Offering a full spectrum of vital services for women who are victims of domestic violence, Battered Women’s Services provides safety, information and referral, legal information and advocacy, parenting education, crisis counseling, and a 24-hour hotline.

http://familyservicesny.org/battered_womens_services.php

A grassroots organization that sponsors community celebrations on Poughkeepsie’s north side, Celebrating Community annually produces five remarkably successful events, including a Father’s Day Parade and an Old Fashioned Easter Egg Hunt, each of which attracts over 3,000 people. All the events promote community pride and voter education.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescues, shelters, and secures permanent homes for adoptable companion animals; advocates for the highest standards of animal care; and enforces animal cruelty laws throughout Dutchess County.

http://www.dcspca.org/

A local answer to the continuing problem of hunger in Dutchess County, Dutchess Outreach operates the Lunch Box, a soup kitchen that serves up to 300 hot meals a day. Dutchess Outreach also provides emergency food and medicine to families and advocacy for people in poverty.

http://www.dutchessoutreach.org

A distinctive coalition of 20 agencies in one building, the Family Partnership Center fosters collaborative human services, political action, and art to enhance individual human development and promote social justices.

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network provides information and advocacy to gay and lesbian youth. This is particularly important in light of the recent national attention on the vulnerability of young gay people to bullying and the high rate of teen suicide in this group.

http://chapters.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/hudsonvalley/about.html

An inner-city dance and physical culture center, M*POWER expresses the community spirit of hope and optimism through their elite teen dancers who perform jazz, Afro-Brazilian, and hip-hop at the very highest level. These community-wide artistic achievements emerge from their dance and karate classes for kids of all ages, many on scholarship.

A grassroots initiative, REAL Skills Network aims to build community and develop personal responsibility among inner-city youth. Projects include an innovative after-school mentoring program for high school and elementary students, a social justice hip-hop theater, and a community reentry program for formerly incarcerated men and women.

http://www.realskillsnetwork.org/

Long-time advocates for environmental justice for migrant farm workers in the Hudson Valley, RMM recently won the right for migrant farm workers to have drinking water in the fields and is now working on the right for collective bargaining. They also run a summer camp for the children of migrant workers.

http://ruralmigrantministry.org

Committed to helping governments, communities, and companies build a green economy and a truly sustainable way of life in the Hudson Valley. SHV’s experiential education programs include tours, hands-on workshops, and visualization and decision tools to promote the use of renewable energy, local foods, and green building materials and practices.

http://www.sustainhv.org

The Living Room is a one-of-a-kind, all-day safe haven and job development center for homeless people at the Family Partnership Center, operating from 7:00am to 7:00pm all year long.

http://www.mhadc.com/programs_hm.html