Ten organizations that will receive more than $1.7 million through the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative to undertake community-based projects in Syracuse.
The United Way of Central New York Inc. to its capacity to collaborate with a wide variety of entities on common goals and themes.
These organizations include:
Coordinated Care Services, $325,000 - To fund a dropout prevention and peer mentorship program employing 11 family advocates that will provide support services to 150 at-risk middle school students and their families.
Street Addiction Institute, $205,000 - To create an after-school component for the 150 identified students participating in Coordinated Care Services' peer mentorship program that will address the challenges they face from neighborhood trauma.
The organization will provide services that promote school attendance, academic performance, and parent supports through intensive non-traditional academic and behavioral interventions.
PEACE Inc., $75,000 - To incorporate 100 middle school students in a public awareness campaign that will help them improve job readiness skills, increase civic engagement and bolster financial literacy.
The project also aims to help participants gain a greater sense of connection to the community.
Home HeadQuarters, Inc., $355,000 - To provide financial counseling to help low-income individuals create viable options for additional streams of revenue and build up existing assets.
As part of the project, the company will subcontract with a local credit union to provide a financial counselor and Step-Up loans to assist individuals who participate in workforce training.
Syracuse Northeast Community Center, $100,000 - To help people who are ineligible to participate or have dropped out of traditional job training programs re-enter the workforce through volunteer opportunities with nonprofits that are within walking distance.
Also, to provide financial counseling with a focus on budgeting and credit repair.
Syracuse Northeast Community Center will partner with Northeast Hawley Development Association, Inc., and the ARISE Child & Family Service.
Good Life Youth Foundation, $100,000 - To teach financial literacy and healthy money management so families can build assets and achieve financial stability.
Each enrolled family will receive a small line of credit at the beginning of the seven-month pilot that will be released to them once they complete the financial literacy module to either save or cover critical life expenses.
SUNY Educational Opportunity Center, $150,000 - To support adding two new community engagement specialists to provide individuals with a broad array of services, including aptitude and skill assessments, career planning, and job placement assistance.
Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, $183,000 - To establish Community Connectors, people of influence within their respective neighborhoods who can guide other residents to resources that can help them navigate their way out of poverty.
Community Connectors will engage their neighborhoods through one-on-one networking and public outreach to provide a more in-depth understanding of social assets, needs and opportunities.
Jubilee Homes of Syracuse, $139,000 - To purchase two vans to be used for a ride service for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and others who require employment-related transportation services including rides to work, grocery stores, pharmacies to pick up medication, and to scheduled primary health care appointments.
The Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County, $84,000 - To staff a full-time attorney to assist program participants with a variety of legal assistance, including creating small businesses, and removing barriers to employment caused by criminal records.
The attorney will create drop-in legal clinics and recruit other volunteer lawyers or law students to assist in counseling clients. ■