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Community Partnerships continues Eleanor Roosevelt's life work to
promote human rights for those who are often denied full participation in the community (the poor, women, minorities, youth,
aged, mentally and physically challenged.) With an office in the Family Partnership Center in the City of
Poughkeepsie, serving the Mid-Hudson River Valley, Community Partnerships subscribes to Mrs. Roosevelt's query: "Where,
after all, do universal human rights begin?...in small places, close to home."
Community Partnerships brings the community together to make structural and systemic changes for families in poverty
and victims of racism in the cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon and the rural communities of Dutchess County. Community
Partnerships is working to promote a strong, informed voice for community members in the world of business, nonprofit
agencies, state and county agencies, schools, and institutions of higher education. The current focus is incorporated in
three integrated program areas: Youth Development, Employment Opportunity and Diversity-in-the-Workplace.
Youth Development:
An alliance with the Poughkeepsie Central School District created the “Community Partnership with Schools and
Businesses” (CPSB) and has brought businesses, high school administrators, and community organizations together to
promote work experiences through paid internships and mentoring programs for high school students. This program has grown
substantially over the last year with expansion into the Beacon, Webutuck, Dover, and Pawling school districts and with
funding from the NYS Workforce Investment Board, the GAP, Community Foundation of Dutchess County, KeyBank, Hudson United
Bank, and HSBC.
To reinforce the schools and business partnership, five area colleges -- Bard, Dutchess Community,
Marist, SUNY New Paltz, and Vassar-- are participating in an initiative to improve access to higher education. College
presidents, administrators, faculty, and students have joined together to find better ways of addressing access for, and
retention of, minority and other underrepresented groups, particularly from the area high schools.
Employment Opportunity:
Community Partnerships has held periodic meetings and completed five surveys of recipients and former recipients of welfare.
Most recently a survey of more than 100 recipients by Adelphi University summarizes the successes and failures of the
current public benefit system. The goal of a local “Welfare Reform Coalition” is to improve access to supports
and services by individuals and families living in poverty and/or receiving public benefits.
Community Partnerships continues to convene a coalition of statewide advocacy groups to discuss and define an agenda for
Reauthorization of Welfare Reform legislation. Funding from the Shaler Adams Foundation in San Francisco will allow ERVK to
publish the findings of more than six years of monitoring the new legislation that has radically changed the human service
system.
Diversity Coalition
The need for diversity in the workplace led to the formation of the Diversity Coalition. The initiative originates from a
forum in May 1999 when 150 citizens representing a broad base of the community attended a National Issues Forum entitled
"Economic Opportunity in a Culturally Diverse Community" at Dutchess Community College, co-sponsored by the college, the
Poughkeepsie Journal and the Gillespie Forum.
"Let's make diversity our greatest asset", became the rallying call of members of the resulting task
force. Subcommittees looked into impediments to work, diversity training, and marketing our message. Now the Diversity
Coalition includes more than 100 members committed to promoting diversity in the workplace and to recruiting and retaining a
diverse workforce. Several networking and diversity training workshops are planned for members during 2004.
ERVK board member Lorraine Roberts and Mary Jane VonAltman are serving as advisors to the program.
Coordinator Sam Busselle is assisted by Cindy Greer, business liaison for the Diversity Coalition, and Tom Lint, is
facilitating the Partnership with Schools and Businesses. Community Partnerships continues to thrive, becoming an important
voice to promote human rights, prosperity, and self-sufficiency for those often denied full participation. More than 200
community members are participating regularly. Community Partnerships relies heavily on the energy and good will of the
individuals from every segment of our diverse community.
The Community Partnerships program has consolidated and integrated the elements and strengthened the
definition. The ‘old’ framework and the “New, Scaled-up and Integrated Framework” is outlined on the
following pages including the goals for 2004.
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