Dutchess Awards Agency Partner Grants to Nonprofits

Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro has announced more than $1.1 million in renewed funding in 2019 for 19 non-profits through the Agency Partner Grant (APG) program. These non-profits will continue 25 key programs targeting a variety of community needs throughout the county. The Agency Partner Grant program, entering its seventh year, provides vital support to strengthen our community by funding youth development, homeless prevention, workforce development, mental health and wellness, and literacy programs. Complete funding list is found below.

The Agency Partner Grant program awards funding to nonprofit organizations on a biennial basis, via a competitive grant process based on an organization’s ability to demonstrate they can fulfill an unmet community need. While 2019 is year two of the program’s biennial cycle, there were $39,015 in unallocated funds for 2019, so current organizations funded by the grant program had the opportunity to apply for expansion funds, with priority given to applicants that were able to demonstrate need and community impact. Expansion funds were awarded to NAMI Mid-Hudson and the Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church (PUMC) in the amount of $21,690 and $17,325, respectively.

County Executive Molinaro said, “I am pleased the County can once again provide continued financial support for the implementation of critical programs that address service gaps and other identified needs to our neediest populations. With additional funding allocated to expand NAMI’s evidence-based Family-to-Family program, we can assist NAMI in expanding the number of people it helps. Agency Partnership Grant funding will also allow Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church’s Harriet Tubman Academic Skills Center (HTASC) to expand its offerings to include a summer component, designed to prevent summer learning loss that too often affects students, especially those from disadvantaged and low-income neighborhoods.”

The Dutchess County Legislature has provided widespread bipartisan support for the Agency Partner Grant program, with an additional $300,000 allocated to the program through a legislative amendment to the 2019 County Budget. The amendment adds $100,000 for youth workforce development or summer/after-school programs for at-risk youth and $200,000 to add a capital component for nonprofits to complete vital public facility improvements. Additional guidance for this additional funding will be released in early 2019 by the Department of Planning and Development.

2019 Agency Partner Grant Program funding:
Boy Scouts of America, Hudson Valley Council - $50,000 for Scoutreach in the City of Poughkeepsie, providing environmental education experiences for urban youth that will promote leadership, team building, character development, self-esteem, and a deepening respect for one’s community.

Boys & Girls Club - $100,000 for comprehensive afterschool program, The Afterschool Project, targeting the academic, social, and behavioral development of youth in the City of Poughkeepsie.

Catholic Charities Community Services of Dutchess County - $35,000 for the Eviction Prevention Program that 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.

Child Abuse Prevention Center - $15,000 for the Personal Safety Program, which offers preventative sexual abuse education, including internet safety education, to children throughout the County.

Child Abuse Prevention Center - $40,000 to support the Special Needs Parenting Program, which provides countywide intensive case management and parenting education classes to parents who have special needs to promote healthy child development.

Child Abuse Prevention Center - $25,000 for the Teen Parent Program that provides case management services and evidence-based curriculum to develop teen parent’s parenting skills and promotes healthy child development.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County - $66,950 for Agricultural Employment & Literacy Assistance, a 4-H youth development program that will prepare the next generation of agri-professionals in the areas of financial literacy, writing comprehension, public speaking, and leadership.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County - $103,000 for Youth Vocational Training activities, which includes the Green Teen Community Gardening in Beacon and Poughkeepsie’s No Child Left Inside Youth Vocational Training programs. These programs broaden participants’ exposure to outdoor employment experiences, while promoting health and environmental science.

Dutchess Outreach - $20,000 to provide affordable and healthy, locally produced fresh food options via the Poughkeepsie Plenty Mobile Market, increasing the accessibility of nutritional food options to City residents.

Exodus Transitional Community - $39,050 to support the evidence-based Poughkeepsie Reentry Work Readiness program that includes cognitive behavioral change and social skills development curriculum, case management, and job readiness skills training to post-incarcerated Safety Net eligible individuals, with the goal of promoting a successful transition to the community and reducing recidivism rates.

Family Services - $20,000 for an afterschool Teen Resource Activity Center that provides mentoring, academic support, healthy living workshops, and recreational activities to City of Poughkeepsie youth in a safe environment.

Friends of Seniors of Dutchess County - $30,000 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 - $42,230 for Financial Fitness programming to improve financial stability among Dutchess County residents, by offering a four-hour group educational workshop on the importance of eliminating debt, building a credit history, and increasing savings.

Hudson River Housing - $50,895 for the Housing Navigator Program to County residents with housing navigation and transition services, referrals, and emergency rental assistance to prevent homelessness.

Hudson River Housing - $21,630 to support the Youth Learning through Experience, Assistance, and Partnerships (LEAP) Program, which is designed to provide work readiness skills and training, financial literacy, and leadership skills to low income youth and young adults.

Literacy Connections - $51,690 for the Adult & Family Literacy program that 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 - $90,000 for 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 - $57,090 (includes $21,690 in 2019 expansion funds) to provide mental wellness and mental health literacy to individuals affected by mental illness. The Family-to-Family program educates participants on the biology of brain disorders, treatment options, crisis intervention techniques, and available community support and referral options.

Northeast Community Council – $42,510 to continue the Community Partnership with Schools and Business program, a paid job skills training program for youths and young adults, where they will gain transferable work readiness skills and training to promote their successful transition to adulthood.

Northeast Community Council - $33,000 to provide a variety of nutritional Food Access Programs, including two community gardens, a Summer Food Service Program, and youth food-access internship opportunities.

Poughkeepsie Farm Project - $35,000 for Farm Fresh Home Chefs, a food access and healthy eating program for low income Poughkeepsie families, where families are taught how to prepare balanced healthy meals.

Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church - $29,325 (includes $17,325 in 2019 expansion funds) to support the Harriet Tubman Academic Skills Center (HTASC), which provides academic and social support to promote the educational and behavioral outcomes of at-risk children during the school year. The expansion funds will allow HTASC to offer a four-week summer session to prevent ‘summer slide’ for City of Poughkeepsie youth.

R.E.A.L. Skills Network - $40,000 for the Students Target Academic Retention Techniques (S.T.A.R.T.) Program, an afterschool program in the City of Poughkeepsie that focuses on teaching skills in a nourishing and supportive learning environment to strengthen student’s academic achievement.

Taconic Resources for Independence - $20,000 for the expansion of Special Education Advocacy services to parents of children with special needs. The advocate helps 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 - $59,375 to support an after-school and summer Youth Workforce Development in Arts & Media program that prepares students for higher education and employment opportunities by providing arts-based curriculum, training, and hands-on experience in media production and the visual arts.