Lewis County
Opportunities is a Community Action Agency dedicated to respectfully
supporting low income families and providing compassionate assistance to
victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. We’re honored to be able to
help our community. Opportunities offers many
programs, most of which are a hand-up instead of a hand-out. The following
synopsis of 2011 is sobering; as it turns our friends and neighbors into
statistics. Please remember that the following statistics are faces of men,
women, and children who struggled in 2011.
Food is an essential
need that many of us take for granted. Some families are not so fortunate.
The pantry network served 5,587
individuals in 2011; a 13% increase from the prior year. This trend is
disturbing as we are talking about something as basic and essential as
proper nutrition. Please support your local food pantry in 2012!
Basic transportation
problems can become a major barrier to getting to and from work. During
2011, our transportation programs helped over 100 families with vehicle
loans, major repairs to keep vehicles safe and roadworthy, and numerous
insurance, tire replacement, and other minor concerns. In addition to
repairs, certified techs provided local parents with 101 car seats to ensure
safe travel for our littlest county residents. During 2011, the agency
witnessed obliteration of most funding revenues for transportation services.
The United Way of Northern New York helped us continue our transportation
services for working families, and as the year progressed, served as our
sole remaining lifeline of funding as Federal and State funding dried up.
Given the United Way's support of this important program, we encourage you
to learn more about the effect United Way of Northern New York has in our
community by visiting their
website,
and to support their annual campaign drive which occurs in the autumn.
The agency was able to
weatherize 96 homes in 2011. In
2011, the agency also finished the multi-year American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant. A total of 126 homes were weatherized over
the course of nearly three years with these ARRA funds brought into Lewis
County.
The cost of
housing is always a major concern for
families. Opportunities maintained 1,392 rental vouchers in 2011;
facilitating payment subsidies totaling over $6.5 million to landlords in
Jefferson and Lewis County. The agency also partnered with Jefferson County DSS to assist 39 participants through Shelter Plus Care, a program designed
to provide affordable housing and supportive services for homeless
individuals or families who have mental health and/or substance abuse
issues. Also in Jefferson County, the agency assisted with the Veteran
Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, with up to 25 housing vouchers to
provide safe, affordable housing for homeless veterans.
Domestic violence and sexual assault services are vital to our
community. In 2011 the agency provided 363 protected nights at the safe
dwelling to 7 adults and 13 children, coordinated 6,722 hours of coverage
for the 24 hour hotline, performed 965 counseling services, and provided
numerous outreach activities for the community. The program provides crisis
response to many people throughout the year. The operation of a live 24/7
Hotline (376-HELP) requires the help from our 16 active volunteers; who we
thank very much for their time and commitment.
Christmas Sharing is a large-scale
community response to spread giving to those in need during the holidays. In
2011 over 1,250 children received Christmas items and over 700 food boxes
were distributed to Lewis County residents. This project is a joint venture
of many donors, businesses, and agencies in Lewis County. We sincerely thank
all of those who helped with Christmas Sharing for their generosity.
One huge new
announcement in 2011 was the start of our
Opportunity Knocks Thrift Store! The second hand store officially opened
in October and has been getting better ever since. Located in the Crystal
View, it has now grown to include both floors of the building. Credit goes
to resourceful employees and an awesome volunteer base which makes the store
possible. Proceeds from the store are used to further our mission. Please
stop in and visit this newest project. We welcome your comments and
suggestions for improvements to this fledgling endeavor.
2011 is in the history books now. There
are many more challenges that will be tackled in 2012. Our success is made
possible through the interaction of our diligent Board members, hard-working
employees, numerous dedicated volunteers, and various local partner
agencies. The community is a huge part of our family as well; providing
material and monetary donations, encouragement, and good wishes. Without the
combined efforts of this community, Opportunities wouldn’t be able to make
the impact that is felt by our consumers. Thank you!
~ Scott