information on services to achieve financial stability for homeless patients and families in transition in Orange County.
Dutchess Outreach, Inc.
Emergency Assistance Program offers clients one-time grants to better ensure fiscal stability.
Fearless! Hudson Valley
The Financial Assistance Program (FAP) supports access to emergency financial assistance for the crisis intervention needs of victims of domestic violence engaged in services with Fearless! The program is intended to increase victims’ access to safety and sustainability by minimizing the harmful impacts of ongoing domestic violence victimization and abuse, including financial/economic injury.
Grace Smith House, Inc.
Meets Basic Needs is designed to help victims of domestic violence stabilize their lives by providing direct financial assistance to alleviate an immediate financial crisis while providing support & services needed to empower them and their children to move towards building a foundation of financial stability and independence without having to be dependent on their abuser.
Hudson River Housing
Housing Navigator provides emergency housing assistance to low-income households. The Housing Navigator works closely with households to help them develop housing stability plans tailored to their needs. The Navigator may assist them in applying for public benefits, connect them with employment opportunities, and/or refer them to child care, health care, legal services, and other community resources.
Jewish Family Services
Financial Empowerment Program provides support to individuals and families who are working towards financial stability. If a candidate qualifies, a one-time grant may be awarded. Funds may be provided to assist with the following: rent/mortgage, auto repairs, utilities, emergency food, and counseling services. A committee reviews applicants and determines funding.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Housing & Income Stabilization Services for Dutchess & Orange aims to prevent homelessness due to unwarranted eviction or foreclosure for low-income and "ALICE" residents of Dutchess and Orange Counties, while providing them with housing casework services & referrals and helping them to access resources - i.e., public benefits such as TANF, Food Stamps, Soc. Sec., Unemployment, Veterans - which will stabilize their incomes at a subsistence level.
Hudson Valley CA$H Coalition
Tax Preparation Program provides free tax preparation service for low- and moderate-income residents helping them to claim all available refunds applicable to their personal situation.
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
Legal Services for Veterans & Military Families LSHV will offer free comprehensive civil legal services to veterans & military family members living in Dutchess & Orange County, across a range of its practice areas: Housing/Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention & Intensive STEHP Casework Services; Domestic Violence/Family Law; Disability Law; Elder Law; LGBTQ; Public Benefits/Income Stabilization; Veterans & Military Families Law.
Hudson River Housing, Inc.
VetZero Program HRH's VetZero Program (formerly VIP) provides housing assistance to address the needs of low-income veterans who are homeless or are at imminent risk of homelessness. Services are meant to ensure that veterans are quickly and stably housed and include outreach, housing location/counseling, assistance with initial housing costs, transportation, and service linkages to help them sustain housing.
Key Community Resources
A free, confidential, multilingual service to assist the public in finding the answers to a variety of Health and Human Services related questions. It is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
Mid-Hudson Valley Community Profiles
Is an indicator project and resource that assesses our Mid-Hudson Valley region to quantify strengths and challenges, and help determine priorities and launch community-wide discussions about improving quality of life.