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Legislators Distribute $236,000 to Various Community Groups

Monticello, NY – Eleven longtime community agencies and nonprofits are receiving a total of $236,048 under the Legislative Discretionary Contract Funding Program.

Legislators agreed this month to award the following amounts to these organizations:
• $60,000 to Sullivan County Head Start, Inc. for an existing program that promotes school readiness of children under 5 from low-income families
• $36,500 to the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance to strengthen administrative services as the arts council of Sullivan County, to provide regrant funding to over 30 arts and cultural groups, to administer grants, to promote the arts, and to assist in cultural planning and networking for artists and arts groups
• $33,048 to Creative Think Tank, Inc. (DREAM Tank) to deter youth from issues with the criminal justice system by organizing college tours, museum visits, music classes, mentoring opportunities and more
• $20,000 to Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties to provide and expand bereavement services for adults and children in Sullivan County
• $20,000 to the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway Committee to enhance the vistas along NYS Route 97, to assist the “Flyway by the Byway” Pollinator Campaign, and to support various educational and tourism-oriented initiatives for both visitors and locals
• $20,000 to the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County to stock fish in local public-access waters; to stock pheasants Countywide; to improve habitat for deer, small game, fish and non-game species; to feed wildlife during the critical winter months; to send children to State Conservation Camp for a week; to provide partial scholarships to high school seniors; to sponsor fish and game seminars and a Youth Day geared to hunting, fishing and conservation; and to host a Youth Ice Fishing Derby
• $20,000 to the United Way of Sullivan County to provide a part-time assistant to the chief professional officer (the sole employee at this time)
• $8,000 to the Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Clubs to aid its afterschool program at Liberty Elementary School
• $7,000 to Delaware Highlands Conservancy to support the Eagle Watch Program, including recruiting volunteers, developing bus excursions, assisting schools in transporting kids to view bald eagles, and offering programs free of charge to children from low-income families
• $6,500 to the Community Foundation of Orange & Sullivan for its 2018 Leadership Summit, “Healthy Sullivan”
• $5,000 to Literacy Volunteers of Sullivan County to continue to provide free services to adults Countywide who struggle with reading and/or speaking English

“This program uses dedicated funds in the County budget to assist efforts we as a Legislature want to support,” explained Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez (District 6).

“It’s not just about legislating and advocating – we look for opportunities to go beyond words and put real money behind real efforts,” added Legislature Vice Chair Nadia Rajsz (District 2).

“These funds can make a key difference for these organizations and the people they serve,” noted District 1 Legislator Scott Samuelson.

“Having chaired the board of a nonprofit in the past, I know how critical this money is to operations and outreach,” said District 3 Legislator Mark McCarthy.

“I’m proud to commit these monies to such worthy causes throughout the County,” affirmed District 4 Legislator Catherine Owens.

“Deepening and widening the impact of these agencies and nonprofits positively affects the well-being of everyone in the County,” said District 5 Legislator Terri Ward.

“We want folks to know that we care about what they care about: quality of life, access to services, activities for their kids, healthy and attractive communities, etc.,” remarked District 7 Legislator Joe Perrello.

“I know many of the leaders of these organizations, and they have thoughtfully and wisely spent the funds we’ve given their groups in past years, so I look forward to what they’ll accomplish with these monies in 2018,” explained District 8 Legislator Ira Steingart.

“Our communities would not be what they are without groups such as these, and I am grateful we can help support their efforts in this way,” added District 9 Legislator Alan Sorensen.

Applications for 2019 will be accepted later this year, with public notification beforehand. The purpose of the application process is to identify local entities, including community and not-for-profit organizations throughout Sullivan County that have specific needs or countywide significance by tying applications to identified County and municipal goals. The applicant must be a not-for-profit agency or civic organization operating within Sullivan County that is not part of County government.