The Newburgh Anti-Poverty Task Force is hosting a “Report Out” information session about its work this past year, on Thursday, September 21 from 6:00 – 9:00pm at The Ritz Theater Lobby (111 Broadway, Newburgh).
“We’re inviting all City of Newburgh residents to attend this informational “Report Out” to the community,” remarked United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region’s Rae Leiner, Director of the Anti-Poverty Initiative. “We’ve set up a fun, interactive presentation about how Newburgh resident’s voices have influenced the work and the movement of the Anti-Poverty Task Force. In addition, we’ll be presenting opportunities for residents to become more engaged in the work.”
Over 150 residents attended the 6 hour Community Listening Session on January 21 to discuss how transportation, education access, job opportunities, affordable housing, healthcare and wellness affected their daily lives and the ability to move out of poverty to stability and to thrive. Fifty community volunteers helpedfacilitate the round table conversations. The volunteers were the note takers, food servers, and child care minders. Their support enabled the Anti-Poverty Task Force to gather the information from all the residents to compile into a report on the listening session. This was circulated to member organizations of the Task Force and provided support to address barriers for residents increating and sustaining stability. The report is available for download on the ESPRI Newburgh Anti-Poverty website: www.uwdor.org/newburgh-anti-poverty-initiative.
FamilyWize Community Service Partnership, together with Walgreens, the Department of Health and Human Services, and United Way, are providing a series of community health clinic events at no-cost to make flu vaccination more accessible in underserved communities throughout the country. These organizations are working together to help deliver flu shots for uninsured and underinsured residents, and encourage preventive measures heading into the winter months and the peak of flu season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for anyone six months of age or older to help protect against the seasonal flu epidemic. December through March is peak season for flu activity and individuals are urged to take preventative measures to keep themselves and those around them healthy.
From 6:00pm to 8:00pm on September 21 during the “Report Out” at The Ritz Theater, Walgreens will be administering no-cost flu shots for all those who qualify for a flu shot voucher. The vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last and are provided by Walgreens as part of a nationwide program that helps to make flu shots available to those without health insurance coverage or are unable to afford a flu shot.
For more information about the program and the Newburgh ESPRI Anti-Poverty Initiative, please contact Rae Leiner at 845471-1900 ext 3100 or Javier Gomez at 845 471-1900 ext 3108.
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About the Newburgh ESPRI Anti-Poverty Initiative
The City of Newburgh was selected for the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative Grant in April 2016. In August 2016, United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region was selected as the program coordinator and, in October 2016, hired Rae Leiner to direct and coordinate efforts. Javier Gomez, ESPRI VISTA, joined Leiner in June of 2017.
The Anti-Poverty Initiative is structured to include representation from local government officials, advocates from nonprofit organizations, local school district representatives, social services, and most importantly, residents who have lived or are currently living in poverty.
Sixteen Anti-Poverty Task Forces — Albany, the Bronx, Binghamton, Buffalo, Elmira, Hempstead, Jamestown, Newburgh, Niagara Falls, Oneonta, Oswego, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, and Waterton — were determined through US Census figures as having high rates of poverty in New York State.
For the Anti-Poverty Initiative, United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region has drawn upon the work of Governor Cuomo’s Community, Opportunity, Reinvestment (CORe) Initiative, which began in 2013 in Newburgh and Albany as initial pilot locations. CORe is a neighborhood-based community change approach to address disparities in public safety, employment, education, health, and housing and has drawn together over 200 community partners in Newburgh working to improve conditions, as well as focused over $20 million of state and private investments in Newburgh to effect long-term change.
