Molinaro Announces $1.5 Million
in Agency Partner Grant Awards
Poughkeepsie, NY…Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today a total of $1.5 million in funding awards for 34 programs as part of the 2022 Agency Partner Grant (APG) Program, which provides funding opportunities for local 501(c)(3) organizations on a biennial basis through a competitive grant process based on an organization’s ability to demonstrate they fulfill an unmet community need. Entering its 10th year, the APG program provides vital support to strengthen local communities by funding youth development, homeless prevention, workforce development, mental health and wellness, and literacy programs, among other critical needs.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Our Agency Partner Grant Program has proven to be effective at addressing and responding to critical community needs. I thank the Dutchess County Legislature for continuing to support this vital program and the nonprofit agencies that work tirelessly to provide services and programs for young people, families and seniors. As we navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful to have the ability to provide continued funding for programs that are essential to the individuals they serve.”
Dutchess County received a total of 41 applications, requesting over $2 million in funding. With support from the Dutchess County Legislature, $1.5 million was allocated in the 2022 Dutchess County Budget for the APG program. A portion of the grant funding awards has been designated specifically for library programming through the Dutchess Reads initiative, which was launched in 2018 to promote reading throughout Dutchess County by overcoming barriers to literacy.
Dutchess County Legislator and Incoming Assistant Majority Leader Deirdre Houston said, “Individuals, families, and neighborhoods throughout the Hudson Valley continue to have numerous and diverse needs, especially as the coronavirus pandemic’s effects continue to come to light. The programs selected to receive funding through the Agency Partner Grant all provide critical services and programs to residents of all ages living and working in and around Dutchess County. I am grateful to my fellow Legislators and County Executive Molinaro for their continued support of this valuable resource for the nonprofit agencies that do so much good in our community.
Projects funded through the 2022 Agency Partner Grant Program include:
Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh, Inc.* – $100,000 to continue implementation of a comprehensive afterschool program, The Afterschool Project, which targets the academic, social and behavioral development of youth in the City of Poughkeepsie.
Catholic Charities Community Services of Dutchess County – $35,000 to provide a Homeless Prevention Case Management Program, which offers emergency rental assistance, financial literacy education, crisis intervention, and comprehensive case management services to promote long-term housing stability for low-income families in Dutchess County.
Chamber Foundation, Inc. – $77,192 for the Next-Gen Career Academy, a youth workforce development program benefiting high school juniors and seniors, with priority given to low-income and underserved youth, providing students with paid work experience and on-the-job training in work readiness skills.
Community Based Services, Inc. – $33,900 to support Transitional Planning for Parents of Children with Disabilities, which educates parents and caregivers on available programs and resources for children with disabilities who are aging out of school-based programs, as well as collaborating with schools to reach individuals who may benefit from participation in programs offered by local special needs agencies.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County – $71,027 to continue supporting 4-H Youth Development: Literacy Assistance for All, which prepares youth of all abilities with financial literacy, writing comprehension, public speaking and leadership skills to succeed as they transition into adulthood.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County – $20,000 to support the Family Budgeting Project, which will partner with youth workforce investment and parent groups to empower youth, adults and families with the necessary skills and practices for long-term financial stability, as well as educate the senior community about elder fraud.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County – $109,273 to continue supporting Green Teen and No Child Left Inside: Developing Youth Potential Through Work-Based Learning, which broadens youth exposure to environmental science, provides outdoor workforce development opportunities, and promotes health outcomes.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County – $50,000 to continue supporting the evidence-based Parenting and Support Education (PASE) program, which enhances parenting skills by utilizing a hands-on learning approach suitable for all literacy levels.
Dutchess County Pride Center – $23,650 to expand the Teen Drop-In program to provide services year-round, giving LGBTQ+ teens access to affirming adults and safe spaces to increase self-esteem, lower anxiety, improve school performance and create greater community engagement.
Dutchess Outreach – $20,600 to provide affordable, healthy and locally produced fresh food options to the general public for sale through the Dutchess Outreach Fresh Market and provide free produce offerings to pantry patrons.
Exodus Transitional Community** – $65,000 to support an evidence-based Reentry Work Readiness program that includes evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral change and social skills development curriculum, case management and job readiness skills training to post-incarcerated, safety net-eligible individuals to promote a successful transition to the community and reduce recidivism rates.
Family Services, Inc. – $45,000 for an afterschool Teen Resource Activity Center that provides mentoring, academic support, healthy living workshops and recreational activities for City of Poughkeepsie youth in a safe environment.
Finish Strong Wellness Center – $29,000 for PK REACH!, a trauma-informed, strength-based program that utilizes evidence-based practices to increase physical, intellectual, emotional and relational wellness in youth and young adults of color in the City of Poughkeepsie.
Friends of Seniors of Dutchess County Corp. – $31,827 to maintain its Senior Medical Transportation program, which promotes access to non-emergency medical care for seniors, who lack other means of transportation.
Hudson River Housing, Inc. – $44,801 for Financial Fitness programming to improve financial stability among Dutchess County residents by offering educational workshops on the importance of eliminating debt, building a credit history and increasing savings.
Hudson River Housing, Inc.* – $52,501 to continue providing a Housing Navigator program to County residents with housing navigation and transition services, referrals and emergency rental assistance to prevent homelessness.
Hudson River Housing, Inc.* – $58,080 to support the work of an outreach care manager through the Neighborhood Service Project – Street Outreach Program, which will provide necessities and engage unhoused individuals in the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie, specifically those suffering from behavioral health and/or substance use conditions, to enroll them in a suitable, supportive housing program.
Land to Learn – $50,000 to support SproutEd, a nutrition assistance program that engages elementary school students in the City of Beacon in nutrition, health, environmental stewardship, and social-emotional, math, science and literacy skills, through hands-on experiential learning.
Literacy Connections – $40,206 to continue the Adult & Family Literacy program which promotes basic literacy skills for adults and children. Adult learners receive student-centered, one-on-one or small group tutoring lessons, while children are assigned a one-on-one book buddy, to promote basic reading and comprehension skills.
Mediation Center of Dutchess County, Inc. – $109,669 to fund an evidence-based Restorative Justice Initiative that works with non-profit partners, schools and individuals throughout Dutchess County to address conflict and behavioral matters, while promoting pro-social outcomes in a diplomatic and non-punitive way.
NAMI Mid-Hudson, Inc. – $81,028 to provide mental wellness and mental health literacy to individuals affected by mental illness through the Family-to-Family program, as well as an informational seminar, both providing participants with information on the biology of brain disorders, an understanding of diagnoses, treatment options, crisis intervention techniques and available community support and referral options.
Northeast Community Council, Inc. – $45,099 to continue the Community Partnership with Schools and Business program, a paid job skills training program for youths and young adults, where they acquire transferable work readiness skills and training to promote their successful transition to adulthood.
Northeast Community Council, Inc. – $35,010 to provide a variety of nutritional Food Access Programs, including two community gardens, a Summer Food Service Program and youth food access internship opportunities.
Northeast Community Council, Inc. – $40,739 to implement a year-round Comprehensive Out of School Time program to provide afterschool and summer enrichment activities that will preserve socio-emotional and academic gains and mitigate summer learning loss for Webutuck Central School District students.
Poughkeepsie Farm Project – $36,050 to support Farm Fresh Home Chefs, a food access and healthy eating program for low-income Poughkeepsie families, which teaches families how to prepare balanced healthy meals.
Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church – $29,000 to support the Harriet Tubman Academic Skills Center, which provides academic and social support to promote educational and behavioral outcomes of underserved children in the City of Poughkeepsie.
R.E.A.L. Skills Network – $42,436 to support Students Target Academic Retention Techniques (S.T.A.R.T.), an afterschool program in the City of Poughkeepsie that focuses on teaching skills in a nourishing and supportive learning environment to strengthen students’ academic achievement.
R.E.A.L. Skills Network – $16,296 to support the Summer Learning Academy, a six-week summer program in the City of Poughkeepsie with a focus on stabilizing academic achievement levels and eliminating summer learning loss.
Red Hook Community Center, Inc. – $14,168 for a School Year Youth Employment program for youth and young adults in northern Dutchess County, providing opportunities for pre-employment and soft job skills training, including résumé writing, mock interviewing and financial literacy, as well as paid employment at a business within the local community.
Taconic Resources for Independence, Inc.* – $41,200 to support Special Education Advocacy services for parents of children with special needs. The advocate will help parents navigate the special education system to ensure students have access to the supports and accommodations necessary for them to achieve their fullest potential.
The Art Effect – $156,478 to support an expansion of the afterschool and summer Youth Workforce Development in Arts & Media program that prepares City of Poughkeepsie youth for higher education and employment opportunities by providing arts-based curriculum, training and hands-on experience in media production and the visual arts.
Wassaic Project – $26,895 to support the JV and Varsity Arts Club afterschool enrichment program, which provides middle and high school students in the Dover, Millbrook, Pine Plains and Webutuck school districts with the opportunity to develop technical, artistic, problem-solving and soft skills, while empowering youth to organize group performances and offer community workshops and events for peers and younger students.
*Awarded through APG, funded in part, and administered by the Department of Community and Family Services.
**Awarded through APG, administered by the Department of Community and Family Services.
APG: Dutchess Reads
Pawling Free Library – $39,250 for Children’s Programming to Promote Literacy and Learning, among children ages 8 and under, with the addition of an event series which will focus on music, reading, playing, talking and writing, as well as the use of science and robotics kits, an indoor/outdoor block set and a sensory table.
Poughkeepsie Public Library District – $27,025 for the Ready for Reading program, which will provide early literacy toolkits for families in the Poughkeepsie City School District to use with preschool-age children to prepare them for reading as they enter school.
