Grants to support families in housing and family courts are primary recipients.
(Hartsdale, NY—April 3, 2023) The Westchester Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling $777,000 to 17 nonprofits. In response to a rising need among low-income residents for access to legal services, the Foundation has awarded grants totaling $381,000 to support legal services in housing and family courts. Grants were awarded to Hudson Valley Justice Center to help families facing eviction and for resolutions on housing code violations and other habitability matters, and to Family Legal Care, which will help Westchester families navigate family law matters. A grant to Make the Road New York will help immigrants pursuing permanent status and those who have experienced wage theft.
“Critical decisions about our homes, our families, and our children’s well-being are made in Westchester’s housing and family courts every day. When families who cannot afford private lawyers get help understanding and navigating the court system, the system functions better as a whole,” said Tara Seeley, Senior Program Officer.
Following is the complete list of grants awarded:
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – to support a professional development and mentoring program for four emerging string musicians.
Center for Justice Innovation – to support the Opportunity Youth Part in the City of New Rochelle.
CLUSTER Community Services – to train community members to use restorative justice techniques.
Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown – to support a food pantry and home-delivery services for seniors in Tarrytown.
Family Legal Care – to provide free legal services to Westchester residents in family court.
Girls on the Run – Hudson Valley – to expand a girls’ leadership program in Westchester.
Girls, Inc. – to support a girls leadership program.
Hudson Valley Justice Center – to provide free legal services to low-income immigrants facing eviction.
Junior Achievement of New York – to bring a service learning program to three Yonkers schools.
Make the Road New York – to provide free workplace and immigration legal services.
Ossining Union Free School District – to plan for pre-apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing at the Ossining and Peekskill high schools.
Release Aging People in Prison – to advocate for the release of elderly prisoners.
Rye Nature Center – to plan restoration of the Blind Brook riparian buffer within the Rye Nature Preserve.
Steer for Student Athletes – to support a mentorship program for 7th through 12th graders.
Youth Shelter Program of Westchester – to coordinate education and social services for young people referred by the Mount Vernon youth court.
Youth Voices Center – to expand empowerment workshops for young people in the New Rochelle School District.
Long Island Sound Stewardship Fund – for a funder collaborative dedicated to protecting and restoring the Long Island Sound.
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About Westchester Community Foundation. Since 1975 the Westchester Community Foundation has worked to improve the quality of life in Westchester by promoting responsible philanthropy and connecting donors to critical local needs. The Foundation is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately $3 billion.