2008 (Repeat recipients in gold)
Battered Women's Services of Family Services Inc. operates a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week hotline with crisis intervention. It also operates an advocacy program that provides services to victims of domestic violence. It offers counseling, information and referrals, advocacy, support groups, and Youth Domestic Violence prevention. It also promotes community education through presentations, written materials and media.Website
Celebrating Community (John Flowers) is a grass roots organization that sponsors community celebrations on Poughkeepsie's Northside. This remarkably successful calendar of five events includes a Fathers' Day Parade and an Old Fashioned Easter Egg Hunt, each of which attract over 3,000 people. All the events promote community pride and voter education.
Children’s Media Project (CMP) is an arts and education organization focusing on media and technology. Its mission is to create a teaching/learning environment where artists, educators, community activists and especially children and youth can learn to interact with the media arts as both creators and critical viewers. CMP offers a range of innovative and award-winning programs, including critical media literacy about tobacco advertising, representations of women, Latinas, and Arabs. It also offers summer programs on stop-motion animation, experimental video, documentary production, and narrative video-making. Its Digital Café program offers a series of video exhibitions, roundtable discussions, and events addressing a wide array of civic issues and highlighting the work of independent artists.Website
Circles of Planned Parenthood encompasses a number of programs and services that help to create safer environments for LGBT youth. It offers support groups for high school students in Dutchess, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties, where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adolescents can meet in a safe space to talk about the discrimination and violence they often face. It also responds to the social isolation that many LBGT teens experience by offering social events, such as LGBT proms, pride dances, New Year's and Valentine's dances, conferences, trips to Provincetown and visits with college LGBT groups. In addition, it also offers training and technical assistance for health and human service providers and school districts in our region to ensure safety and support for LGBT teens. The Circles group of Dutchess County meets regularly at Blegen House and Vassar student groups have helped organize and chaperone student dances. Website
Dutchess Outreach serves people facing food shortages, utility problems, or lacking essential medication or supplies. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, the Lunch Box provided over 57,000 free meals to low-income shift workers, the unemployed, homeless, and those with disabling conditions. The Food Pantry served 75,000 meals to approximately 1,500 families (with a total of more than 1650 children). The GIFTS program delivered over 20,000 meals throughout the year to more than 80 people homebound with HIV/AIDS and their dependent children. They also made grants of over $53,000 to help more than 300 people prevent evictions, avoid utility shutoffs, or purchase needed medicine. Website
New Horizons Resources provides services to children and adults who have mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The agency assists more than 400 people in their homes, at their workplaces, and in residential programs in Dutchess and Ulster Counties. Their goal is to provide people who are disabled with opportunities to live as independently as possible. It runs 19 community-based residences and several apartments for 150 people between the ages of 20 and 90. In addition to operating homes, the agency provides the training, support, and supervision necessary to make the challenges of living a normal life realistic and attainable. It also operates Briggs Farm, a 65-acre parcel of open farmland in Hyde Park, where children and adults with developmental disabilities can experience and participate in an outdoor, community-based and totally integrated farm program. The overnight visits to the farm also provide important respite to those caring for developmentally disabled at home. Website
River Haven has been serving runaway and homeless youth since 1980. River Haven provides a range of services to meet the needs of youth who are currently, or are in danger of becoming, homeless or runaway. It operates a crisis center and a 12-bed, state-certified shelter, which provides short-term housing for 10-17 year old youths. The program provides crisis intervention services, individual, group and family counseling; the emergency shelter which is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. River Haven also operates both a transitional housing community (TLC) geared toward older youth (aged 16-21) for whom a goal of independent living is realistic and an independent living program (ILP). TLC’s safe, affordable and supportive environment is enhanced by the Case Managers and residential staff who are on premises to offer supervision and help in finding and maintaining employment, continuing or resuming education, securing financial entitlements, counseling advocacy and developing basic living skills. ILP assists older homeless youth in stabilizing their lives and in developing the skills, means and personal characteristics necessary to make a successful transition to self-sufficient independent living. In 2000, it was adopted by Hudson River Housing, which was created in 1982 by a group of concerned citizens to address the emerging homeless problem in Dutchess County. Website
Rural & Migrant Ministry is a multi-faith organization serving rural and migrant people in New York since 1981 through programs of youth empowerment, education, and accompaniment. Rural & Migrant Ministry acts to overcome the prejudices and poverty that degrade and debilitate all members of our society by building communities that celebrate diversity, achieve true mutuality, and offer dignity and opportunity to all. Rural & Migrant Ministry is an interfaith organization whose members believe that inspiration comes from participation in the creation of a just world. The Youth Empowerment Program enables youth to have greater control of their lives as they explore and internalize the concepts of self-worth, leadership and democracy. Programs include Summer Camps, The Youth Arts Group, Leadership Institutes, internships, mentoring, and educational scholarship. RMM’s educational programs include the publication of a rural journal of justice, The Harvester, educational immersion programs, internships, forums, and workshops. The Accompaniment Program of RMM works to develop and connect allies with efforts for rural justice, empowerment, and leadership development. In New York farmworkers have created their own organization, Centro Independiente de Trabajadores Agricolas (CITA). Through the Justice for Farm-workers Campaign, CITA and RMM work together statewide for farmworker justice through three avenues: farmworker organizing, legislative advocacy, and litigation. Accompaniment depends upon individuals, organizations, and congregations standing with farmworkers in their struggle to organize for equality, dignity, and just working and living conditions. Website
The Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library is located in the Family Partnership Center. It was created to focus on the African contribution to history and culture. Starting with an informative collection of books, videos, and programming for all kids, it has built pride among African-American children. The Library plans to include an adult research center. Its mission is to collaborate with other community organizations to promote literacy through the teaching and learning about the African Experience, including history and culture, and by the dynamic exchange of information, ideas and creativity. The space has become an active meeting place for a number of community groups. The library is named after Sadie Peterson Delaney, who was born in Rochester, New York in February 1889, attended Poughkeepsie High School and the College of the City of New York and received her professional training in the New York Public Library. She was a pioneer in the field of bibliotherapy (the therapeutic use of reading materials) and organized the Veterans Administration Hospital Library in Tuskegee, Alabama. For her pioneering work as a bibliotherapist, humanitarian and leader in professional and social circles, Mrs. Delaney received numerous awards, honors and citations, including the National Urban League Award as Woman of the Year in 1950 and an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humanities from Atlanta University. Website
Sustainable Hudson Valley (SHV) is a regional organization devoted to truly sustainable development, which they define as building a green economy to improve the quality of life and promote economic and community development. Composed of entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, planners, artists, and strategists, SHV focuses in particular on helping governments, communities, and companies to use renewable energy, integrate local food sourcing, use green/environmental building materials, and promote a vibrant and sustainable local economy. SHV provides high quality experiential education, including tours, hands-on workshops, visualization and decision tools. They currently have four primary programs that they are in the process of either strengthening or establishing: a Sustainable Business Network, to implement sustainable development with local businesses; Green Industries, to develop sustainable materials and building practices for local construction industry as well as energy efficiency initiatives; Cool Communities, to respond to global warming with local solutions (mitigations and adaptations that reduce the communities’ carbon footprint); and Meaningful Measures, to develop the indicator systems necessary for creating a state of the region report and measuring progress toward sustainable environmental and economic health. Website