Dutchess County Announces Nearly $2 Million in Agency Partner Grant Awards

Grants totaling $1.98 million have been awarded for 32 programs through Dutchess County’s 2024 Agency Partner Grant (APG) Program, which provides funding opportunities for local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations on a biennial basis through a competitive grant process based on an organization’s ability to demonstrate they fulfill an unmet community need. In addition to $1.5 million in grants awarded under the traditional APG program, an additional $484,880 in funds from the Department of Community and Family Services and the Department of Behavioral and Community Health were awarded through the APG competitive grant process to ensure critical services and programs are administered. Entering its 12th 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 William F.X. O’Neil said, “Our Agency Partner Grant Program continues to serve as an important collaboration between local nonprofit organizations and Dutchess County Government to address critical needs in our communities. We thank the Dutchess County Legislature for its ongoing support of the APG program and the agencies that strive every day to improve the lives of our residents.”

Projects funded through the 2024 Agency Partner Grant Program include:

Anderson Center for Autism** - $22,810 to support the Tik Talk program, which teaches social and friendship skills to middle and high school students with special needs to help navigate social situations and develop meaningful relationships at school and in community and work settings.

Boys & Girls Club of Newburgh, Inc.*** - $110,864 to continue implementation of a comprehensive afterschool program, Project Learn, formerly known as 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 - $37,310 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.

Catholic Charities Community Services of Dutchess County - $33,928 to maintain its Senior Medical Transportation program, which promotes access to non-emergency medical care for seniors, who lack other means of transportation.

Community Based Services, Inc.** - $36,138 to support Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities, which educates parents and caregivers on available programs and resources for transitional-age students 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 - $75,715 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 - $116,485 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 - $53,300 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.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County - $38,500 to support the Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP), which encourages, educates and supports grandparents and other relatives who have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting for parents who are unable or unavailable to care for their children.

CultureConnect - $31,309 to support CommunityConnect, an afterschool enrichment program for English as a New Language (ENL) elementary school students in Red Hook and Rhinebeck.

DAY ONE Early Learning Community, Inc.*** - $165,720 to support the Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP), which provides adults with hands-on workforce development training in early childhood education to produce workforce-ready educators upon program graduation.  

Dutchess County Pride Center - $25,211 to continue 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 - $59,000 for food procurement to meet the increasing food access needs for individuals and families served through the organization’s food pantry and The Lunch Box community meal program.

Exodus Transitional Community* - $69,290 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. - $47,970 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.

Hudson River Housing, Inc.*** - $118,477 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.*** - $68,819 to support the work of an outreach care manager through the Street Outreach Program, which will provide necessities and engage unhoused individuals throughout Dutchess County, especially in the City of Poughkeepsie, with a special focus on those suffering from behavioral health and/or substance use conditions, to enroll them in a suitable, supportive housing program.

Land to Learn - $53,300 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 - $42,859 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. - $116,907 to fund an evidence-based Restorative Justice Initiative that works with schools in Dutchess County to address conflict and behavioral matters, while promoting pro-social outcomes in a diplomatic and non-punitive way.

NAMI Mid-Hudson, Inc. - $86,376 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.

North East Community Center - $48,075 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.

North East Community Center - $43,427 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.

North East Community Center - $37,320 to provide a variety of nutritional Food Access Programs, including the Fresh Food Access Hub, two community gardens, a Summer Food Service Program and youth food access internship opportunities. 

Nubian Directions II, Inc. - $45,309 to support the YouthBuild Innovation Lab, which provides hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) workshops and career education to City of Poughkeepsie youth to encourage critical thinking through creativity, risk-taking and innovation. 

Poughkeepsie Farm Project - $38,429 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 - $30,914 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.

Ramapo for Children** - $36,309 to expand the Staff Assistant Experience program to include day, evening and residential program services designed to assist youth with learning differences, attention difficulties and developmental disabilities in gaining social, vocational and independent living skills.

Reading & Math, Inc. - $68,700 to support its Early Learning Corps program, which provides supplemental literacy and numeracy whole-class, small group and one-on-one tailored tutoring services to prepare preschool-age children in the City of Poughkeepsie for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Red Hook Community Center, Inc. - $15,103 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.**** - $44,200 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 support and accommodations necessary for them to achieve their fullest potential.

The Art Effect - $166,806 to support 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.

*Awarded through APG, administered by the Department of Community and Family Services (DCFS).

**Awarded through APG, administered by the Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH).

***Awarded through APG, funded and administered by DCFS.

****Awarded through APG, funded in part and administered by DBCH. 

$1,000 Grants Open For Applications Until Nov. 28 - BeaconArts' Clara Lou Gould Grant Seeks Applicants

You could fret about cooking a turkey and finding a gravy recipe, or you could put that stress aside to instead apply in time for the possible $1,000 you could be granted from the Clara Lou Gould Fund For The Arts, managed by BeaconArts.

According the BeaconArts: “The Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts funds arts projects in Beacon including individual artist’s projects, unique exhibition, performance or public art projects, arts education programs, and community programs that promote area artists and arts activities, drawing attention to the valuable role of arts and culture in our community.”

Clara Lou Gould was Beacon’s Mayor for 18 years. “BeaconArts created this special Fund for the Arts named for Beacon’s former Mayor, Clara Lou Gould in honor of her 18 years of service as Beacon’s Mayor, and in recognition of her support of arts and culture in Beacon.”

Applications for grants are being accepted until November 28th, 2022, and the application doesn’t look too complicated. “While this fund is directly administered by the Community Foundation of Dutchess County, a committee of representatives from BeaconArts makes funding recommendations based on its knowledge of community need and offerings,” says their website.

“We believe in the fluidity of the Hudson Valley arts community and as such this fund is designed to support projects and activities in the Greater Beacon community, including those that may be initiated beyond city limits.”

Apply now, and/or email Suzanne Ball Suzanne@beaconarts.org with questions.

Beacon Awarded $25K From CARES Act Funding via Dutchess County Through Block Grant (CDBG) For Food Purchasing - Spending It Is Next Step

Federal money was made available through the CARES Act for communities to apply for and be awarded money to spend on food security and/or ensuring safety for seniors at local senior centers. Dutchess County manages this money, and in a press release sent 12/22/2020, announced that all of the municipalities who applied for the money were awarded money, which was “based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) income guidelines, for efforts to promote food security and safety at local senior centers to enable them to be open for seniors.”

Beacon applied for and was awarded $25,000 “for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households,” according to the press release. Beacon’s Director for Parks and Recreation, Mark Price, is the point person for the spending of this money, and says that spending the grant money is not so simple.

Because the money is federal, they require an “income survey” in order to prove the need a municipality says they have in their population. Says Mark: “The County was willing to fund a food purchase only, for moderate to low income families in Beacon. We have to give assurance to them that they are giving us money and we're using it for the population we say we are. Because we are using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money, there is usually a map that identifies the low to moderate areas (Editor’s Note: like with the small business Microenterprise Stabilization Grants currently available). When you use Block Grant monies, you are to use those to those areas. That map is slowly shrinking in Beacon. However, COVID funding doesn't use a map.”

How Does A Municipality Find The People To Prove The Need?

For this article, we asked Mark how he is going to find the people for the survey that identifies low to moderate income households. “We are hopeful that our Wednesday 9am free food distribution at Memorial Park, which serves 150-200 cars per week, in addition to our Wednesday 9:30am Beacon Recreation Center distribution to 75 families, will be a one-shot way to survey the need.”

The number of organizations who are offering food security services to people in need in Beacon has increased since the pandemic started in March 2020. “Of the groups in Beacon who work in food security, everyone would need to give assurance. They would each need to do an income survey. At this point, we are thinking that this one distribution location could be the most efficient way of getting a good sampling for the income survey. Some independent food security groups may need to do sampling for a month to get a good sampling.”

How Other Municipalities Proposed To Spend Money

Other municipalities made proposals for federal CARES Act funding based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money guidlines, and were awarded. Ideas differed, and are included below:

City of Beacon: $25,000 for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households.

Town of Beekman: $20,000 for touchless bathroom fixtures for the Town’s senior program

Town of Dover: $17,200 award for substantive meals and home-keeping necessities for homebound seniors.

Town of East Fishkill: $20,000 award for HEPA sterilization units and UV air purifiers at the senior center.

Town of Hyde Park: $29,500 award for plexiglass partitions, air purifiers and UV-C lights, Wi-Fi network upgrades and 7 laptops at the senior center, as well as tent for outdoor programming.

Town of Poughkeepsie: $15,950 award for plexi-glass barriers, hand sanitizing stations, wall-mounted thermometers, HEPA filter, air purifiers, gloves/wipes/masks for the senior center.

Town of Pine Plains: $26,542 award for support to Willow Roots food pantry to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income families.